PS question

[One Tym]

Contractions. 

A good thing?  Trying to seem very genuine in a story-telling-like way...

OR a bad thing.  Too informal?

Thanks!

[rhapsody]

Most of the advice I've read says you should avoid contractions, except when using direct quotes.  There are plenty of ways to give your statement an informal tone without using contractions.  Good luck.   

[DOWNY]

Contractions. 

A good thing?  Trying to seem very genuine in a story-telling-like way...

OR a bad thing.  Too informal?

A bad thing- telling stories is what you do around the campfire with your friends after a long night of tripping on mushrooms and smoking chronic. A personal statement is an attempt to supplement/compensate for any potential inadequacies in your application. As such it must be an artful permutation of relatively formal writing with a subtextual window into your own unique qualities/experiences.

Trust me on this one- I go to Cooley.

HTH
DOWNY

[Hertzy42]

Contractions. 

A good thing?  Trying to seem very genuine in a story-telling-like way...

OR a bad thing.  Too informal?

A bad thing- telling stories is what you do around the campfire with your friends after a long night of tripping on mushrooms and smoking chronic. A personal statement is an attempt to supplement/compensate for any potential inadequacies in your application. As such it must be an artful permutation of relatively formal writing with a subtextual window into your own unique qualities/experiences.

Trust me on this one- I go to Cooley.

HTH
DOWNY

there are plenty of ways to give personal information pertinent to the law school admissions committee without writing it like a debate speech. I think they probably see hundreds upon hundreds of formal (or at least attempts at formal) writing, making clear points in a different writing style isn't necessarily a detriment to your application.