Do most ADCOMs read the disadvantage essay (in AMCAS)?

[Gauss44]

If there's a super important disadvantage that impacted my grades, should it go in the personal statement instead or as well? (I'm applying MD.)

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[LizzyM]

Disadvantaged section is usually limited to situations in childhood (through age 17) that may have placed you at a disadvantage, particularly situations that may have had an impact on your success in college.

The personal statement shouldn't be used to make excuses but to highlight your strengths and why you are a good choice for medical school admission and why you want to be a doctor.

 

[bearded frog]

​

 

[Gauss44]

But do most ADCOMs read it?

 

[LizzyM]

But do most ADCOMs read it?

It someone has written it, I will read it. I would estimate that <5% of the applications I see have a disadvantaged essay.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

Disadvantaged section is usually limited to situations in childhood (through age 17) that may have placed you at a disadvantage, particularly situations that may have had an impact on your success in college.

The personal statement shouldn't be used to make excuses but to highlight your strengths and why you are a good choice for medical school admission and why you want to be a doctor.

if we qualify for FAP, we don't necessarily have to apply as disadvantaged right? (we may just not have financial means at the present time)?

Also, is it ok to talk about recent financial adversity (in ugrad) in a diversity secondary essay, but not apply as disadvantaged (if I am understanding it correctly -- a disadvantaged childhood/upbringing)?

 

[familyaerospace]

At least a few read my disadvantaged essay as it came up in interviews very briefly.

 

[606577]

.

 

[LizzyM]

if we qualify for FAP, we don't necessarily have to apply as disadvantaged right? (we may just not have financial means at the present time)?

That is correct.

Also, is it ok to talk about recent financial adversity (in ugrad) in a diversity secondary essay, but not apply as disadvantaged (if I am understanding it correctly -- a disadvantaged childhood/upbringing)?

Yes, it is okay to take that approach.

 

[LizzyM]

My father passed away unexpectedly when I was 16, which left my family in poverty and destroyed my grades my last years of highschool. I had a normal middle class income until this point. Is this worth filling out a disadvantaged app, or are these for applicants that are disadvantaged throughout childhood? I don't want to take advantage of the system but I do feel like I would have been in a better position otherwise.

Did you have a rocky start to college because you were ill prepared given your academic situation in HS? In other words, were you disadvantaged in college because of the circumstances you experienced in HS?

 

[bltng]

Did you have a rocky start to college because you were ill prepared given your academic situation in HS? In other words, were you disadvantaged in college because of the circumstances you experienced in HS?

Lizzy, would you recommend mentioning specifically how we managed or dealt with the hardships experienced during adolescence and the first year or two of college? I too am writing a disadvantaged statement, and only looking back did I realize my struggles in college were the result of my troubled past.

 

[Gauss44]

Does anyone know of any EXCELLENT or at least GOOD examples of disadvantage essays online?

 

[LizzyM]

Does anyone know of any EXCELLENT or at least GOOD examples of disadvantage essays online?

They are so personal. It might go something like this:

"My father became a compulsive gambler when I was a young child and by the time I was in junior high my parents were bankrupt and my parents had divorced. My mother and I doubled up with mywidowed aunt and her five children for two years until we got on our feet. My high school was of poor quality with no AP courses and several hundred students for one college advisor. A biology teacher encouraged me to stay in school and to attend college."

 

[zeroufies]

.

 

[LizzyM]

Are individuals considered disadvantaged if they had to work 50+ hours week throughout their entire undergraduate career to support their parents who are unemployed?

Disadvantaged is usually intended to identify disadvantage in childhood. working 50+ hrs/wk throughout undergrad should be listed in the experience section as "employment, non-military" and the hours per week can be described in the description while the total # of hours will go in a specific field on the application.

 

[hoihaie]

.

 

[JG Dental]

They are so personal. It might go something like this:

"My father became a compulsive gambler when I was a young child and by the time I was in junior high my parents were bankrupt and my parents had divorced. My mother and I doubled up with mywidowed aunt and her five children for two years until we got on our feet. My high school was of poor quality with no AP courses and several hundred students for one college advisor. A biology teacher encouraged me to stay in school and to attend college."

