UVA application strategy

I have mentioned that I am complete at UVa, but I neglected to mention my application strategy. I'll give a quick review of what I've done for other schools before getting into my UVA application.

Early on in this process, I planned on sending a variety of essays with each application. I nixed the diversity statement (for the reasons given here). I wrote the optional essay for W&M (I used a personal statement draft), but I did not write the optional essay for W&L (they say that there is no penalty for not writing it). I have submitted my resume with every application. My personal statement was just under 500 words (thanks to the limits imposed by U of R and George Mason (although Mason just wants something in the ballpark of the 500 word limit). It's not quite 2 pages. Minnesota suggests 2 to 5 pages. I like my statement the way that it is and thought it would be a mistake to tack something on just to make it 2 pages. I had not written an essay expressing my desire to attend a particular school, until UVa anyway.

There is a debate raging over on TLS on whether or not it is prudent to submit a Why X statement with every application. The debate was prompted by somebody posting that an admissions dean at Harvard said a Why Harvard statement will only hurt an application. These posts (here and here) were clearly written after reading the Harvard post and freaking out about writing one for UVA. UVA is an interesting application because, while they do not request an essay explaining why you are applying to UVA, the admissions dean gave an interview and said that they will look at them if they are in the application. You can read the entire interview here, but this is the relevant portion to the Why UVA question;

TLS: Since UVA doesn't have an optional "why UVA?" essay, what are some good ways applicants can indicate a strong interest in UVA?

Applicants can and do submit “why UVA” essays all the time. We just do not specifically ask for them. I also get a number of “why X Law School” essays all the time, where X is (accidentally) not Virginia Law. That is a sure way to get yourself wait-listed or rejected.

I almost submitted my application without the Why UVA essay. I was one click away from submitting my application when I remembered that I wanted to submit that additional essay. I thought about not writing it, but then I realized that I could address my motivations for law school in the Why UVA statement. I also knew that I could write an essay that would be more than I really like the campus and think I would like living in C'ville for three years. I want IP and UVA has TWO IP clinics. I also have family reasons for staying close to central Virginia. Those three elements, I want IP, you have IP clinics and your location works for me, are the three paragraphs of my Why UVA statement (although I called it a Statement of Interest in my actual application). I feel like it adds something to my application. How likely is it that somebody else will have the same essay in their application package?

My take on the Harvard comment is pretty simple. How unique is each Why Harvard essay? Would you really want to read a few thousand essays that all pretty much say the same thing? Why put something in your application that just makes you look more like everybody else? I wrote one for UVA because I suspect that I will be very much on the borderline of the admission/waitlist//reject line. I wanted to have something in there that will help give the committee more insight into me and my plans for law school. If you don't have anything unique to say, don't say anthing at all.