Does being a first generation college student help your chances at T14? Forum

[pleaseberkeley]

First generation here, will graduate next year. Just wondering...

[Platopus]

Marginally, in that you'll be able to write a better PS or maybe even a diversity statement. It really won't help you out perform your numbers though. It is but the tiniest of boosts.

[pleaseberkeley]

so, coupled with a couple other things like:
Being NonURM minority, playing sports in college, maybe going to a prestigious undergrad, first gen status can be a good soft and increase chances of admission to a school in which you fall at least within the 25% of both medians.
Am I right?

[Mikey]

so, coupled with a couple other things like:
Being NonURM minority, playing sports in college, maybe going to a prestigious undergrad, first gen status can be a good soft and increase chances of admission to a school in which you fall at least within the 25% of both medians.
Am I right?

Law school admissions is largely a numbers game. Your softs won't necessarily help you out a lot, BUT, your softs may play a factor if they are looking to have a diverse class and most likely if your numbers play well with their intended outcome. But mostly, it's your numbers.

Side note though.. NYU has a scholarship for students who are the first in their family to attend a graduate program. You can look into that and apply if you're interested in NYU, it's their AnBryce scholly!

[hangingtree]

Also depends on the school. Most top schools are stuffy when it comes to this--or at least spend less time evaluating applications--while others make it a point to take a more holistic approach. The ones that are the least stuffy when it comes to this are probably Yale, Michigan, Berkeley and Stanford in the T14.

[etramak]

I've heard that this is a boost for Berkeley. As for Yale and Stanford...I could be wrong, I have no evidence, maybe I'm just cynical, but I feel that between two nonURM candidates with stats that put them on the fringe of acceptance, one wealthy and the other lower middle class first gen, the wealthy student will have the edge. Not per se, it's just that the wealthy student would have had more opportunities for unique ECs. I'd be happy for a YS student to prove me wrong and tell me about all the white first gen students that they know.

[Jordan77]

Good fodder for a personal statement - nothing more IMO.

[stego]

I've heard that this is a boost for Berkeley. As for Yale and Stanford...I could be wrong, I have no evidence, maybe I'm just cynical, but I feel that between two nonURM candidates with stats that put them on the fringe of acceptance, one wealthy and the other lower middle class first gen, the wealthy student will have the edge. Not per se, it's just that the wealthy student would have had more opportunities for unique ECs. I'd be happy for a YS student to prove me wrong and tell me about all the white first gen students that they know.

Ok but OP said they're not white
Idk why I'm correcting you on this since they're not a URM