AADSAS Disadvantaged status?

[caligrl59]

I was wondering if I should declare myself as disadvantaged? I am a first generation college student with immigrant/refugee parents. Although my father has been making a sizable income in recent years , as a child, we had no to little income during certain periods while my father was laid off/working jobs that didn't pay too much. He started making more when I reached middle/high school.

I attended a top 10 school, and in college was able to live comfortably. However, my parents live frugally for me to able to attend college. In addition, I have not been able to receive educational/academic help from my immediate family throughout my education. Would this qualify me as disadvantaged or because my parents have sacrificed a lot for me to live comfortably in high school college (I did not have to contribute to educational expenses and was able to participate in various lessons and extracurriculars throughout) that I would not qualify to be disadvantaged?

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[Likkriue]

You are less qualified than me. And I'm not putting myself as disadvantaged. So I would say no.

 

[BeaverLover]

no

 

[DC206R]

I would say no.

 

[Likkriue]

You still should write a disadvantaged essay. It helps in getting scholarships. I got ~70K scholarship at Penn due to my disadvantaged statement.

Check it out:
http://www.dentalschoolcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Disadvantaged-Essay-Dental-School.pdf

You had it rough, she not nessesarily. 15% of people in the US live in poverty. That's 50 million people who could all claim the "my family has no money" crap. I'm qualified for the FAP and I'm not claiming disadvantaged because I'm no refugee, none of my parents died, etc etc
Keyword, she lived comfortably through college. She has no severe circumstances and it would not look great on her app trying to claim disadvantaged status. There's many threads about this that OP can look up if she bothered doing some google searching.

 

[UKalum]

There are two types of disadvantaged backgrounds though. Not only is there a financial disadvantaged background but also an educational disadvantaged background. Did you come from a poverty stricken area? Did the high school that you attended have a high population of free or reduced lunch students? Did that high school receive federal funding after being designated a title I institution?

My advice, if you fit the criteria for either of the disadvantaged backgrounds, apply as such. There are some scholarships (NHSC) that give priority to students from these backgrounds and this status has to be verified by the school you will be attending.

 

[caligrl59]

There are two types of disadvantaged backgrounds though. Not only in there a financial disadvantaged background but also an educational disadvantaged background. Did you come from a poverty stricken area? Did the high school that you attended have a high population of free or reduced lunch students? Did that high school receive federal funding after being designated a title I institution?

My advice, if you fit the criteria for either of the disadvantaged backgrounds, apply as such. There are some scholarships (NHSC) that give priority to students from these backgrounds and this status has to be verified by the school you will be attending.

My school had over 60% who qualified for free/reduced lunch. However, over 50% attended 4 year colleges and 25% attended 2 year institutions.

 

[caligrl59]

My school had over 60% who qualified for free/reduced lunch. However, over 50% attended 4 year colleges and 25% attended 2 year institutions.

Overall, a decent college attendance and we were rated one of the best high school in the state. I'm really unsure about this whole situation.

 

[JLT223]

If you want to, go right ahead. Who is stopping you? The worst that can happen is that you don't receive any $.

 

[caligrl59]

If you want to, go right ahead. Who is stopping you? The worst that can happen is that you don't receive any $.

I just don't want it to look bad/be negative to my app--especially to claim disadvantaged when other people may have it worse. May come off as naive or selfish?

 

[JLT223]

I just don't want it to look bad/be negative to my app--especially to claim disadvantaged when other people may have it worse. May come off as naive or selfish?

It's a very subjective topic and you'll get mixed responses. However, the fact that your family is living comfortably (yet frugally) might make you want to not mark it down.

 

[1passbbsSHAVE]

if you think you've really struggled, put it down. But to be quite honest, I think it was more of a temporary thing(for the lack of better term) while it was perhaps not too relevant to your academic performance. When it mattered more academically, it seems like your family's situation has rebounded and from then on, you had it pretty good.