am I a disadvantaged applicant?

[7amsho]

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So I came to the US from Syria in 2011 (I guess I am considered an immigrant) for college and I was fully dependent on my parents to pay my tuition and expenses. I am a green card holder and stayed in the US ever since I left Syria, I wasn't able to see my parents since then.

I was able to Skype and call them for the first 2 semesters of college, but then the war started and I started losing communication with them. At some point during my sophomore fall semester I would go for few weeks without knowing whether they are dead or alive. Eventually, I stopped hearing from them at all, and still haven't. The stress was unbearable, I got my first C+ that semester (retook the class and got an A) and resigned another one (biomedical engineering class). I was always very stressed and couldn't focus on anything. It was a nightmare.. On the top of that, I start panicking about money because they can't send anything to me anymore and I am still an out of state student. So I started working (minimum wage) while I was taking many credits, doing research and volunteering and get all sorts of loans to pay off my education.

Eventually I became fully independent on anyone by the age of 19, I don't know anything about my parents or our house back in Syria. I don't have anyone to help me financially (my tutoring job is my only income), I started living by myself off campus without a car and I would spend 15 hours a week just walking to classes and going back home. I started learning how to handle huge amounts of stress and figure out how to hide my emotions so I could study. I keep seeing many of my friends on the internet or Facebook dying or losing their parents. I pretty much can never go back to Syria (maybe in 40 years) and this whole thing changed my life 180 degrees.

This experience literally changed me and made me mature and independent. It thought me how to handle problems and anxiety. Now I could face many challenges and hardships at the same time and not have a mental breakdown while studying because I don't know what worse could happen to me now. I don't have any family to call when I am sad or upset so I had to learn how to figure things out by myself and move on.

So my question is, do you think I am considered a disadvantaged student?

 

[nomad12]

Maybe not disadvantaged, but if you can articulate your experiences well in your application and in your interviews, they could really like that.

 

[LFA20]

Maybe not disadvantaged, but if you can articulate your experiences well in your application and in your interviews, they could really like that.

I agree

 

[7amsho]

thanks for the reply guys. I wasn't considering my case as such until I read this on the ADEA website: "Completing this section is optional. Many dental schools appreciate the fact that some applicants have overcome obstacles on the path to their goals. You are welcome to provide any information and describe any background experiences that may have put you at an educational, social, or economic disadvantage as you prepare to apply to dental schools."

This whole case made me face many challenges with classes (educational), social (i was always stressed and couldn't talk to anyone because I was just thinking about my family) and tuition (economic). This brought many obstacles in my path and I learned how to face them and move on.

I definitely would like to share this in my application because it made me face many challenges while preparing for dental school. On the top of the application, classes and DAT, I had to stress about it.

http://www.adea.org/dental_educatio...ralInstructions/Pages/DisadvantageStatus.aspx

 

[nomad12]

thanks for the reply guys. I wasn't considering my case as such until I read this on the ADEA website: "Completing this section is optional. Many dental schools appreciate the fact that some applicants have overcome obstacles on the path to their goals. You are welcome to provide any information and describe any background experiences that may have put you at an educational, social, or economic disadvantage as you prepare to apply to dental schools."

This whole case made me face many challenges with classes (educational), social (i was always stressed and couldn't talk to anyone because I was just thinking about my family) and tuition (economic). This brought many obstacles in my path and I learned how to face them and move on.

I definitely would like to share this in my application because it made me face many challenges while preparing for dental school. On the top of the application, classes and DAT, I had to stress about it.

http://www.adea.org/dental_educatio...ralInstructions/Pages/DisadvantageStatus.aspx

Briefly mention it. Don't try to make it seem like you are looking for excuses or it will backfire on you.

 

[Troyvdg]

Cou

 

[7amsho]

thank you for taking the time to read it and comment. I am honestly not trying to use it as an excuse, but I want to share with them how I faced those challenges and how much they changed me. I understand many people had to support themselves and how it could backfire on me, I just don't know how to share it then. My PS is filled with other stuff too (a LOT of leadership to talk about and community service, and of course why dentistry, and the intro and conclusion), I am very limited in typing about this whole story in my PS, that's why typing it in the disadvantaged applicant would help because it gives a space of 4500 characters, i could totally fill the space up with my story.

 

[Mad Jack]

So I came to the US from Syria in 2011 (I guess I am considered an immigrant) for college and I was fully dependent on my parents to pay my tuition and expenses. I am a green card holder and stayed in the US ever since I left Syria, I wasn't able to see my parents since then.

I was able to Skype and call them for the first 2 semesters of college, but then the war started and I started losing communication with them. At some point during my sophomore fall semester I would go for few weeks without knowing whether they are dead or alive. Eventually, I stopped hearing from them at all, and still haven't. The stress was unbearable, I got my first C+ that semester (retook the class and got an A) and resigned another one (biomedical engineering class). I was always very stressed and couldn't focus on anything. It was a nightmare.. On the top of that, I start panicking about money because they can't send anything to me anymore and I am still an out of state student. So I started working (minimum wage) while I was taking many credits, doing research and volunteering and get all sorts of loans to pay off my education.

Eventually I became fully independent on anyone by the age of 19, I don't know anything about my parents or our house back in Syria. I don't have anyone to help me financially (my tutoring job is my only income), I started living by myself off campus without a car and I would spend 15 hours a week just walking to classes and going back home. I started learning how to handle huge amounts of stress and figure out how to hide my emotions so I could study. I keep seeing many of my friends on the internet or Facebook dying or losing their parents. I pretty much can never go back to Syria (maybe in 40 years) and this whole thing changed my life 180 degrees.

This experience literally changed me and made me mature and independent. It thought me how to handle problems and anxiety. Now I could face many challenges and hardships at the same time and not have a mental breakdown while studying because I don't know what worse could happen to me now. I don't have any family to call when I am sad or upset so I had to learn how to figure things out by myself and move on.

So my question is, do you think I am considered a disadvantaged student?

Um, yeah, you're pretty disadvantaged. At this point you could technically be considered a refugee of one of the worst civil wars in modern history, in a country where you have few resources, both financial and familial. Good luck. I hope your family is well.

 

[7amsho]

thank you for your concern, i hope so too and honestly i wish one day i will be able to see them and talk to them again, when i said good bye before college i never knew it was the last one so far...

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

Why are you asking strangers? It sounds like you have been through some really rough times, if you feel like you have been disadvantaged due to these experiences, then you are a disadvantaged applicant. I really hope that you find out how your family is doing.

 

[NMC2010]

So sorry to hear about your situation, hope your family is enduring through it alright and that you hear back from them soon. I'd also agree with the others above, sounds like you're a disadvantaged applicant to me.