LizzyM,

Could any of the "disadvantages" you experienced be harmful to your admission, especially into prestigious institutions? If i were to say something like (for example), "my father was busted for selling drugs and spent many of my childhood years going in and out of prison" i would imagine that the admissions committees might not want somebody from that sort of background gracing the admitted class. That is not really something you want to talk about when you are trying to move forward and be positive in your life. How does it help? I understand you overcome adversities, but does a medical board really want a student who came from a broken home and dirt town representing them? Don't get me wrong, i am happy that i have the opportunity to apply as a disadvantaged status student, because i INDEED was disadvantaged, although i somewhat feel like it actually may have a negative impact on my admissions, rather than a positive one.

Further more, are you able to include "disadvantages" that you faced between the ages of 17-21 that were due to your upbringing, educational opportunities, incapabilities of attending, etc? For example, in short: "due to my extrenuating upbringing, after i graduated high school 'x' happened and 'y' happened, and it subsequently and severely had an impact on my abilities to attend college." -- Something like that somewhat sounds like you are making excuses, although there are actual instances that can occur and obstruct opportunities (if opportunity is even something that exists to you.)

It is clear that the boards realize this, because they have included this part in the application process, although i would like to know how it is helpful to me.

 

[gyngyn]

LizzyM,

Could any of the "disadvantages" you experienced be harmful to your admission, especially into prestigious institutions? If i were to say something like (for example), "my father was busted for selling drugs and spent many of my childhood years going in and out of prison" i would imagine that the admissions committees might not want somebody from that sort of background gracing the admitted class. That is not really something you want to talk about when you are trying to move forward and be positive in your life. How does it help? I understand you overcome adversities, but does a medical board really want a student who came from a broken home and dirt town representing them? Don't get me wrong, i am happy that i have the opportunity to apply as a disadvantaged status student, because i INDEED was disadvantaged, although i somewhat feel like it actually may have a negative impact on my admissions, rather than a positive one.

Further more, are you able to include "disadvantages" that you faced between the ages of 17-21 that were due to your upbringing, educational opportunities, incapabilities of attending, etc? For example, in short: "due to my extrenuating upbringing, after i graduated high school 'x' happened and 'y' happened, and it subsequently and severely had an impact on my abilities to attend college." -- Something like that somewhat sounds like you are making excuses, although there are actual instances that can occur and obstruct opportunities (if opportunity is even something that exists to you.)

It is clear that the boards realize this, because they have included this part in the application process, although i would like to know how it is helpful to me.

You need to "tag" her to get a response: @LizzyM

 

[JG Dental]

Thank you @gyngyn ! Didn't realize this forum was so advanced..ha. I'm a little new to it!

@LizzyM -- i know your profile says you aren't on much, but hoping that you check in and read this.

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM,

Could any of the "disadvantages" you experienced be harmful to your admission, especially into prestigious institutions? If i were to say something like (for example), "my father was busted for selling drugs and spent many of my childhood years going in and out of prison" i would imagine that the admissions committees might not want somebody from that sort of background gracing the admitted class. That is not really something you want to talk about when you are trying to move forward and be positive in your life. How does it help? I understand you overcome adversities, but does a medical board really want a student who came from a broken home and dirt town representing them? Don't get me wrong, i am happy that i have the opportunity to apply as a disadvantaged status student, because i INDEED was disadvantaged, although i somewhat feel like it actually may have a negative impact on my admissions, rather than a positive one.

Further more, are you able to include "disadvantages" that you faced between the ages of 17-21 that were due to your upbringing, educational opportunities, incapabilities of attending, etc? For example, in short: "due to my extrenuating upbringing, after i graduated high school 'x' happened and 'y' happened, and it subsequently and severely had an impact on my abilities to attend college." -- Something like that somewhat sounds like you are making excuses, although there are actual instances that can occur and obstruct opportunities (if opportunity is even something that exists to you.)

It is clear that the boards realize this, because they have included this part in the application process, although i would like to know how it is helpful to me.

Admissions committees might be more open-minded than you imagine. The vast majority of medical students come from upper-middle class homes with parents who are physicians, lawyers, businessmen, scientists, teachers, engineers and other professionals. In almost every school you will find students learning in small groups and part of the purpose of those small groups are for students to learn from one another. Part of the call for diversity in medical school is so that there is a diversity of life experiences within a class and in a small group. Sometimes that perspective comes from a student who taught in an inner-city school for two years, or who had a work experience with a refuge population but in some instances it is a childhood experience that is informative.

