Am I "disadvantaged"?

[deleted612812]

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My mother passed away my senior year in high school. My father (who was mostly absent in childhood) had three kids to support and just couldn't do it. College was a struggle for me financially. I had to work several part time jobs, take out my own loans, etc. I know many kids do this despite having two supporting parents, so that is why I am asking.

Thanks in advance!

 

[raiderette]

Did you get a Pell grant? Assistance? If so it sounds like you could make a case for it. It may not make a huge difference but it can't hurt to tell your story IMHO

 

[candbgirl]

Did you go a search on here about what is considered disadvantaged? Did you read the definition of disadvantaged on AMCAS

 

[NVO]

You may be economically disadvantaged, but that generally doesn't get any love unless you are URM.

 

[raiderette]

There is also an SES classification based on parent education levels and occupation. It is meant to be able to compare candidates objectively. For instance, to an adcom a 32 from a first generation student of blue collar workers is more impressive than an upper class student of doctors. Not all schools care though nor does it make a huge difference. Most candidates are from educated, comfortable backgrounds but disadvantaged students don't seem to be a priority in admissions.

 

[LizzyM]

There are places on the application for you to indicate that your mother is deceased, that you have n siblings (some applicants count half sibs as sibs so do so if applicable), that you paid for x% of college with loans, and how many hours you worked at at what jobs while in college. And AMCAS will give you an "EO" designation based on your parents education and employment. So, this will all be there for an adcom that wishes to make a holistic assessment of your application.

To anyone wondering about disadvantaged:
"Disadvantaged" usually means that your upbringing from 0-18 put you in a situation where you were disadvantaged when you got to college compared to other college students due to substandard k-12 schools, parents who had no experience with higher education or who did not speak English, a impoverished environment (inner city or rural) and/or poverty. Poverty pretty much has to be part of the mix. You could be stuck in a rural area with crappy schools and no alternative but if your parents have professional degrees and are pulling down a six figure incomes, you could end up with adcoms labeling you as a whiner and being more harsh than they would be otherwise.