This past week, I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of students to discuss writing personal statements. Very quickly, the conversation turned into a discussion about how to sell yourself. I think was a vital conversation for us as a Rose community to have. These “insider” tricks aren’t taught in the class room setting and career services isn’t always a comfortable environment for students looking for more than a job, but a competitive edge.

Geoffrey and Magdala both had a extensive background when it came to writing statements, as well as cover letters. Two things that stood out to me during this  conversation:

1. Call-In: I think this was a very important trick that Cornell students don’t take advantage of. Calling in to check up on a pending application not only can alieve anxiety, but also show interest and initiative for the position you are applying to.
2. Tailor: Both Magdala and Geoffrey noted how they have a variety of different copies of resumes, cover letters and personal statements that they have tailored to certain positions to highlight specific aspects and traits they exhibit.

On my journey to develop my personal statement for law school, I know this workshop will certainly be helpful. Personal statements require an immense amount of authenticity and strategy. As I begin to meditate on how I want to approach writing and determining my topic, I know that my personal statement is only a fragment but also there are countless ways in which I can help my application through.

While I wish we would’ve dived deeper into the nuances and looked at examples of strong personal statements, this workshop positively reinforce a lot of what I believed to be true about writing personal statements. I know that I would appreciate the opportunity to meet one on one with Magdala and Geoffrey to receive a more personalized approach to writing statements.