You can certainly explain a late start to college within the disadvantaged essay. I recall one very successful applicant who joined the military right out of HS due to family circumstances and didn't start college for years. Of course, that was also obvious from the experience section which included his service. If it were something you would not put in the experience section such as taking care of a sick relative, giving birth, or losing a home in a fire then it might be reasonable to include it as an add on to the disadvantage section.

 

[whitemagic]

do you think I should claim disadvantage status? I grew up in single parent family and immigrated to USA at 11. We also qualify as low-income household

I also would like to know the answer to this if anyone can help!

 

[LizzyM]

do you think I should claim disadvantage status? I grew up in single parent family and immigrated to USA at 11. We also qualify as low-income household

@xyphr , @hoihaie
If being in a low income immigrant family lead by a single parent set you behind other college freshmen, then it certainly would qualify as a "disadvantage. No one would fault you for claiming that status.

 

[whitemagic]

@LizzyM Thank you for your reply. I asked because I'm sure there's a gradient when it comes to these sort of things. I do consider myself disadvantaged, but I feared that adcoms might compare my disadvantage to another applicant whose parents were killed in early childhood or was a single mother growing up in a dangerous neighborhood, and laugh mine off. But of course, I presume that they understand that just because somebody might have had things worse than you did, doesn't make your problems irrelevant.

 

[kiddynamite914]

Disadvantaged section is usually limited to situations in childhood (through age 17) that may have placed you at a disadvantage, particularly situations that may have had an impact on your success in college.

The personal statement shouldn't be used to make excuses but to highlight your strengths and why you are a good choice for medical school admission and why you want to be a doctor.

So I come from an inner city where many students do not go onto a 4 year university (Less then 16 in my 400 student class). Also, my high school didn't offer many AP courses. The courses that they offered were not really AP IMO; teachers just wanted the students to pass and they didn't really follow a curriculum. This led to us not really being prepared for the AP exams. Also, many AP courses were usually cut half way through the semester. Is it right for me to mention this in the disadvantaged section especially since it seems as if I am blaming the teachers ability to run a typical AP course? And my schools inability to maintain AP courses? (Often they would take out the AP classes to set up other classes that were designed to help students who were near failing to graduate). There were several articles and even some teacher interviews where these individuals went out and exposed the school principal, guidance counselors, and district superintendent on how they would just remove AP courses and things of that sort to make room for these classes, which would ultimately lead to increased graduation rates. However, it was unfair for the students who actually went to school everyday and did there work. All in all, my HS experience definitely made college tougher, as I had to study many extra hours to keep up with the better prepared students.

 

[LizzyM]

So I come from an inner city where many students do not go onto a 4 year university (Less then 16 in my 400 student class). Also, my high school didn't offer many AP courses. The courses that they offered were not really AP IMO; teachers just wanted the students to pass and they didn't really follow a curriculum. This led to us not really being prepared for the AP exams. Also, many AP courses were usually cut half way through the semester. Is it right for me to mention this in the disadvantaged section especially since it seems as if I am blaming the teachers ability to run a typical AP course? And my schools inability to maintain AP courses? (Often they would take out the AP classes to set up other classes that were designed to help students who were near failing to graduate). There were several articles and even some teacher interviews where these individuals went out and exposed the school principal, guidance counselors, and district superintendent on how they would just remove AP courses and things of that sort to make room for these classes, which would ultimately lead to increased graduation rates. However, it was unfair for the students who actually went to school everyday and did there work. All in all, my HS experience definitely made college tougher, as I had to study many extra hours to keep up with the better prepared students.

This is one of the points of having a disadvantaged section... if your HS sent only 4% of the class to four year college, and if AP classes were cancelled to increase services to at -risk students who may have otherwise not graduated, it would be clear to adcoms that you arrived in college behind most of your college peers.

 

[hoihaie]

i didn't end up claiming it

I also would like to know the answer to this if anyone can help!

 

[kiddynamite914]

This is one of the points of having a disadvantaged section... if your HS sent only 4% of the class to four year college, and if AP classes were cancelled to increase services to at -risk students who may have otherwise not graduated, it would be clear to adcoms that you arrived in college behind most of your college peers.

