<p>I have read online (College Board website and various articles) that Duke gives admission preference to first-gen students. Does anybody know exactly how much of an advantage this is?</p>
<p>@robby: You’re right, Duke Undergraduate Admissions appropriately recognizes “first generation” as a salient “application positive.” However – like ALL elements in an applicant’s background (and in his file) – there is no specific or quantitative value placed upon this factor (or any other, for that matter). Admissions Officer(s) will thoroughly read the entire application with considerable care, they will prepare notes that synopsis the candidate’s background, and they will use these notes to brief the Committee. “First generation” will certainly be a positive attribute, but it will also be qualitatively assessed – and integrated – along with many other factors (including GPA, courses taken, standardized test results, recommendations, essays, and MUCH more). Duke simply doesn’t employ a formula (or any sort of pre-established arithmetic approach) to make its acceptance decisions; rather, Undergraduate Admissions works very hard to understand each applicant and to make a comprehensive appraisal of his likely “fit,” his past performance, and his potential. </p>
<p>No, nobody does. If I said it’s a 15.68% advantage would that mean anything anyways? 
It’s basically a “hook,” but the “advantage” is in how it has shaped your experience. If you’ve had to overcome adversity / lack of opportunities in order to succeed by being a first generation college student, that is seen as a positive quality. It also gives the class somewhat more of a “diversity of backgrounds” having first gen students and these students tend to really commit themselves as they’re the trailblazers for their families. But if your parents are successful business people who just happened to not graduate college and you grow up in a fairly typical upper-middle class household, then simply checking the box that you’re a “first gen college student” probably won’t mean much. Hope that helps answer your question.</p>
<p>To add one important element, YOUR ESSEYS are the appropriate vehicle to provide the crucial details and nuances to which bludog refers. Counselor (and other) recommendations also work, as can (to a lesser degree) alumni interviews. The critical key here is to ensure Duke fully understands your individual situation, to document what may have been required of you that is not typical, to advocate how this is likely to improve your potential at a top-ten university and beyond, and to suggest how this will benefit your classmates, the faculty and the overall Duke community. </p>