Guide to UPenn Law Optional Essay
Most law schools provide the opportunity for applicants to submit one or more supplemental or optional essays to give more information that shows why they are a good fit for a particular program. Although these essays are technically optional, it's in your best interest to submit a well-crafted essay that offers more information to admissions committee members reviewing application packages. University of Pennsylvania's Carey Law offers specific prompts for applicants to submit an optional essay. Completing the UPenn Law optional essay is another chance for you to sway the admissions committee to your side. You send the signal that you are determined to get into their program, and you are proactive about it by completing the optional essay.
Below I cover the specific prompts that Penn Carey Law provides applicants for their optional essay, considerations you should make when choosing a prompt for your essay, and tips you can follow to write a strong essay that adds value to your application package.
UPenn Law Optional Essay Prompts
Penn Carey Law offers applicants the opportunity to write one optional essay to provide more information to the admissions committee. Many other programs offer optional essays over and above a personal statement and a diversity statement. UPenn does not. You can only choose one of the following prompts in addition to your personal statement.
Describe how your background or experiences will enhance the diversity of the Penn Carey Law community. (e.g., based on your culture, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ideology, age, socioeconomic status, academic background, employment, or personal experience.)
These are the core strengths that make Penn Carey Law the best place for a legal education. This includes genuine integration with associated disciplines, transformative, forward-looking faculty scholarship; highly regarded experiential learning through urban clinics and our pro bono pledge; innovative, hands-on global engagement; and a manifest commitment to professional development and collegiality. These qualities define Penn Carey Law. What defines you? How do your goals and values match Penn Carey Law's core strengths?
Describe a time when, as a member of a team, you particularly excelled or were especially frustrated. What was your role within that team? What was the outcome?
If you do not think that your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why.
Choosing the Best Prompt for Your Situation
Although Penn Carey Law and other law schools present supplemental essays as optional, they really are not if you are serious about putting your best effort into your application package. Your personal statement told the admissions committee why you want to attend law school. Writing an optional essay is your chance to show off your writing skills again and provide additional information the committee cannot find elsewhere.
There is no one right prompt to choose because everyone's story is different. However, if UPenn is a reach school for you because of your academic record or your LSAT, consider using the optional essay to explain why. Some tips for addressing your standardized test scores and/or grades in your essay:
Do not hone in on minor issues because you risk bringing attention to minor weaknesses that the committee might overlook anyway.
Describe situations or events that negatively impacted you when you took your LSAT without mentioning you scored higher on practice tests.
Explain reasons for poor academic performance without shifting blame to others. Take responsibility for your choices and actions and tell the committee what you learned from the situation.
If your scores and grades are not an issue, you should think about the things in your life that you want the admissions committee to know. Maybe you want to share a particular job experience or a story about a difficult but rewarding experience in or personal or professional life. Penn Carey Law's prompts offer a way into most things you want the committee to know.
Tips for Writing a Strong Optional Essay for Penn Carey Law
Once you choose what you want to share with the admissions committee and decide which essay prompt is the best way to provide that information, you need to compose your essay. Easy enough, right? Unfortunately, you cannot whip this out in half an hour and send it off. Even the best writers need to spend time organizing their thoughts and revising their essays. Below are some tips to help you write the best essay possible for your Penn Carey Law application:
Be Mindful of Length
Penn Carey Law's application instructions do not provide a minimum or maximum word length for optional essays. Some assume that more is better, but this is not the case. Most law schools ask for no more than 250 words for supplemental essays, so I recommend not exceeding 250 words. If you write too much, you risk the committee not reading the entire UPenn Law optional essay.
Let Your Personality Shine Through
Applicants worry about whether committees will like their optional essay, so some choose to write what they think the committee members want to read. You cannot please everyone, and it's possible some will not like your essay. However, you don't need them to like your topic. You need committee members to recognize your writing skills and believe that you can succeed at Penn Carey Law. Be authentic and let your personality shine through, so your optional essay comes off as sincere.
Revise, Revise, Revise
Optional essays do not provide space for fluff. The goal is to pack as much information in 250 words as possible in a thoughtful and succinct. Carefully revise each sentence of your essay and only leave necessary information. Also, revise to get rid of passive voice, so your essay tells a stronger narrative. Indeed, taking the time to create and well-crafted essay will add value to your application package.
Learn More About the UPenn Law Optional Essay
Preparing law school applications is a lengthy process with many moving parts. If you have more questions about writing your Penn Carey Law optional essays or any other aspect of your law school application package, our team at Barrier Breakers® Admissions Advising is here to support you through this law school application cycle! Whether it's through discounted advising for BIPOC, first-generation, and LSAC Fee Waiver applicants, our essay review services and courses, or just downloading our free Essential Guide to Applying to Law School, we're here to help make this process easier.
As always, feel free to reach out to us at hello@barrier-breakers.org with any of your questions! You can also submit a question to be answered on our weekly Break Into Law School® Podcast, streaming wherever your favorite podcast service is.