Does this usually work as a slight boost? Just curious.

 

[LizzyM]

Does this usually work as a slight boost? Just curious.

It won't save you from an automatic screen if you have really poor numbers but it might lead someone to think/say/write "this applicant has an interesting story; I'd like to meet them!" and that's one of the surest ways to get an interview.

 

[kiddynamite914]

It won't save you from an automatic screen if you have really poor numbers but it might lead someone to think/say/write "this applicant has an interesting story; I'd like to meet them!" and that's one of the surest ways to get an interview.

My numbers are not bad (3.819 gpa). But it definitely did factor in during classes like Organic Chemistry where the professor only gave out 15% A's. It hurt me in those classes where competition was fierce and even if you have the percentage for an A, it was possible for you not to get it due to the decided distribution.

 

[WingedOx]

wait, how long has this essay been a thing that exists? I can only imagine there are a few gems that get written for this.

/The trauma of only attending Exeter when my dream school was Andover has left me with a permanent academic deficit.

 

[LizzyM]

wait, how long has this essay been a thing that exists? I can only imagine there are a few gems that get written for this.

/The trauma of only attending Exeter when my dream school was Andover has left me with a permanent academic deficit.

It has been around for >15 years. The "best" I ever saw was a woman who thought it was an essay about why she would need financial aid in medical school. Her father was a radiologist, they lived in a very affluent suburb and she was spending her gap year in a city with a high cost of living.

 

[Goro]

Ahhh, the woes and travails of the 1%!!

It has been around for >15 years. The "best" I ever saw was a woman who thought it was an essay about why she would need financial aid in medical school. Her father was a radiologist, they lived in a very affluent suburb and she was spending her gap year in a city with a high cost of living.

 

[gyngyn]

I see the disadvantaged essay go sideways about 20% of the time.

 

[Chamomile Tea]

@LizzyM

I graduated from a poor quality high school with few AP courses, most of them subpar save for the English ones. This made certain courses (such as Calculus, Chemistry and Physics) a bit of a struggle for me for the first few semesters of college, but I've definitely improved and overall I've been a fairly successful student. I also had to deal with poverty all throughout grade school and into college (I actually ended up homeless just last semester, and now I'm threatened with it again). Not to mention I often took the role of counselor for my family who has no shortage of issues during college. Long story short my dad cajoled my mom and I to move into his house and the first 2 years of college and part of my first semester as a junior which ended up with a lot of arguments and emotional abuse that I had to help manage (I've been dragged into many fights), until my mom left him again.

I know you said the disadvantaged essay is primarily for situations that happened during childhood. While there were certainly some instances in childhood that have not helped me most brutal things have come while in college. Should I include everything or focus more so on what has happened during my stint in undergrad?

 

[LizzyM]

@Chamomile Tea Here's a slightly trimmed version of your story that I think would be a reasonable approach to the "disadvantaged" statement.

I grew up in poverty and graduated from a poor quality high school with few AP courses, most of them subpar save for English. This made certain courses such as Calculus, Chemistry and Physics a bit of a struggle for me for the first few semesters of college. I often took the role of counselor for my family who has no shortage of issues during my college years. My dad cajoled my mom and me to move into his house which we did for my first 2 1/2 years of college but this resulted in many arguments and emotional abuse that I had to help manage until my mom left him again. Subsequently, I became homeless in my junior year and have been threatened with it again recently.

 

[heebeejeebies]

@LizzyM I'm also on the fence about whether to be explicit in my experiences...

I was a high school drop out for almost 2 years before finding the will to claw my way back to school. I dropped out due to a fun cocktail of an alcoholic abusive absent father, loving but schizophrenic mother and poverty. To what extent does this disadvantaged essay benefit me? And at what point, if any, do I start to lose favour? It's difficult to explain, but what I feel echoes @JG Dental's post, it's hard to be explicit when you feel so much stigma stemming from these circumstance your entire life, it makes you worry being open may compromise your application.

 

[LizzyM]

@LizzyM I'm also on the fence about whether to be explicit in my experiences...

I was a high school drop out for almost 2 years before finding the will to claw my way back to school. I dropped out due to a fun cocktail of an alcoholic abusive absent father, loving but schizophrenic mother and poverty. To what extent does this disadvantaged essay benefit me? And at what point, if any, do I start to lose favour? It's difficult to explain, but what I feel echoes @JG Dental's post, it's hard to be explicit when you feel so much stigma stemming from these circumstance your entire life, it makes you worry being open may compromise your application.

