Childhood Information section AMCAS/Disadvantaged status

[PaperMaker]

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I've been hearing very different things about what it means to be disadvantaged so I just applied as a regular applicant. But I'm just wondering if schools see your childhood information even if you don't apply as disadvantaged and decide for themselves regardless of your selection.

Also, should I have applied as disadvantaged?

1) Have you or members of your immediate family ever used federal or state assistance programs?
- Yes, sister is on SSI.

2) What was the income level of your family during the majority of your life from birth to age eighteen?
- Between 30-50K depending on my mothers job status.

3) Did you have paid employment prior to age eighteen?
- Yes, dad lost his job in the tech bust, never recovered (new career path), so started working at 16 onward to support self and help pay bills.

4) Were you required to contribute to the overall family income (as opposed to working primarily for your own discretionary spending money)?
- Yes, but only for a two years than it was just supporting self through college and so forth.

5) How many people lived in your primary household during the majority of your life from birth to age eighteen?
- 4plp

6) How have you paid or did you pay for your post-secondary education? For each of the applicable options below, indicate the average percentage contribution towards your post-secondary education. The percentages entered should equal 100%.
- Yes, I paid in full, 20% out of pocket cost for tuition, rest was loans and grants. Living expensive was 100% self from 20-30 hr/week.

 

[aSagacious]

I've been hearing very different things about what it means to be disadvantaged so I just applied as a regular applicant. But I'm just wondering if schools see your childhood information even if you don't apply as disadvantaged and decide for themselves regardless of your selection.

Yes, they now see every applicant's childhood information. It is unlikely that they will consider you disadvantaged if you did not declare yourself as such.

Also, should I have applied as disadvantaged?

Seeing as the label is a semi-subjective call made by the applicant, and most of your responses to the relevant prompts were affirmative, I'd say that you have a reasonably strong case.

However, considering the fact that you've (presumably) already submitted your primary, as evidenced by "should I have applied..." this discussion is likely moot, as you are now unable to retroactively change it.

 

[NickNaylor]

Usually "disadvantaged" status refers to your ability to have access to education. The things you had to deal with definitely aren't the norm and you may have been able to mark disadvantaged with no problem, but who knows.

 

[alobar]

My case was a bit similar to yours, and I ended up marking yes for disadvantaged status. I was hesitant with labeling myself as such, but went ahead with it after talking with my premed advisor.

It never came up after that, through secondaries, interviews, etc.. So it's hard to say if it had an impact on my acceptance.

 

[LizzyM]

Schools are looking for a diverse student body. One area in which some incoming classes are not very diverse is in family socio-economic status (SES). In some situations the majority of students come from families with incomes in the top 10% nationally ($160,000 today). This includes families where one or both parents are physicians/lawyers/business executives.

Knowing more about an applicant's SES can help a school recruit a more diverse student body, not just around race/ethnicity but considering other factors, too.

 

[PaperMaker]

Schools are looking for a diverse student body. One area in which some incoming classes are not very diverse is in family socio-economic status (SES). In some situations the majority of students come from families with incomes in the top 10% nationally ($160,000 today). This includes families where one or both parents are physicians/lawyers/business executives.

Knowing more about an applicant's SES can help a school recruit a more diverse student body, not just around race/ethnicity but considering other factors, too.

So from my understanding, because schools will now get your family income level etc even if you don't mark yourself as disadvantaged they will now take it into consideration, for diversity purposes?

 

[LizzyM]

So from my understanding, because schools will now get your family income level etc even if you don't mark yourself as disadvantaged they will now take it into consideration, for diversity purposes?

I know I will.

 

[AZFutureDoc]

Do schools somehow have access to that info through the government? Or is our application information what they go off of?

 

[LizzyM]

Do schools somehow have access to that info through the government? Or is our application information what they go off of?

It is a new question for everyone this year on the AMCAS application. Previously, only those self-identifying as disadvantaged in childhood were given an opportunity to provide that information.

 

[AZFutureDoc]

It is a new question for everyone this year on the AMCAS application. Previously, only those self-identifying as disadvantaged in childhood were given an opportunity to provide that information.

I was just wondering if what we said on our application was their only source of information. Or if they have other sources like access to information through other sources, like with the background checks. Thanks.

 

[LizzyM]

I was just wondering if what we said on our application was their only source of information. Or if they have other sources like access to information through other sources, like with the background checks. Thanks.

Well, there are people with time on their hands that might google your home address or look for your facebook page but for the most part, they have what you provide.