“Don’t go easy on me, I’m used to being abused.”
dials 911 “Hello, I’d like to report a case of child abuse…”
That aside, I think first gen college student is a really good hook.
However, a 1230 on the SAT will make it an uphill battle. For example, the lowest SAT score accepted to Cornell from my school was a 1280 (single sitting), and that was a huge outlier. I think you should give the essays your all and show that you’ve really researched each school well. There’s absolutely no harm at all in applying to major reaches.
Best of luck on your apps!