How many pages should a law school personal statement be?
Asked by: Harrison Mitchell | Last update: September 22, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (62 votes)
Some schools set no limit for personal statements, but most suggest either 2–3 or 2–4 pages. Aim for two pages, double-spaced. Do not make the error of thinking that more is better. Law schools value the ability to persuasively convey information in a relatively short space.
Is a personal statement 500 words for law school?
How Long Should a Personal Statement Be for Law School? Admissions committees have to read thousands of personal statements per application cycle. To ensure the committee can do so in a timely manner, personal statements are typically limited to around 500-750 words.
Is 2.5 pages too long for a personal statement?
Normally, the length of a personal statement will be dictated by the application—500 words or 800 words are typical limits, as are one-page or two-page limits.
How long is the LSAT personal statement?
Two pages is the most common length requirement for law school personal statements but we suggest you start by writing the three-page version, finalizing it, and then pare it down to a two-page version if necessary.
How long is the Harvard law statement of purpose?
Each Statement must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). We expect every applicant to use at least one full page for each Statement.
[Law School Admissions] Are you making this mistake on your personal statement?
Can my law school personal statement be 3 pages?
Some schools set no limit for personal statements, but most suggest either 2–3 or 2–4 pages. Aim for two pages, double-spaced.
What LSAT score do I need for Harvard?
So let's take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world. As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School.
How long is the Yale law school personal statement?
Personal Statements
Applicants often submit the personal statement they have prepared for other law school applications. Personal statements should be approximately two double-spaced pages, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "Personal Statement" in the header.
What not to write in a law school personal statement?
- Overused Quotes. Your first sentence has to hook your reader enough to urge them to continue reading. ...
- Focusing On Someone Else's Success. ...
- Vague Descriptions. ...
- Focusing Too Much On Your Anecdote. ...
- Humor.
How long does the average person prep for the LSAT?
Average Recommended Study Time
Most LSAT experts recommend around 3 months of full times study, or around 150 to 300 hours; this breaks down to approximately 12 to 25 hours a week of studying every week. This is the study plan that suits most people and is the most customizable depending on your individual obligations.
What is too short for a personal statement?
How long should my Personal Statement be? The length of a personal statement varies depending on the university, but generally, the average length for an undergraduate application is between 400 and 600 words, around one side of A4 paper or a maximum of 47 lines.
How long should a law school personal statement be on Reddit?
2 pages, exceptions can be made for exceptional stories like if you cured cancer, delivered world peace, etc.
How many words should a personal statement be for law school?
How Long Should a Law School Personal Statement Be? For most applicants, 715 to 725 words. If you have an extensive relevant background you need to cover, for example, if you are coming to law as a second career, then your word count can edge higher, up to 850 words.
What makes a strong law school personal statement?
Well-written personal statements should not only demonstrate that you are proficient in your use of the English language but should also demonstrate that you can be logical, persuasive, engaging, and concise. Second, at most law schools, the personal statement is a proxy for an interview.
How long is the Duke law personal statement?
Please limit your answer(s) to approximately 250-500 words per essay. What does the rule of law mean to you, and what special background or experience do you have that may help you contribute to its advancement or that underscores its importance to you personally?
How long is a NYU law personal statement?
This is a brief statement—make it no more than 500 words. It is also personal. Describe aspects about yourself, your accomplishments, or your academic and professional goals.
Should I tailor my personal statement to each law school?
Instead many law schools ask for additional, often optional, essays about why you are interested in the specific program. However, you can still subtly tailor your personal statement by focusing your “angle” on the strengths and values of the program.
What are the don'ts of a personal statement?
Don't make unsupported claims. 'I am the best student you will see all year' doesn't go down too well, even if you think you can prove it! Don't copy someone else's UCAS personal statement or use something you have found on the internet.
Do law schools fact check personal statements?
Finally, this may go without saying, but don't stretch the truth (ahem) in your personal statement. We can tell. And we will check.
What is the hardest law school to get into?
- Yale University: 6.9%
- Stanford University: 9.72%
- University of Pennsylvania: 14.6%
- University of Virginia: 15.3%
- Harvard University: 15.6%
- Columbia University: 16.8%
- University of Chicago: 17.5%
- Duke University: 20.2%
What is the lowest LSAT score to get into Yale?
There is no minimum GPA or LSAT score for applicants, but the recent statistics show that the lowest GPA and LSAT scores received by a member of Yale Law School's most recently admitted class were 3.32 and 155 respectively. 50% of successful applicants scored a 173 or higher on the LSAT.
What is a perfect LSAT score?
The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.
What was Obama's LSAT score?
The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.
How hard is a 172 LSAT?
Your percentile on the LSAT shows how many people you outperformed on the test. Scoring 172 typically puts you in the top 1.3%, surpassing 98.7% of other test-takers. LSAT percentiles may change slightly each year based on everyone's performance.
What was Elle Woods' LSAT score?
Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.