I'm applying to law schools for the 2011/12 academic year. My grades and LSAT score combined with my internships and life experience make me a competitive candidate for some of the top 20 law schools in the USA.
During and after my undergraduate degree, I have made money as an independent male escort. I live in a place where such practices are totally legal, for both parties involved in the transaction.
I wanted to know if it is at all possible to discuss, even briefly, this fact in my personal statement or CV. I initially engaged in this line of work because of financial hardship, but went on to greatly appreciate the experience and the amazing people I have met thanks to escorting. It is a profession that demands a particular sort of personality; one that is socially intuitive, not to mention conversational and able to engage with people from all walks of life. I am proud of this aspect of my life story and feel strongly that, all prejudices aside, it demonstrates some of my strengths both as a person and as an aspiring lawyer.
I would like to know from anyone that has any inside knowledge of the admissions process if it is ever possible to bring this up without sending your application directly to the junk heap.
Dear Escort -
First, congratulations. This is quite a skill indeed.
Second, no, you should not mention it, even obliquely, in your personal statement. Even if some see past the conventional perceptions, all you need to kill an application is one who doesn't. Instead, think about how these skills might have played out in a different context, or how some other event helped you to see an area where you needed more skill, etc.
Finally, once you're in, your skills will re-emerge. Once you've graduated, they'll perhaps be more important, depending upon your choice of position, than the actual law.
Thane.
PS: What's an escort? = : )