How long to write the essay?

[SteelyDan]

I've been putting it off because I don't want to do it, but I have to do it now so that I can get my apps in. How long do you guys it will take me to write a good essay? I was thinking maybe a week, but I've been looking at stuff online that says it might take a month, and I really don't want to take a month to do this. For those of you that have already applied, how long did it take you to write your essay?

[Anne]

That's actually a hard question to answer. I would say that, to give yourself the time to put together a good statement, you'll need at least two weeks. That way, you can give yourself time to think about various topics, brainstorm the best ones, outline them, and then select one or two to work on. You'll also need to go through multiple drafts, and it's always better to give yourself at least a day in between each one so that you can re-read it with fresh eyes and make sound revisions.

If it were me, I would like a month (I just feel that it would give me the best chance of being able to look at my writing objectively). I think two weeks would be a good amount of time, though. Definitely don't try to do it in a day or two. Give your essay the time it deserves.

[LawSchoolGuy]

FWIW I did mine in about a week and sent in my applications.

[Anne]

FWIW I did mine in about a week and sent in my applications.

In retrospect, how did you feel your essay went? Would you have liked more time to work on it?

[SteelyDan]

Okay, so 1 to 2 weeks, you guys think? Anne, is it really necessary to do drafts on multiple topics or just focus on one? I'm afraid to spend time working on something that I won't end up using, and that will take away time from the essay I will end up sending in.

[Anne]

Okay, so 1 to 2 weeks, you guys think? Anne, is it really necessary to do drafts on multiple topics or just focus on one? I'm afraid to spend time working on something that I won't end up using, and that will take away time from the essay I will end up sending in.

In your case, it might be better if you brainstorm for topics, then pick the ones that sound the most interesting and engaging (not only to you--have someone else read the topics list and tell you what they would like to know more about), and then just outline them to see if you actually have enough material to write 800-1000 words on any given topic. This last part is particularly important, since you don't want to worry about having to inject fluff into your essay halfway through because you ran out of steam/ideas. Pick the one were you have more than enough personal anecdotes and stories to tell a story in a cohesive, captivating way.

[LawSchoolGuy]

FWIW I did mine in about a week and sent in my applications.

In retrospect, how did you feel your essay went? Would you have liked more time to work on it?

I would have probably liked a week or so more, but I felt I did okay under the time constraints.

[SteelyDan]

Okay, so 1 to 2 weeks, you guys think? Anne, is it really necessary to do drafts on multiple topics or just focus on one? I'm afraid to spend time working on something that I won't end up using, and that will take away time from the essay I will end up sending in.

In your case, it might be better if you brainstorm for topics, then pick the ones that sound the most interesting and engaging (not only to you--have someone else read the topics list and tell you what they would like to know more about), and then just outline them to see if you actually have enough material to write 800-1000 words on any given topic. This last part is particularly important, since you don't want to worry about having to inject fluff into your essay halfway through because you ran out of steam/ideas. Pick the one were you have more than enough personal anecdotes and stories to tell a story in a cohesive, captivating way.

Okay. About how long do you think an outline should be to fill 800-1000 words?