Disadvantaged Status?

[LittleRocker]

I was wondering if you guys could give me some insight into whether this would be considered disadvantaged. My parents have been divorced since I was 8 years old. My younger sister and I lived with my mom for the next 8 years and the entire time my mom struggled to raise us and find work. To this day (14 years later) she has never had a steady job that's lasted more than a year or so. I never really considered us as being "poor" but for a few years the three of us were living in a two room guest house. My mom slept in the living room and my sister and I shared a bedroom.

Although I always went to pretty good public schools, my mom never really had the time to get on my case about doing school work. Also, I had to learn to rely on myself for studying because my mom wasn't always available to help me. My grades would fluctuate a lot because of this - to the point of having meetings with my counselors about it. This problem was solved for the most part when I moved in with my dad in 10th grade because he was a hardass when it came to grades. My dad is an attorney and makes a fairly decent living.

So what do you guys think. Would growing up in a single parent environment like this be considered disadvantaged?

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[Concubine]

I was wondering if you guys could give me some insight into whether this would be considered disadvantaged. My parents have been divorced since I was 8 years old. My younger sister and I lived with my mom for the next 8 years and the entire time my mom struggled to raise us and find work. To this day (14 years later) she has never had a steady job that's lasted more than a year or so. I never really considered us as being "poor" but for a few years the three of us were living in a two room guest house. My mom slept in the living room and my sister and I shared a bedroom.

Although I always went to pretty good public schools, my mom never really had the time to get on my case about doing school work. Also, I had to learn to rely on myself for studying because my mom wasn't always available to help me. My grades would fluctuate a lot because of this - to the point of having meetings with my counselors about it. This problem was solved for the most part when I moved in with my dad in 10th grade because he was a hardass when it came to grades. My dad is an attorney and makes a fairly decent living.

So what do you guys think. Would growing up in a single parent environment like this be considered disadvantaged?

If you have to ask, probably not. I'm not trying to be a hard ***, but do you really feel disadvantaged? If so, then make your case on your essay and go for it! If in doubt, don't.

 

[Cegar]

If it has not affected you in college, then I, personally, would not consider that a disadvantageous situation.

Generally disadvantaged is to be marked for people who could not have a "regular" college life.

If, for example, you had to help support your mother through college by working.

However, only you know how disadvantaged you really are due to your circumstances.

In my opinion, ticking the disadvantaged box will not do a lot of good for most applications unless there is some glaring issue to be addressed such as a sub 3.5 GPA or a lack of extracurricular activities due to the need to work.

 

[Concubine]

If it has not affected you in college, then I, personally, would not consider that a disadvantageous situation.

Generally disadvantaged is to be marked for people who could not have a "regular" college life.

If, for example, you had to help support your mother through college by working.

However, only you know how disadvantaged you really are due to your circumstances.

In my opinion, ticking the disadvantaged box will not do a lot of good for most applications unless there is some glaring issue to be addressed such as a sub 3.5 GPA or a lack of extracurricular activities due to the need to work.

Incorrect. Disadvantaged generally refers to your situation growing up such as inadequate access to health care, educationally disadvantaged, or economically disadvantaged. Written right in your primary application instructions.

 

[Cegar]

Indeed. My post reflected my own opinion and may or may not reflect the opinions of ADCOMs.

 

[LittleRocker]

Now that I think about it, in the end I really had no trouble getting into college. I've only had trouble paying for it because I'm on the 5 year plan Sure I had trouble with my grades in middle school and in high school, but that didn't stop me. I don't think I'm gonna be applying disadvantaged.

 

[Cegar]

It never hurts to mention it briefly in your personal statement or in secondaries.

 

[LizzyM]

Disadvantaged refers to age 0-18.
Three people living in a 2 room guest house? Sharing a bedroom? That's overcrowding but it doesn't seem to fit the criteria for disadvantaged.

Your mom wasn't a very attentive parent?

Many super-wealthy kids have the same problem.

Presumably your lawyer dad was paying child support?

 

[Greensalad]

If you dad wasn't an attorney and was living in a shack and didn't even own a car and was still legally ordered to pay child support, assuming nobody else in your extended family had money either, then I'd say you're disadvantaged.

