Personal Quotes in Personal Statement

[menkenj]

Ok, so I know that generally, admissions officers do not want to see quotes in our personal statements. However, I am contemplating two statements that humans along my journey have said to me that really spoke to who I am and confirmed my path to get here -- to the horizon of law school. My journey has had many twists and turns so it's important for my statement to speak to why law school is the only next step for me. However, is it strange or uncomfortable to include quotes where others describe the applicant? Nothing cheesy or only adjectives. They speak to core. Concise. Substantive.

[KelseyWoods]

Hi menkenj!

It's hard to answer more specifically without knowing precisely what the quotes are and how you would work them into your essay. It is probably possible to use the quotes as inspiration for yourself in terms of deciding what to write and your overarching themes without necessarily including them verbatim. If you think that the quotes are important and that you can include them in a meaningful way, go ahead and use them. But make sure to give your essay to a few people to read who you can trust to be honest with you about how the quotes come off and if they think they are necessary.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Best,
Kelsey