Disadvantaged Status ?

[nlmacbu]

I'm not sure if I qualify as a disadvantaged student. I am an immigrant, from a small island in South Asia. I came to the US in 2009 as an 18 year old when my whole family received permanent residency status through diversity visa lottery program. I had to go back in a couple of months to finish high school and came back for good in October of 2010. I have been here ever since. Growing up, we were a middle class family of 5, (this is going to sound strange) with a family income of close to $1000/month. However, I never had to work to support myself or anything like that, neither did my 2 siblings. Education and healthcare were free in my country through public schools and hospitals, although they both weren't very good. We hardly had any resources like internet or libraries growing up. All of my school life I lived though a civil war between the government and a terrorist group that terrorized the whole country with suicide bombers and such. My middle/high school was about 2 hours away and our parents pretty much had no guarantee that we were gonna make it home safely after school. Our schools sometimes were surrounded by the army to ensure safety for kids, just to give you an idea. I'm just telling this to give you an idea of what my childhood was like.

Should I see myself as a disadvantaged student? I mean compared to the average kid here, my quality of life was definitely much lower. But I don't know if that's what they're looking for. Will I be grilled in my interviews (if I get any, that is) if I put myself as disadvantaged? I have lived through some harsh and traumatic conditions, now that I think about it. Any input would be appreciated!

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[AlphaBeta<3]

I'm not sure if I qualify as a disadvantaged student. I am an immigrant, from a small island in South Asia. I came to the US in 2009 as an 18 year old when my whole family received permanent residency status through diversity visa lottery program. I had to go back in a couple of months to finish high school and came back for good in October of 2010. I have been here ever since. Growing up, we were a middle class family of 5, (this is going to sound strange) with a family income of close to $1000/month. However, I never had to work to support myself or anything like that, neither did my 2 siblings. Education and healthcare were free in my country through public schools and hospitals, although they both weren't very good. We hardly had any resources like internet or libraries growing up. All of my school life I lived though a civil war between the government and a terrorist group that terrorized the whole country with suicide bombers and such. My middle/high school was about 2 hours away and our parents pretty much had no guarantee that we were gonna make it home safely after school. Our schools sometimes were surrounded by the army to ensure safety for kids, just to give you an idea. I'm just telling this to give you an idea of what my childhood was like.

Should I see myself as a disadvantaged student? I mean compared to the average kid here, my quality of life was definitely much lower. But I don't know if that's what they're looking for. Will I be grilled in my interviews (if I get any, that is) if I put myself as disadvantaged? I have lived through some harsh and traumatic conditions, now that I think about it. Any input would be appreciated!

yes that's disadvantaged

 

[LizzyM]

That question is pretty much looking for poor folks from the US who might go back to their communities, or to similar communities, and alleviate physician shortages. It is also looking for students who went to schools that were poorly funded (usually in poor communities) and whose parents were poor; such students are often behind their peers and less able to do well in a university setting. With time they may catch up but an adcom can take that into account when seeing an upward trend in gpa, etc.

 

[nlmacbu]

That question is pretty much looking for poor folks from the US who might go back to their communities, or to similar communities, and alleviate physician shortages. It is also looking for students who went to schools that were poorly funded (usually in poor communities) and whose parents were poor; such students are often behind their peers and less able to do well in a university setting. With time they may catch up but an adcom can take that into account when seeing an upward trend in gpa, etc.

Meaning I do not qualify as disadvantaged, correct?

 

[Ho0v-man]

You're totally disadvantaged. I was expecting this thread to read like it typically does on SDN:

"My parents have a private airplane, sure, but it's pretty small. Also, our vacation home hasn't even been painted in 3 years and I think having to look at it has really negatively impacted my studies. So do you guys think I'm disadvantaged?"

You were literally raised in a war zone.


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[LizzyM]

I would recommend that you not self-identify as disadvantaged. Some people would disagree with me.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You're totally disadvantaged. I was expecting this thread to read like it typically does on SDN:

"My parents have a private airplane, sure, but it's pretty small. Also, our vacation home hasn't even been painted in 3 years and I think having to look at it has really negatively impacted my studies. So do you guys think I'm disadvantaged?"

You were literally raised in a war zone.


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Nothing beats that thread basically asking if he was disadvantaged because his dad basically ran a plantation and he grew up around migrant workers. Classic.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Nothing beats that thread basically asking if he was disadvantaged because his dad basically ran a plantation and he grew up around migrant workers. Classic.

Ha! I think I missed that one. I'm guessing it was basically "I was near poor people and maybe I'm disadvantaged via osmosis."

OP, I think you're disadvantaged, but LizzyM is a much more credible source. It's still good personal statement fodder.


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[AnatomyGrey12]

Ha! I think I missed that one. I'm guessing it was basically "I was near poor people and maybe I'm disadvantaged via osmosis."

OP, I think you're disadvantaged, but LizzyM is a much more credible source. It's still good personal statement fodder.


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Basically! I think I'm going to start a thread soon myself actually. I speak Spanish and have some Mexican friends so I might be URM.

 

[7331poas]

I'm going to go with you not being disadvantaged. I doubt many adcoms will grant disadvantaged status.

You certainly aren't URM.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I think you missed the joke....

 

[Lost In Transcription]

I would recommend that you not self-identify as disadvantaged. Some people would disagree with me.

...why? I get that it's not the trad poor people response. But there's no way that didn't affect hsi educational opportunities/ability to succeed.

 

[7331poas]

I think you missed the joke....

im responding to OP not you. I dont know what you were going on about

...why? I get that it's not the trad poor people response. But there's no way that didn't affect hsi educational opportunities/ability to succeed.

Well the first thing that comes to mind is there is zero chance that any of this can be verified other than OP's word.

If OPs parents do not hold a bachelors degree and are in a line of work that isnt considered a professional skilled work then he can talk about SES.

 

[LizzyM]

...why? I get that it's not the trad poor people response. But there's no way that didn't affect hsi educational opportunities/ability to succeed.

It can look to some adcoms like an attempt to gain an advantage that is not deserved. I have heard adcom members say that anyone who gets out of a foreign country is upper middle class or privileged class regardless of the dollar amount they earned in the old country. The poorest of the poor don't make it out of those places. So, putting that in perspective, they were not "poor" despite the dangerous conditions.

It might not help, because they are not the type of applicant that the question is attempting to identify (those who grew up in poverty in the US and who might be likely to be comfortable serving those in poverty) and it could hurt if the adcom believes it to be a ploy to garner an undeserved advantage.

 

[nlmacbu]

It can look to some adcoms like an attempt to gain an advantage that is not deserved. I have heard adcom members say that anyone who gets out of a foreign country is upper middle class or privileged class regardless of the dollar amount they earned in the old country. The poorest of the poor don't make it out of those places. So, putting that in perspective, they were not "poor" despite the dangerous conditions.

It might not help, because they are not the type of applicant that the question is attempting to identify (those who grew up in poverty in the US and who might be likely to be comfortable serving those in poverty) and it could hurt if the adcom believes it to be a ploy to garner an undeserved advantage.

From what I read I'm thinking maybe I should put myself as not disadvantaged, but maybe discuss these in the personal statement to a certain extent and work overcoming obstacles and working my way up into it?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Nothing beats that thread basically asking if he was disadvantaged because his dad basically ran a plantation and he grew up around migrant workers. Classic.

Link?

 

[dougy]

Link?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/grew-up-on-a-farm-disadvantaged.1197780/#post-17710532