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What are your thoughts on being the first in your family to graduate high school, let alone college or professional/graduate school? I'd appreciate if you could discuss how much of a "soft" you think this may be in one's applications figuring that it's articulated well in the personal statement and other essays.

cdach216 wrote:What are your thoughts on being the first in your family to graduate high school, let alone college or professional/graduate school? I'd appreciate if you could discuss how much of a "soft" you think this may be in one's applications figuring that it's articulated well in the personal statement and other essays.

I think it's salt in the recipe. Salt enhances flavor, but it's not the main ingredient. However, more than likely, you faced significant adversity in applying to law school, so while this fact serves to enhance your struggle, I'd focus on that and use this as an enhancement.

I made a similar statement, albeit, first to graduate from college. Your's is likely much more interesting and frankly better (harder?) than mine.

Short version: why were you first person to do so? That's the essence of your PS

Write about it in your personal statement or diversity statement. I know some schools, like Berkeley, are particularly interested in applicants who have overcome socioeconomic adversity. Not sure if you qualify as part of that group, but your background should count as a minor soft. It's always a good idea to give schools a clearer picture of who you are.

That said, I'm sure there are many other similarly-situated applicants, and unless you are a URM or have a very compelling soft (think more gold medal or Rhodes Scholarship than first to graduate high school), you should pretty much expect the results to be in line with your numbers.