First Generation DS? Forum

[North]

I'm the first person in my family to go to college. Does that make me diverse enough for it to be worth writing a DS? I mention it in passing in other parts of my apps and am otherwise only a working-class Caucasian dude.

Sorry for asking so many questions lately, pending-app purgatory is weird and boring. Feel free to troll.

[gaud]

I certainly think it does.

[North]

I certainly think it does.

Awesome. I was expecting a wall of "don't do it."

Anybody think it's a bad idea?

[20130312]

I don't think it's a bad idea, I just think its unnecessary and more likely to do harm than good.

[North]

I don't think it's a bad idea, I just think its unnecessary and more likely to do harm than good.

Yeah, that's what I'm pretty worried about. Also, it might be hard to avoid a little PS/DS overlap and that's probably no good.

I'm reading up on what good DS's look like at the moment. I'll post it up after I finish writing to see what you guys think.

[Br3v]

I disagree with above and don't really see how it could hurt?

But keep us posted with the final product North....btw how are apps coming?

[sabanist]

It would depend on the school. I did LGBT DS everywhere except for Chicago, whose app instructions essentially said "just include that kind of stuff in your PS." If it's well-done and they welcome it, I think it could be compelling. I'd recommend sharing it with a few TLS folks. I found the PS forum immensely helpful, and swapping or sharing could keep you from fulfilling InGoodFaith's concern.

Try to avoid the overlap if you can, though. The things I discussed in my DS exposed a different side of me than my PS even though they fit together in an overall picture. I hope that makes sense.

[North]

I disagree with above and don't really see how it could hurt?

But keep us posted with the final product North....btw how are apps coming?

Hey Brev, what's going on dude? Apps were polished and submitted about two weeks ago. Being registered for December has left me in some kind of application doldrums, though. More than a few schools are not touching my apps until scores come out (except UMinn, where I think I'm on some kind of rocket-review -- seen more movement there than pretty much all other schools put together). So I'm trying to put the idle time to good use by writing loving Why X's and (maybe) this DS. And congrats on UVA, bro! Charlottesville is beautiful.

It would depend on the school. I did LGBT DS everywhere except for Chicago, whose app instructions essentially said "just include that kind of stuff in your PS." If it's well-done and they welcome it, I think it could be compelling. I'd recommend sharing it with a few TLS folks. I found the PS forum immensely helpful, and swapping or sharing could keep you from fulfilling InGoodFaith's concern.

Try to avoid the overlap if you can, though. The things I discussed in my DS exposed a different side of me than my PS even though they fit together in an overall picture. I hope that makes sense.

Oh, I've been using the TLS resources a little too much, lately. It's definitely going up for a veto-check after I'm done, though.

I'm working on it right now and the PS overlap problem is turning out to be the most troublesome, so you're spot on. I'm not sure if I'm hitting themes resoundingly different enough to compliment, instead of belabor, my PS.