NYU Law

Writing A Compelling Personal Statement For NYU Law

Getting into New York University School of Law is no easy feat.

NYU Law’s Fall 2020 entering class had an average LSAT score of 172 and average undergraduate GPA of 3.90 in the 75th percentile, according to the class profile.

While test scores and GPA are important factors, NYU’s admissions committee looks at candidates holistically and take in consideration other aspects such as work experience, character, and more.

A strong personal statement can help tell your story outside of your numbers. In their guide for getting into NYU Law, the experts at Shemmassian Academic Consulting offered a few tips on how to write a compelling personal statement.

EXPLAIN YOUR MOTIVATION

Your personal statement should highlight your motivations behind pursuing an education at NYU Law and a law career. This motivation should serve as the basis and foundation of your personal statement.

“While this might seem like a no-brainer, it is important not to lose sight of the purpose of your personal statement, which in this case, is to demonstrate why you should be a law student at NYU School of Law,” according to Shemmassian.

INCLUDE EXAMPLES

A strong personal statement will include clear examples that reinforce the skills or traits that you’ll bring to NYU Law.

“Law students must be analytical, organized, meticulous, creative, resilient, have good time management skills, and be able to synthesize large amounts of information,” according to Shemmassian. “Using your personal statement to tell a story that demonstrates that you possess one or more of these qualities and are thus prepared for the rigors of law school can be very effective.”

FOCUS ON STRUCTURE

A powerful story can be lost if it isn’t conveyed well.

Paying close attention to your essay’s structure will help you tell a cohesive and compelling story.

“Avoid using long words and sentence structures,” according to Shemmassian. “Each sentence should be succinct and clear. Also use good transitions between paragraphs so that your essay reads smoothly, and your reader is able to easily keep track of the key points you are trying to convey.”

Sources: Shemmassian Academic Consulting, NYU Law