personal statement about immigrant adversity?

[ruskiegirl]

first-i wanna thank you guys for finally responding to my post!!!! it's SOOO awesome to get some feedback!!! makes me SOOOOO !!!

well i emmigrated from poland when i was 9.  originally my PS was just about the whole experience of when i initially came over.  As of recent reviews, i have been advised to incorporate some discourse regarding my motivation to go to LS.

So as of recently i kinda started on rewriting it a bit.  i started out explaining how immigration has influenced/impacted my life.  And i go on to discuss how i came to be interested in international affairs and econ (my ugrad majors).  i go on to discuss how this lead me to develop the interest in international law (esp in areas such as trade/finance).  how does that sound?

Sounds a lot like my PS.  But, hey, it worked wonders for me, so it can't be that bad!

[swifty]

first-i wanna thank you guys for finally responding to my post!!!! it's SOOO awesome to get some feedback!!! makes me SOOOOO !!!

well i emmigrated from poland when i was 9.  originally my PS was just about the whole experience of when i initially came over.  As of recent reviews, i have been advised to incorporate some discourse regarding my motivation to go to LS.

So as of recently i kinda started on rewriting it a bit.  i started out explaining how immigration has influenced/impacted my life.  And i go on to discuss how i came to be interested in international affairs and econ (my ugrad majors).  i go on to discuss how this lead me to develop the interest in international law (esp in areas such as trade/finance).  how does that sound?

Lexie,

Didn't I review your PS?  I know I read 2 on immigrants, and I don't think I was being unfair in either.  Id I didn't read yours, disregard. 

[swifty]

Personal attack?  No, Swifty.  You'll know when you've been personally attacked by me.  I'm not a nice guy when that happens.  People don't like to be around me when I get riled up.  But it takes more than Swifty to get my blood boiling... don't worry.  At least, more than Swifty's done to date. 

The only reason I don't think you'd be a very good reviewer is because you tend to tear everything you can apart.  True, law school admissions counselors aren't necessarily looking for reasons to let you in; but they're not trying to tear you up either.  They already have a good reason not to admit you... only so many seats for a much larger sea of applicants.  I think your pessimistic approach could make people doubt their personal statements, when they might actually be quite good and just need a little tweaking to shift emphasis from one area to another.  So I'd hate to see you shake someone's confidence in what is really a good personal statement.  That's all.

So no, you haven't been personally attacked.  Frankly, it's not worth my time to personally attack you.  I have better things to do than to stoop to negativity and pessimism.  Life's too short to live like that.

ZAP

So if I do get personally atacked by you, then I should worry? If so, what should I worry about?  I don't tend to tear everything apart, you have no basis for this statement.  I simply stated Jacy could do better.  she needs to dig a bit deeper.  Yes, I amy come across as harsh, but if you can't read between the lines of harsh, and reality, I would rip you a new a-hole in a courtroom.  The burning fire was simply a metaphor, it was not meant to be taken literally.  I could send you emails of the people who loved my reviews, but i would need their permission first.  One person wanted to write about a sibling rivalry.  I told him that was a bad idea  He took it in stride, and also felt that his topic should be totally changed.  i helped that young man, at no benefit to me.  There are also a lot of people who use English as their second language, and needed help with spicing up the vocabualry.  You know what I found that is amazing in these PS's that I read?  It's the fact that people who have english as their second language are actually BETTER writers than those who grew up in this country.

The fact that you call my remarks pessimistic, is simply the fact that you might indeed your self have some trouble with criticism.  I suggest you work on that young man.   

I am going on record that I am personally attacking your Avatar.  I don't know who it is, but it is really annoying. 

[swifty]

I also srongly urge Lexie to read Ruskigirl's PS that she offered.  They are in a similar situation, and I personally asked Ruskie if she thought her PS played a major role in the adcomm's decision to admit her to Boaldt.  she said Yes, it did.  But Lexie has to make the move to ask Ruskie.  I strongly advise you to do that Lexie! 

[The ZAPINATOR]

edit

[lexie0502]

Swifty did read my PS...

Also, Ruskigirl, I will take you up on the offer to read ur PS.  email it to Pacholek@gwu.edu I'm sure it will really help me to get an idea on how to approach this topic.  Thanks in advance!

[swifty]

Swifty:

Thanks for the personal attack on my avatar.     By the way, his name is Bruce.  Bruce Campbell.  If you don't know who he is, you need to watch more B-movies.  Annoying is an understatement in describing some of the characters he plays... so is genius.

I'm not saying you're an awful reviewer.  And I can deal with criticism, but I don't think it's always the best approach, in law or in life.  By accentuating the positive and helping people see what's good, you can help them take what's good and make it better; and what's bad just tends to get lost along the wayside.  Polish instead of rebuilding... that's my approach.  Call me an optimist if you'd like.  But although reality is harsh, it's our obligation in life to leave this world better than we found it... and by having a positive outlook on things, I think we accomplish that more easily than if we take a pessimistic or destructive attitude.  Normal Vincent Peale, in the Power of Positive Thinking, made some very good points.  We are what we decide we are... at least, we can be nothing more than that. 

And for the record, I know you're reviewing this stuff out of the goodness of your heart and there's no financial incentive to do so.  If I make a review offer, it's coming from the same perspective.  Nobody's out here trying to make a profit... well, there may be some, but I'm not one of them.

ZAP

That's a nice approach to take especially if you want to be well liked in life, or on this BBS for that matter.  However, when I see what I feel is a topic that should be disgarded, why would I put a positive perspective on it and try to improve a topic that I already believe is fundamentally a bad topic.  A complete and total need to dig deeper, and find something else to write about was needed.  Yes, I am a straight shooter, always have been, probably always will be. A lot of people don't like my approach, but in the long run, at least in this case, Jacy would have a much better chance of writing an awesome PS if she totally disgarded her original topic.  I've seen her posts for about a month now, she is smart, intelligent, doesn't deal with criticism too well, but I know she will get over that and write an awesome topic.  Also, at least two other people told her that her topic should be scrapped.  So it wasn't an isolated event.

Now, if you were local, I'd gladly go buy you a beer and play a game of pool.  Nothing personal, except for that annoying avatar. 

[FloridaLaw]

ruskiegirl

Ruskiegirl, I am writing a PS about immigration also.  How I came to US and how the first few years were like, etc.

Would you email me yours, so I can get more ideas. 

Thanks. 

My email address is AsianFloridian@aol.com

[ruskiegirl]

I have to applologize and take a rain check on my previous offer to share my PS.  You see, I am at my parents' house in Florida right now and I didn't take my computer.  I do not have a copy of my PS on this one, so anyone who remains interested in readin my PS will be able to get a copy emailed to them in the middle of August when I return to Berkeley.  Just reming me who you are.

[swifty]

Can't you have any friends or neighbors get in your house and have them send it to you?
Just a thought.