Advantages of Being Disadvantaged

[DoctorSwagger]

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Sorry for the back to back questions.
What comes to play when someone claims to be disadvantaged? Does it give the applicant a little bit of leeway on any subpar components within the application or possibly makes the applicant seem more mature? If it does ironically benefit the student to be disadvantaged then by how much? I’ve looked this up and I haven’t seen any clear answers.
Thanks


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[gyngyn]

It serves as a measure of distance traveled.

 

[Goro]

Sorry for the back to back questions.
What comes to play when someone claims to be disadvantaged? Does it give the applicant a little bit of leeway on any subpar components within the application or possibly makes the applicant seem more mature? If it does ironically benefit the student to be disadvantaged then by how much? I’ve looked this up and I haven’t seen any clear answers.
Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We're fond of come-from-behind or rags to riches stories. It's in our national DNA

 

[LizzyM]

Some applicants will come from an impoverished background where there was no opportunity prior to college to learn to play a musical instrument or play on a sports team or even to learn to swim. (Example: My city offered free swimming lessons during the public school spring break week. I asked an 8 year old girl in my neighborhood whose mom worked at Wendy's if she was going to go to the free swimming lessons. She said she'd like to but she didn't have a swimsuit and she didn't think her mom was going to be able to buy one for her.) So, the experiences one is able engage in during college may be limited because the skill set you arrived with is smaller. (E.g. you may not participate in marching band, or a team sport, because you never built those skills in k-12, etc.)

Furthermore, many schools place work requirements on students on financial aid which means that students are working to earn money over the summer, and sometimes during the academic year itself, which limits the time available to take an unpaid internship or research project, etc. It is still possible to do some things, but an adcom might take the whole picture into account, including the limitations forced on an applicant due to economic hardships.

 

[altblue]

My sense is that it can serve as an "edge" factor to grab an adcom's attention if you have a reasonably viable app, but it won't salvage a well below average GPA/MCAT/EC profile for a given school

 

[Instatewaiter]

Based upon you profile pic, I think you should start your essay with, "Despite being a heteronormative cis-gendered white male and part of the patriarchy I have overcome my oppressive nature to realize that I identify as a (insert whatever you want in heret-the more ridiculous the better- may I suggest an innanimate object?). This should overcome a lackluster performance on the MCAT

You're welcome.

Love
Instatewaiter

 

[DoctorSwagger]

Based upon you profile pic, I think you should start your essay with, "Despite being a heteronormative cis-gendered white male and part of the patriarchy I have overcome my oppressive nature to realize that I identify as a (insert whatever you want in heret-the more ridiculous the better- may I suggest an innanimate object?). This should overcome a lackluster performance on the MCAT

You're welcome.

Love
Instatewaiter

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[Goro]

My sense is that it can serve as an "edge" factor to grab an adcom's attention if you have a reasonably viable app, but it won't salvage a well below average GPA/MCAT/EC profile for a given school

Who do you think gets into the cohort who are < 10th %ile???

 

[DrColumbo]

Great thread.

 

[Gliabelle]

Sorry for the back to back questions.
What comes to play when someone claims to be disadvantaged? Does it give the applicant a little bit of leeway on any subpar components within the application or possibly makes the applicant seem more mature? If it does ironically benefit the student to be disadvantaged then by how much? I’ve looked this up and I haven’t seen any clear answers.
Thanks


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From what I have seen, the programs and systems that offer disadvantaged students a leg-up are mostly applicable at an undergrad level. Besides scholarships, there are some NIH-funded paid internship programs and other training opportunities that help students from disadvantaged backgrounds get the kinds of research experiences that are easier for students from family backgrounds where they don't have to choose between working to build their CV and working to pay rent -- the type of research experiences that make it easier to get into grad school. Once you are at the point of applying for graduate or professional school, the most important thing is going to be whether you took those opportunities to make yourself into a competitive student; there isn't really leeway for people who have not made themselves competitive.

Coming from a disadvantaged background (especially with a good story) and showing up with a stellar application does attract attention, partly due to its rarity, and partly because it indicates that the applicant has persistence and ambition, two qualities that bode well for finishing a program and going on to a productive career. That's really what adcoms care about, IME. And, of course, if you're poor, a high performer, and can tell a good story, you are more likely to get scholarships that cover part or all of your tuition.

I came from a disadvantaged background, took advantage of scholarships and internship programs to make myself into an outstanding applicant wth excellent scores and research experience, finished out an MS in Biology and am now in an Epi program while teaching at community college. Right now I'm waiting to find out if the grant I'm coordinator on will be approved; its for a community college program that offers disadvantaged students paid internship opportunities at the local research university.