Personal Statement trouble (yes another one)

[pe402]

I can't seem to focus on my statement this evening...or the past three. Does anyone want to try to get focused together? I'm just not sure my 'theme' is right.  Anyone?

[pe402]

Well, I hope your property outline is going better than my personal statement. I understand not wanting to have people read it. I'm a little uncomfortable with self promoting in writing. For some reason, I don't mind doing it in person say at an interview. Got any advice on how to just suck it up and write the PS?

[natalunia]

Well, I don't want to go with my old PS (about a student of mine), so I am now trying to narrow down to which topic would relay into a good PS. I have these ideas for me:

1. My adoption experience (my child is adopted from Russia)
2. My abusive alcoholic ex-husband, how I left him, how I met my new husband (online)
3. My international travel experiences
4. Why I changed majors 2 semesters from graduating with a BS in nursing
5. Why No Child Left Behind is the biggest mistake in education ever (I am a chemistry teacher)

If anyone has any better ideas for me, please let me know, as I keep changing my mind, and maybe all of the above suck! LOL!

[lunagirl]

I like the topic about international travel experience, plus I think I read in one of the admission books (don't remember which one) that describing international travel experience and especially what you learned from it may be a good topic for PS. My second choice probably would be topic about the adoption.

Well, I don't want to go with my old PS (about a student of mine), so I am now trying to narrow down to which topic would relay into a good PS. I have these ideas for me:

1. My adoption experience (my child is adopted from Russia)
2. My abusive alcoholic ex-husband, how I left him, how I met my new husband (online)
3. My international travel experiences
4. Why I changed majors 2 semesters from graduating with a BS in nursing
5. Why No Child Left Behind is the biggest mistake in education ever (I am a chemistry teacher)

If anyone has any better ideas for me, please let me know, as I keep changing my mind, and maybe all of the above suck! LOL!

[pe402]

I think in the Ivey book she says that international travel is not the best topic. Mainly because everyone has international travel experience now adays. Of course of the 'good' essays in the back of the book is a travel essay but it's not about the travel exactly.

Of course, I'm still having trouble with my topic. I'm currently a nonprofit office worker, who's father told her to never become a lawyer because they don't do great things. I'm thinking of writing about how I've come to realize that by becoming a public interest lawyer, I could do more than what I currently do as a paper pusher. Any thoughts on that? I hate to write about wanting to change the world, because I don't. I'm actually fairly jaded, since I work in the field. On the other hand, it's my primary reason to go to law school. I mean if I wanted to make money, I'd go to business school.

[meggo]

I don't think your topic has to be "why I'm going to prove my dad wrong!" but it would definitely be an interesting PS to talk about working in the world of non-profit, how that did or did not meet your expectations, and in some subtle way (ie through the use of a story or something) explain how working in this area gives you an edge in being a lawyer.

Nata - I would probably do the adoption story. Exposure to a foreign culture, a foreign process, overcoming obstacles, etc.

I'm currently debating a PS on being a 'non-traditional' immigrant and how living abroad for several years on my own when I was a bit younger showed my independence/tenacity/etc. but also allowed me to confront my own subconscious beliefs regarding "white privelege" or rather that being a "Western" immigrant would allow for me to be treated differently than other immigrants (it didn't). Also how it made me interested in immigration policy in general. Not sure though. Might be kind of lame.

[pasm]

I'm currently debating a PS on being a 'non-traditional' immigrant and how living abroad for several years on my own when I was a bit younger showed my independence/tenacity/etc. but also allowed me to confront my own subconscious beliefs regarding "white privelege" or rather that being a "Western" immigrant would allow for me to be treated differently than other immigrants (it didn't). Also how it made me interested in immigration policy in general. Not sure though. Might be kind of lame.

im no pro but that sounds like a great topic that would cover everything they would want to hear. doesn't sound lame at all.