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If one of my papers (written entirely on my own) were published in an academic journal while still in undergrad, would this be considered a "strong" soft, or just average?

ALSO--Answer the poll, please .

You and 9,000,000 other people.

the lantern wrote:You and 9,000,000 other people.

So this is the round-a-bout way of saying "Yes it is just average?"

It's impressive, but it's not going to be something thats WOW to admissions committees.

Still, mention it.

Good luck with your applications!

First, "softs" are a black box when it comes to the Admins' treatment of them. There are no rules of what makes a strong or weak soft.

Second, I saw someone on this forum tell a Rhodes scholar that the Rhodes scholarship was only a "moderate" soft.

Asking for people on this website to critique your "softs" is like a guy spreading his legs at a party and inviting people to pound his groin repeatedly with a sock filled with quarters. It's only going to hurt and no good can come of it.

thwalls wrote:First, "softs" are a black box when it comes to the Admins' treatment of them. There are no rules of what makes a strong or weak soft.

Second, I saw someone on this forum tell a Rhodes scholar that the Rhodes scholarship was only a "moderate" soft.

Asking for people on this website to critique your "softs" is like a guy spreading his legs at a party and inviting people to pound his groin repeatedly with a sock filled with quarters. It's only going to hurt and no good can come of it.

While this is true, this ENTIRE website is based off of people requesting opinions on various matters. If no one was willing/wanting to do this, then there would be absolutely no point to this forum.

What academic journal?

whymeohgodno wrote:What academic journal?

It is a national journal for special education (I am an ed. major and my professor who has had numerous works published in the journal requested that I submit it).

lalalawya wrote:

whymeohgodno wrote:What academic journal?

It is a national journal for special education (I am an ed. major and my professor who has had numerous works published in the journal requested that I submit it).

It's probably average or a bit above average. Softs however won't really make a difference unless you have extraordinary ones.

lalalawya wrote:

whymeohgodno wrote:What academic journal?

It is a national journal for special education (I am an ed. major and my professor who has had numerous works published in the journal requested that I submit it).

I think its a good soft, probably not a game changer.

The problem with journals is there is a distinct pecking order, but it is usually only known to those in the academic sphere in which the journal focuses.

Aside from nationally recognized journals (Nature, maybe AER) the adcomm is likely to be unfamiliar with how prestigious or second-rate the journal is.

I would think that it isn't that necessarily gives a significant boost on your app, but it definitely doesn't hurt to mention it

Average soft, especially if you're applying to T14.

im_blue wrote:Average soft, especially if you're applying to T14.

Hahah, so if I am applying to schools in the 50's would this go from average to slightly above?

Good soft because it is relatively rare. Not as good as Peace Corps, military, or TFA, but should be more interesting than President of UG Education Club or Member of XYZ Frat.

bartleby wrote:Good soft because it is relatively rare. Not as good as Peace Corps, military, or TFA, but should be more interesting than President of UG Education Club or Member of XYZ Frat.

I have never understood this. The Peace Corps takes a special type of person, but TFA and the military? If you can get into a t14 you can probably get into TFA and there is some part of the military for everyone. I'm not knocking these people's service and experience but unless we're talking Chesty Puller idk if it is/should be a soft over regular professional work experience.

AreJay711 wrote:

bartleby wrote:Good soft because it is relatively rare. Not as good as Peace Corps, military, or TFA, but should be more interesting than President of UG Education Club or Member of XYZ Frat.

I have never understood this. The Peace Corps takes a special type of person, but TFA and the military? If you can get into a t14 you can probably get into TFA and there is some part of the military for everyone. I'm not knocking these people's service and experience but unless we're talking Chesty Puller idk if it is/should be a soft over regular professional work experience.

Military is probably a "good" soft with combat experience.

gdane5 wrote:It's impressive, but it's not going to be something thats WOW to admissions committees.

Still, mention it.

Good luck with your applications!

TITCR

AreJay711 wrote:

bartleby wrote:Good soft because it is relatively rare. Not as good as Peace Corps, military, or TFA, but should be more interesting than President of UG Education Club or Member of XYZ Frat.

