Also struggling for PS topics

[inthesun]

Here are several ideas I have been toying with:

1.  Anything about overcoming my childhood...I have always been proud of where I have come from and what I overcame.
    -young, uneducated parents with no money (often had utilities turned off, had first home repossessed) who received their secondary education as I got older and are now extremely successful.  How that inspired me.
    -lost home to fire, my legs were severely burned, father almost died
    -a bi-racial, dealing with racism on both sides
(Why I feel like I am shying away from anything under number 1...I hate sob stories, I have never viewed my life in a "woe is me" kind of way.  I actually feel that I have been fortunate).

2.  An anecdote about hiking the Grand Canyon on a sprained ankle. Shows my perserverance.  Maybe I can tie into other ways I have perservered.

3.  Volunteering while on Spring Break.  How many college students can say they did this?

4.  Took 63 credit hours my last year of college.  On Dean's List entire time, President of student organization in it's formation year, 2 internships, and active membership in 2 other student organizations all during this time.
(Why I don't like.  Sounds like I am bragging.  I am a humble person.  There are people who go to South America to build houses for the poor...how can I even compare myself to that?!)

5.  I went from not knowing what to do with my life, to going through a wonderful period of self-realization.  (Includes grandfather's death, a great leadership camp where I met three phenomenal people, and working at a law firm).

6.  A specific situation about volunteering or working at law firm that greatly inspired me.

I need help.  I accept all forms of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.  Thanks!

[jgruber]

I can see why you're struggling.  I think I'd forget the ankle story, though.

[nathanielmark]

Here are several ideas I have been toying with:

1.  Anything about overcoming my childhood...I have always been proud of where I have come from and what I overcame.
    -young, uneducated parents with no money (often had utilities turned off, had first home repossessed) who received their secondary education as I got older and are now extremely successful.  How that inspired me.
    -lost home to fire, my legs were severely burned, father almost died
    -a bi-racial, dealing with racism on both sides
(Why I feel like I am shying away from anything under number 1...I hate sob stories, I have never viewed my life in a "woe is me" kind of way.  I actually feel that I have been fortunate).


I think this is good source material as long as you dont ask the reader to feel sorry for you


2.  An anecdote about hiking the Grand Canyon on a sprained ankle. Shows my perserverance.  Maybe I can tie into other ways I have perservered.

could be effective but id have to read it
3.  Volunteering while on Spring Break.  How many college students can say they did this?
yawn...  i would put this in your resume or in a related question on the app
4.  Took 63 credit hours my last year of college.  On Dean's List entire time, President of student organization in it's formation year, 2 internships, and active membership in 2 other student organizations all during this time.

Keep this stuff in your resume...  IMO, you dont want your PS to read like a written version of your resume, it should ideally tell the reader stuff about you they would not know from simply viewing your academic/professional life

(Why I don't like.  Sounds like I am bragging.  I am a humble person.  There are people who go to South America to build houses for the poor...how can I even compare myself to that?!)

5.  I went from not knowing what to do with my life, to going through a wonderful period of self-realization.  (Includes grandfather's death, a great leadership camp where I met three phenomenal people, and working at a law firm).

maybe, but i think the first idea will be more effective

6.  A specific situation about volunteering or working at law firm that greatly inspired me.
again, id keep this in the resume
I need help.  I accept all forms of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.  Thanks!

I dont claim to be an authority, these are just my opinions (i have many of them)

[nathanielmark]

o and ill send you mine by the way if you want to read it and give me feedback... its pretty short and still a work in progress. let me know..

[swifty]

I am going to just put down how much I hate cops.  That is sincerely the only motivating factor I have to become an attorney.  I just simply hate cops.  Everything about them.

And then of course, I will offer a solution on how to take any "discretionary power" away from Cops.  I will use really unique analagies, like "pigs" or sumpton.  Cops, if you can't beat em, shoot them all dead.  They are the scum of the scum, even more than lawyers.  Really. 

[barchk]

I like #5.  It sounds unique - what makes you different from other applicants.  I think it sounds the most personal out of the options you posted.

[superiorlobe]

Here are several ideas I have been toying with:

1.  Anything about overcoming my childhood...I have always been proud of where I have come from and what I overcame.
    -young, uneducated parents with no money (often had utilities turned off, had first home repossessed) who received their secondary education as I got older and are now extremely successful.  How that inspired me.
    -lost home to fire, my legs were severely burned, father almost died
    -a bi-racial, dealing with racism on both sides
(Why I feel like I am shying away from anything under number 1...I hate sob stories, I have never viewed my life in a "woe is me" kind of way.  I actually feel that I have been fortunate).

This might work if you do it very carefully.

2.  An anecdote about hiking the Grand Canyon on a sprained ankle. Shows my perserverance.  Maybe I can tie into other ways I have perservered.

Boring.

3.  Volunteering while on Spring Break.  How many college students can say they did this?

A lot of college kids volunteer over Spring Break, actually.  I'm starting to think they're all just out to pad their resumes.  Call me a cynic.

5.  I went from not knowing what to do with my life, to going through a wonderful period of self-realization.  (Includes grandfather's death, a great leadership camp where I met three phenomenal people, and working at a law firm).

Write about self-realization.  If you can pull it off, it will be good.  In other words, you have to make the essay believable.  If you write about self-realization without actually being self-realized, though, I think it will come through.

6.  A specific situation about volunteering or working at law firm that greatly inspired me.

Ummm, volunteering at a law firm is not going to impress anyone.  I would suggest writing about the fallen state of mankind and how you identify with Eve and now seek to undo that great wrong and look forward to the day when the Serpent's Head will be crushed beneath the heal of your son.