If you are one of the many law school applicants who has decided to send in an addendum, remember that you need to write an effective write-up. Since there are no real guidelines, there are chances of horribly messing up an otherwise invaluable tool offered by LSAC.
Here are tips for writing law school application addendum:
1. Know when to write it – This is the most crucial step. An addendum is not a must have and should only be used for glaring inconsistencies in the application. Use it to address big gaps in your LSAT scores, issues with GPA or explain other academic issues. Do not write it just for the heck of it. In fact, you are lucky if you don’t need to add one to your law school application.
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2. Should only address shortcomings – Remember that an addendum should only be used to explain shortcomings in your application and the kinds that will raise doubts in front of examiners. For instance, if you have scored 145 in your first attempt and 167 in the second one, that’s when you need an addendum in case the first time around was caused due to special conditions. Additionally, do not use it to tell them more about yourself. Your personal statements and resume should do that job.
3. Structure of addendum – Remember that the admission officers are only looking for a brief explanation of your inconsistencies. The addendum is not supposed to be written as an essay. So, there is no need for an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Jump straight to the point and explain it in a few paragraphs. Remember that admission officers have tons of reading to do. Do not overboard them with unnecessary details. 250 words should be a safe word count.
4. Tone of the addendum – The tone should be objective. Remember that it is a mature explanation and not an opportunity to offer excuses. Do not get too emotional and whiny.
5. Multiple addenda – Yes, you can have more than one addendum. But then, you should also have issues which warrant such detailed explanation. Otherwise best to stay away from them.
