Disadvantaged status-how much info to give?

[Rhiana]

I pretty sure that I qualify as a disadvantaged applicant but I'm not sure how much personal info to give. I don't want to whine or tell my life like a sob story cuz its not. Here's my life: Parents divorced violently at 8. Bounced from relative to relative because mom had no money. Father re- enters life and gets joint custody so every week we had to change living environments. Father beats oldest sister puts her in hospital. End of joint custody. Oldest sister gets involved with drugs/violence. Sent to juvie then group home then gone. Middle sister goes to juvie, gets pregnant, drops out. Mother declared unfit by Child Protective Services when I was fifteen. I ran away rather than enter the system and graduated high school while living on streets.
Because of all the drama and chaos I didn't do very well in high school, barely graduated. I never took a science class until I attended CC (then fell in love with medicine). The first standerdized test I ever took was the MCAT. I know all of this put me at an academic disadvantage, but i don't know how to explain all this in the 1/4 page they provide and what I should put in. Any suggestions?

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[PeterY]

hmm....

looks like you just explained your situtation in that amount of space. don't worry you can elaborate your story in your secondaries.

-Peter

 

[nashtrash]

wow you've been through a lot! you've gone through a lot of emotional distress and financial hardships that a lot of us didn't have to, and though i understand what you're saying about not whining and telling your "sob story," I think the admissions people should know your story--I can't see how all of that couldn't affect your grades/scores! If I were you I would write about your situation with less detail in the "disadvantages status" section (i.e. parents divorced, no family base, no opportunity to go to a better school, financial responsibility) and then talk about how those experiences have affected you and your perspectives in the "personal comments" section. hope that helps--good luck with everything