I have never understood this. The Peace Corps takes a special type of person, but TFA and the military? If you can get into a t14 you can probably get into TFA and there is some part of the military for everyone. I'm not knocking these people's service and experience but unless we're talking Chesty Puller idk if it is/should be a soft over regular professional work experience.

I'd say it is more like, if you were in the military and honorably discharged, then it is a good to slightly above average soft. If you were deployed, earned distinguished awards, or experienced "combat" and write it up correctly, then it would typically be considered above average or excellent for a soft.

Good softs are things that are either extraordinary or show a real promise to either do well in law school or do well in the legal profession. Thus, Having a CPA is indicative of being able to do well on the bar exam. If you have a top notch GPA, either for undergrad or grad work, they would be very good softs. If you had an amazing athletic accomplishment such as Olympian, that would be a great soft. I would imagine that if you win the Medel of Honor, it would be highly regarded.

What aren't great softs are:
* publication in most academic journals,
* being an officer of a fraternity,
*simply playing college athletics,
*being on the student board or
*being an officer of a frat.

Having decent job experience is nice but it MUST be exemplary. For example if you won an award or received a director's award, that would count. If you interned at a large , prestigious law firm and got a glowing recommendation from a lead partner, that would help. Again , strong softs are those that really stand out and are exemplary.

Welp, this thread is completly split in half.
I guess it doesn't really matter because I am going to update my resume with it regardless. But would this soft be the type of thing that would help to get me off of a waitlist I was recently put on?

taxguy wrote:If you have a top notch GPA, either for undergrad or grad work, they would be very good softs.

A soft is considered anything outside your GPA and LSAT (mainly - some might consider PS and LoRs not a soft because it is a required part of the application. I wouldn't but some might). So a top notch GPA wouldn't be considered a SOFT. It's a part of your numbers which makes 90-100% of your application (the more posts you have on TLS ~ the closer you feel it is to 100%). But a soft can help ONLY if you are actually touching or near the medians. A 165 3.5 peace corp will most likely not be going to harvard. Bottom line, numbers are necessary to get into law school. Numbers + softs are sufficient. LOL with that being said (realized how much I was ranting just now....), i would consider your publication a good soft. But I'm not sure - you should take a poll on TLS and ask - have you been published in a journal? - the more no's you get, the better your soft will look.

But if you're wondering whether you should put it on your resume or not - holy crap your resume must be LEGIT to not be putting something like that on....

How many people here have published in academic journals as UG?

It isn't very hard to make it as an Olympian in some sports, representing some countries - I think you shouldn't blanket this achievement.

taxguy wrote:Good softs are things that are either extraordinary or show a real promise to either do well in law school or do well in the legal profession. Thus, Having a CPA is indicative of being able to do well on the bar exam. If you have a top notch GPA, either for undergrad or grad work, they would be very good softs. If you had an amazing athletic accomplishment such as Olympian, that would be a great soft. I would imagine that if you win the Medel of Honor, it would be highly regarded.

What aren't great softs are:
* publication in most academic journals,
* being an officer of a fraternity,
*simply playing college athletics,
*being on the student board or
*being an officer of a frat.

Having decent job experience is nice but it MUST be exemplary. For example if you won an award or received a director's award, that would count. If you interned at a large , prestigious law firm and got a glowing recommendation from a lead partner, that would help. Again , strong softs are those that really stand out and are exemplary.

Active anti-greek life trolling, or just put it twice by accident? What's funny is the softs that get routinely called average or nothing special here are MORE than enough to get a very solid job, and WE is considered more valuable than softs...

r6_philly wrote:How many people here have published in academic journals as UG?

It isn't very hard to make it as an Olympian in some sports, representing some countries - I think you shouldn't blanket this achievement.

So are you saying that you consider this to be a good soft then, or are you being sarcastic? Sorry, it's been a loooooooooong day .

taxguy wrote:Good softs are things that are either extraordinary or show a real promise to either do well in law school or do well in the legal profession.

I seriously don't get how doing extensive research to write an article that is accepted by your peers not showing a real promise to do well in law school? That's what you're going to be doing - research, understanding the research, and writing professionally about such research.