5 Essential Online Tools and Resources to Make Your LL.M. Applications Shine

I've written extensively about the LL.M. application process on this website, including on the core components of an application, crafting an effective CV, brainstorming and choosing the most compelling stories for a personal statement, writing an essay on a legal issue, etc.

In this post, I’ve decided to share my favorite resources for graduate applications. Most of them target specific subsets of applicants, such as those applying to American law schools, MBA programs, or PhD programs. However, I found them incredibly helpful when I applied for a Master of Laws (LLM) and later for a PhD. I hope you find them useful as well.

1. Application Strategy: MBA Admissions by A.V. Gordon

The MBA Admissions Strategy by A.V. Gordon is one of my favorites, even though it primarily targets MBA applicants.

Here’s some advice from the book that applies to nearly any graduate application:

• Understanding your audience—the admissions committee—and their expectations.
• Marketing yourself effectively to the committee.
• Brainstorming essays, writing drafts, and revising them for submission.
• Techniques for improving written English.

For MBA applicants, this book is a must-read.

2. Personal Statements: Chicago Samples

This resource, In Their Own Words: Admissions Essays That Worked, is a collection of personal statements from applicants who successfully got into Chicago Law School.

It’s particularly useful for building a vocabulary to describe your life, achievements, and values.

3. Letters of Recommendation: Through the Looking Glass

The article Exploring the Color of Glass by Frances Trix and Carolyn Psenka is invaluable if your recommender asks you to draft a letter for their review or shows you a draft for feedback.

This study focuses on language in recommendation letters for medical school faculty and highlights gendered language patterns. For example, male applicants are often described as “leaders doing groundbreaking research,” while female applicants are more frequently called “diligent and hard-working.”

It also identifies vocabulary that weakens applications, such as irrelevant details, faint praise, or unexplained comments.

If you want to write a powerful letter of recommendation, this article is an incredible resource regardless of your gender identification.

‍Tip: Reverse the pronouns in your draft (e.g., female to male or vice versa). If it sounds strange, the letter may need rewriting.

4. Vocabulary: The Gates Cambridge Scholars

This might sound unusual, but I recommend the profiles of Gates Cambridge Scholarship recipients.

When I wrote my first personal statement, I struggled to find the right English vocabulary to describe myself. Reading the short bios of Gates Cambridge Scholars helped me think about how to present my achievements.

Visit the Gates Cambridge website, go to the scholar directory, and filter by country, year, or discipline. The profiles are short but packed with inspiration for writing personal statements or motivation letters.

5. Personal Statements: Top-law-schools Guide

This Guide to Personal Statements is tailored for American law school applicants (JD rather than LLM), but much of its advice applies across disciplines.

What I loved most is that it not only provides examples of personal statements but also analyzes them. Each statement is rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with clear explanations of what works and what doesn’t.

This guide also includes a wealth of writing tips.

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I hope these resources help you as much as they helped me.

If you'd like to see more specialized resources on the LLM application process, please check out my Gumroad page.

Best of luck with your applications!