I a non-URM minority (lol I guess I should just say I'm Asian) - I know that it is still worth applying if I am truly interested in working with underserved communities, which I am, but I worry because my experiences don't show that explicitly. Although my PS speaks to my passion for social justice issues and I have good ECs and tons of volunteering, those are mostly with local communities (where I lived and where I went to college, neither of which are very underprivileged or underserved communities). Thoughts? My interest is genuine but I just worry it will be doubted since I grew up in an affluent area and also attended a prestigious university.
So the other question is - I want to clarify that although the general area I grew up in is super white & rich, the specific neighborhood I lived in for 18 years was a very diverse, lower-income pocket that is quite different from the overall stereotype of the area. I did not mark it as underserved on my AMCAS because I don't think it really qualifies, given the abundance of healthcare providers in the general area. However, I noticed that the Howard secondary (last year's prompts) asks if you grew up in an underserved community - is it ok if I mark yes, then clarify the situation of my small neighborhood? I lived in a complex that was racially diverse and mostly lower middle class; the adjacent neighborhood, which included many of my friends and classmates, was mostly black and I think public housing.
Would love to hear some thoughts, thanks 🙂
(my stats are average, gpa lower, but it seems Howard is more forgiving of that)