You can tell your story without being explicit. Your dad largely absent. Your mother was chronically ill and unable to function. You were poor and managed to get by with x y and z (part-time wages, SSI, medicaid, whatever) Your parents relationship was disfunctional and however hard it was not to have him in your life, it was even harder when they were together.

We can read between the lines. Dropping out of high school and making it back is a huge deal and it will not otherwise appear on your application. This is a big reason to use the disadvantaged section to tell that part of your story!

 

[Doug Underhill]

What about being poor without really having much to explain- can the assay still help you? I grew up demonstrably poor and my family received some government assistance programs like SNAP and Pell grants. I was the first one to graduate from college. However, I don't have anything to explain with it: my undergrad GPA is competitive. Should I still complete the section?

 

[LizzyM]

What about being poor without really having much to explain- can the assay still help you? I grew up demonstrably poor and my family received some government assistance programs like SNAP and Pell grants. I was the first one to graduate from college. However, I don't have anything to explain with it: my undergrad GPA is competitive. Should I still complete the section?

Here are the instructions for 2016 right from the AMCAS manual:
You will then be asked if you wish to be considered a disadvantaged applicant by your designated medical schools. You might consider yourself disadvantaged if you grew up in an area that was medically underserved or had insufficient accesss to State and Federal Assistance programs. Click Yes to be considered a disadvantaged applicant. You will be given an additional 1,325 characters to explain why you believe you should be considered a disadvantaged applicant.

TL;DR if you want to be considered as a disadvantaged applicant then check the box and explain why you believe you should be considered as such.

 

[whitemagic]

Hi @LizzyM, I've been following this thread for a while and I'm wondering how as an ADCOM, you perceive people with disadvantaged backgrounds, but have chosen not to claim disadvantaged on their AMCAS app. For example, if an applicant is a first generation college student, parents working blue-collar jobs, immigrated from another country, was an ESL, had federal and state assistance, grew up in a medically underserved area, but did NOT apply as disadvantaged, how would this fare? Because all of the above apply to me, but for some reason I just don't feel comfortable applying as disadvantaged. Do you have an opinion on this? Would you still see the applicant as "disadvantaged" even though they didn't wish to identify as disadvantaged?

 

[LizzyM]

Hi @LizzyM, I've been following this thread for a while and I'm wondering how as an ADCOM, you perceive people with disadvantaged backgrounds, but have chosen not to claim disadvantaged on their AMCAS app. For example, if an applicant is a first generation college student, parents working blue-collar jobs, immigrated from another country, was an ESL, had federal and state assistance, grew up in a medically underserved area, but did NOT apply as disadvantaged, how would this fare? Because all of the above apply to me, but for some reason I just don't feel comfortable applying as disadvantaged. Do you have an opinion on this? Would you still see the applicant as "disadvantaged" even though they didn't wish to identify as disadvantaged?

I have heard some adcom members comment positively on such applicants in a way that suggests that this failure to self-identify is in some way "noble".

 

[DAVIDBOWIE]

.

 

[LizzyM]

Same pile at my school. Your statement from "I don't " to "learn." would be a fine summary of your disadvantage going into college.

 

[heebeejeebies]

I see the disadvantaged essay go sideways about 20% of the time.

Sideways?

 

[DAVIDBOWIE]

Same pile at my school. Your statement from "I don't " to "learn." would be a fine summary of your disadvantage going into college.

Thanks!

 

[deleted577188]

Sideways?

Your username >>>>>>

 

[gyngyn]

Sideways?

Badly.

 

[heebeejeebies]

Badly.

Yes, I understand. But being cryptic serves no one. Was it simply a matter of misidentification of self as disadvantaged? Or a poor job of conveying it? Or blatant playing the system? Because 20% is a big number....

 

[whitemagic]

^ I'm assuming she's talking about people who try to play the system by trying to claim disadvantaged even though they're from a very privileged background.

 

[heebeejeebies]

^ I'm assuming she's talking about people who try to play the system by trying to claim disadvantaged even though they're from a very privileged background.

Yeah, that was my guess as well... but 1 in 5? Damn.