 

[LittleRocker]

Disadvantaged refers to age 0-18.
Three people living in a 2 room guest house? Sharing a bedroom? That's overcrowding but it doesn't seem to fit the criteria for disadvantaged.

Your mom wasn't a very attentive parent?

Many super-wealthy kids have the same problem.

Presumably your lawyer dad was paying child support?

Yeah I already said I wasn't going to but I appreciate the sarcasm. Now I remember why I mainly stick to the mcat forum. less jerks over there.

 

[172858]

Just throw it all down on the application. The schools will give you disadvantaged status is you meet their criteria.

 

[LizzyM]

Yeah I already said I wasn't going to but I appreciate the sarcasm. Now I remember why I mainly stick to the mcat forum. less jerks over there.

So sorry; I'm an aged member of an adcom and I started typing before you posted your message.

Go ahead and apply as disadvantaged as TexasMD2B suggests. The worst that can happen is tha the adcom considers you a poseur and tosses your application in the ashcan.

 

[xrevision]

Nobody is really going to be all that disadvantaged when it comes to college. You are in control of your own finances and can take out educational loans. I grew up disadvantaged early on, but once I got to college I decided that I didn't want to have to work 40 hours a week on top of my school work. So I took out loans and now am doing fine. And as stated before it refers to age 0-18.

 

[decafplease]

less jerks over there.

*gasp* Don't call Lizzy a jerk! She's one of our greatest resources! The NERVE...!

Lizzy, we love you.

 

[Cestmoi]

.

 

[WrightMD]

You're not disadvantaged. Claiming you are when you aren't will only look bad; get into med school based on your merits, not a bit of a tough situation.

 

[everafter722]

I have a question about applying disadvantaged, I mean I'm not applying for a while but it would be nice to know:

okay so not to lay my whole situation out there my first sem of college we seperated, my mother, sister and I seperated from my father because of abuse and to say the least he put us through lots of stuff and I had to work two jobs to help and it was a lot to go through during my first year of college so my grades werent that great and I have a few W's. Oh but now everything is okay, I'm doing great in school and everything and the whole situation pushed me in he direction of becoming a doctor, although it wasnt the main reason

but could I apply as disadvantaged? would that be looked down on? should I even really mention this in my ps?

 

[LizzyM]

I have a question about applying disadvantaged, I mean I'm not applying for a while but it would be nice to know:

okay so not to lay my whole situation out there my first sem of college we seperated, my mother, sister and I seperated from my father because of abuse and to say the least he put us through lots of stuff and I had to work two jobs to help and it was a lot to go through during my first year of college so my grades werent that great and I have a few W's. Oh but now everything is okay, I'm doing great in school and everything and the whole situation pushed me in he direction of becoming a doctor, although it wasnt the main reason

but could I apply as disadvantaged? would that be looked down on? should I even really mention this in my ps?

"Disadvantaged" is a box one checks on the AMCAS application. The applicant is then provided the opportunity to answer specific questions about family income, receipt of public assistance (welfare benefits, food stamps, etc), work prior to age 18, etc. The questions pertain to 0-18 years of age. There is also a section that asks how college expenses were met on a % basis (% merit scholarship, % need based aid, loans, student $, family $, etc).

If you had a financially peachy-keen situation until the rest of the family tossed dad out during your freshman year, you might want to rethink calling yourself disadvantaged. You can always discuss the situation in your personal statement as a way of illustrating your motivation for medicine.

 

[LittleRocker]

So sorry; I'm an aged member of an adcom and I started typing before you posted your message.

And I apologize to you too. I realize you were only trying to prevent me from getting my application shredded.

 

[everafter722]

"Disadvantaged" is a box one checks on the AMCAS application. The applicant is then provided the opportunity to answer specific questions about family income, receipt of public assistance (welfare benefits, food stamps, etc), work prior to age 18, etc. The questions pertain to 0-18 years of age. There is also a section that asks how college expenses were met on a % basis (% merit scholarship, % need based aid, loans, student $, family $, etc).

If you had a financially peachy-keen situation until the rest of the family tossed dad out during your freshman year, you might want to rethink calling yourself disadvantaged. You can always discuss the situation in your personal statement as a way of illustrating your motivation for medicine.

okay so its before college basically (or well before 18)?
yeah we didnt have a stable financial situation with "dad" oh well thank you so much for the help