The 'Rodriguez List' Technique: Your Key to LLM Personal Statement Topic Selection

A practical guide to choosing a topic for your personal statement

Choosing a topic for your personal statement can feel daunting - perhaps one of the most painful steps in preparing for your master's applications.

It’s common to delay writing your personal statement simply because deciding on a topic feels overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like there’s nothing in your life “worthy” of being included in such an important essay. And when you read examples of successful personal statements, it might feel like the bar is impossibly high—that you need to be a national champion, have casually saved 10 lives, and founded a multimillion-dollar business, preferably all within the past five years.

I’ve already written about the importance of crafting a strong personal statement, as well as its hidden benefits for building your confidence and clarity. In this post, I’ll share a technique to help you choose a topic without the unnecessary pressure to prove you’re “extraordinary.”

If you'd like to see how I applied it to my winning Harvard LLM personal statement, you can check out my three-part series on this subject: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. It's an illustration of my original 5-step methodology for writing personal statements. The core of this methodology is identifying and focusing on formative life experiences to craft a compelling LL.M. application. Further, in this post I explain how I strategically chose what experiences to include and what to leave out. You can also read about my philosophy on using personal stories, as opposed to professional, here (the overarching framework) and here (how I applied it to my Harvard essay). For the essay on a legal issue (Harvard's personal statement, part 'b') or a writing sample, please check out this post.

Rethinking “Uniqueness”

When searching for advice online, you’ll often come across tips urging you to write about what makes you “unique” or “special.” While this sounds great in theory, in practice, it can lead to analysis paralysis.

Instead of chasing uniqueness, I suggest using a simple and effective technique called the “Rodriguez List.”

What is the 'Rodriguez list'?

You may know Robert Rodriguez as the filmmaker behind movies like El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and the Spy Kids series. What’s relevant to us, however, is how he approached his first film, El Mariachi.

The movie had an extremely low budget—just $7,225—but became a huge success, winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and earning international acclaim.

How did Rodriguez pull it off? He explained his approach in an interview:

I just took stock of what I had. My friend Carlos, he's got a ranch in Mexico. Okay, that's be where the bad guy is. His cousin owns a bar. The bar is where there's going to the first, initial shootout. It's where all the bad guys hang out. His other cousin owns a bus line. Okay, there will be an action scene with the bus at some point, just a big action scene in the middle of the movie with a bus. He's got a pitbull. Okay, he's in the movie. His other friend had a turtle he found. Okay, the turtle's in the movie... I wrote everything around what we had, so you never had to go search, and you never had to spend anything on the movie.

(you can read the entire interview with Robert Rodriguez on the Tim Ferriss podcast)

This technique—taking stock of what you have and building from there—has since become popular among filmmakers. They call it the "Rodriguez List."

Applying the Rodriguez List to Your Personal Statement

You can use this same technique to choose a topic for your personal statement.

Start by asking yourself: What do I have?

To make this easier, break the question down into more specific prompts:

Professional Background

• What do you do professionally, and why?
• How and why did you choose your field?
• What sparked your interest in this subject?

Academic & Extracurricular Activities

• What activities or experiences have you pursued in your field? Think of courses, research, internships, conferences, competitions, or summer schools.
• What have you learned from these experiences?

Influential People

• Who are the most important people in your life—both personally and professionally?
• What have you learned from them?

Future Goals

• What are your plans for the future? (It’s fine to have multiple ideas—just focus on what matters most to you.)

Growth Through Experience

• What challenges have you faced, and how have they shaped you?
• Are there gaps or discrepancies in your academic or professional record? What explains them?

Overcoming Obstacles

• Have you encountered significant hardships (economic, familial, physical, etc.)?
• How did you overcome them?

Personal Traits and Skills

• What personal characteristics (e.g., persistence, integrity, compassion) set you apart?
• Can you share a story or example that illustrates these traits?

Skills You’ve Acquired

• What skills have you developed (e.g., writing, leadership, communication, teamwork)?
• How did you develop them, and how have they impacted your life?

Life Milestones

• What are the key steppingstones in your life?
• What events, people, or experiences defined those periods and led to the next?

From Facts to Stories

Once you’ve made your Rodriguez List—essentially, a detailed inventory of your life—it’s time to reflect. Start with the facts, then layer in your subjective experiences. Ask yourself: What do these facts mean to me? How have they shaped my journey?

This process will leave you with a variety of potential topics for your personal statement. Some will naturally feel stronger or more relevant than others. The key is to choose a topic that feels authentic and speaks powerfully about who you are.

Final Thoughts

If you'd like to learn more, I share more of my process writing the Harvard LL.M. personal statement in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. In this post I explain how I strategically chose what experiences to include and what to leave out. You can read about my philosophy on using personal stories, as opposed to professional, here (the overarching framework) and here (how I applied it to my Harvard essay).

I have also created a course, The Ultimate Guide to a Personal Statement That Gets You Admission, with a full roadmap for writing a winning personal statement, motivation letter, or statement of purpose.

Remember, the purpose of the personal statement is to show the admissions committee who you are—not just as a student or professional, but as a person. It’s about painting a portrait of yourself as someone who is ready and excited to pursue graduate study.

Don’t worry about trying to sound extraordinary. Sometimes, the most relatable and impactful personal statements are built on simple, honest reflections of everyday experiences.

Good luck, and happy writing!