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

[whitemagic]

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You'd be surprised at the stuff people will say to give themselves an advantage.

 

[gyngyn]

^ 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.

Applicants claim disadvantaged status for conditions that might reasonably be viewed as entitled, not disadvantaged.

 

[gyngyn]

^ 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.

Interesting choice of possessive pronoun. Is it because of my specialty?

 

[gyngyn]

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....

It was not my intention to obscure. Sorry if I was unclear.

 

[dispute]

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[whitemagic]

Interesting choice of possessive pronoun. Is it because of my specialty?

Very interesting, for some reason I've always imagined you being a female. I have no idea what your specialty is (what is it?) so that's not it. I presume it is just because I feel like an altruistic ADCOM who spends time helping strangers online is more of a motherly quality than a fatherly one. Sorry about that!

 

[familyaerospace]

Very interesting, for some reason I've always imagined you being a female. I have no idea what your specialty is (what is it?) so that's not it. I presume it is just because I feel like an altruistic ADCOM who spends time helping strangers online is more of a motherly quality than a fatherly one. Sorry about that!

I've always made that assumption as well. I can't remember anyone ever referring to @gyngyn as anything other than female and it did take me a minute to realize it could also be a specialty reference (although my obgyn is male). If I was also mistaken @gyngyn , I also apologize.

@xyphr - It is my understanding that LizzyM (aka evil queen of numbers) is female and Goro is male. Can't remember how I assessed Goro was male. Possibly because he sometimes is so proper but yet can turn into a New Yorker in 2.3 seconds. Or maybe because the character of Goro is a male video game character. There might be other adcomms on here.

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

By this statement, I can tell you are new to SDN. Do a quick search on disadvantaged and you will see some real beauties asking if people are disadvantaged. Most of them are "Cry me a river" worthy. I was about to reply to one a few days ago where the person could only afford to go to schools where she had a full merit scholarship (she wasn't qualified for need based aid) and I finally gave up and didn't respond.

 

[lapatienzasenzafine]

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".

Hi LizzyM my situation is the following I am an immigrant, I came to the US less than two years ago and started to complete my pre-req> I am been doing great so far (4.0 GPA) but I did score really low on the mcat 20 not because I don't know the material but just because of the language barrier.
Do you think that claiming thee disadvantage status could help me
Thanks

 

[LizzyM]

Hi LizzyM my situation is the following I am an immigrant, I came to the US less than two years ago and started to complete my pre-req> I am been doing great so far (4.0 GPA) but I did score really low on the mcat 20 not because I don't know the material but just because of the language barrier.
Do you think that claiming thee disadvantage status could help me
Thanks

No, claiming to be disadvantaged will not help. You will have trouble in med school if you can not read write and speak English very fluently.

 

[lapatienzasenzafine]

No, claiming to be disadvantaged will not help. You will have trouble in med school if you can not read write and speak English very fluently.

It is not that i am not fluent in English other wise I wouldn't been acing in my classes but I think the standardized exam is something different like its name say it is standardized on a specific sample and I think I just don't fit in that sample and therefore it is not a good indicator in my case

 

[jih]

It is not that i am not fluent in English other wise I wouldn't been acing in my classes but I think the standardized exam is something different like its name say it is standardized on a specific sample and I think I just don't fit in that sample and therefore it is not a good indicator in my case

Unfortunately, once you are in med school, you will need to take another big three-part standardized test (USMLE) to become a doctor. MCAT and USMLE step 1 scores are highly correlated, so you need to show schools that you do not falter when it comes to standardized tests.

 

[Goro]

This is a skill you have to master for success in med school, because we're addicted to standardized tests.

It is not that i am not fluent in English other wise I wouldn't been acing in my classes but I think the standardized exam is something different like its name say it is standardized on a specific sample and I think I just don't fit in that sample and therefore it is not a good indicator in my case

 

[Affiche]

People assume @gyngyn is female?! Funny, I assumed the opposite, likely because I assume all adcoms are wide-shouldered men in suits that will soon scoff at my application as it comes across their desks. Except LizzyM, who I picture to be exactly like Judge Judy (gavel included). But then again, I also picture interviews to look a lot like a trial lol.

 

[gyngyn]

People assume @gyngyn is female?! Funny, I assumed the opposite, likely because I assume all adcoms are wide-shouldered men in suits that will soon scoff at my application as it comes across their desks. Except LizzyM, who I picture to be exactly like Judge Judy (gavel included). But then again, I also picture interviews to look a lot like a trial lol.

I'm flattered.

 

[whitemagic]

Lol, the Judge Judy comment was hilarious. That's exactly how I pictured her too.

 

[familyaerospace]

I third LizzyM as Judge Judy.

 

[sofpink]

@LizzyM Wha t do you think about this?
While growing up in [X central america country], I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects that financial constraints, lack of medical services, and poor education have on individual's lives. My mother, who is an empirical social worker, traveled to work more than two hours away and worked 60-hours-a-week, in order to provide me and my two siblings with food and shelter. My father, who never received a college education, was constantly out of work, and by the time I was in middle school I took a part-time job to help alleviate my family’s financial burden. During high school, teachers’ strikes, coupled with abundant drug trafficking and delinquency made studying difficult. Our only adviser did not encourage us to attend college, but instead recommended to take a trade and start working right away. Despite the poor quality of courses and lack of support, after graduating high school, I enrolled in college. But an unfortunate chain of events, including my father’s continuous battle with diabetes and being a victim of a car hijack accident, temporarily steered me away from this path. As residents of the city X, medical providers and services were elusive. Financial constraints, coupled with few medical facilities and the lack of access to specialist, forced me and family into extreme duress.

 

[LizzyM]

@LizzyM Wha t do you think about this?
While growing up in [X central america country], I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects that financial constraints, lack of medical services, and poor education have on individual's lives. My mother, who is an empirical social worker, traveled to work more than two hours away and worked 60-hours-a-week, in order to provide me and my two siblings with food and shelter. My father, who never received a college education, was constantly out of work, and by the time I was in middle school I took a part-time job to help alleviate my family’s financial burden. During high school, teachers’ strikes, coupled with abundant drug trafficking and delinquency made studying difficult. Our only adviser did not encourage us to attend college, but instead recommended to take a trade and start working right away. Despite the poor quality of courses and lack of support, after graduating high school, I enrolled in college. But an unfortunate chain of events, including my father’s continuous battle with diabetes and being a victim of a car hijack accident, temporarily steered me away from this path. As residents of the city X, medical providers and services were elusive. Financial constraints, coupled with few medical facilities and the lack of access to specialist, forced me and family into extreme duress.

But you managed to graduate from a school in the US or Canada (a requirement for admission to an American medical school). How did you get from point A to point B? Were you behind your college classmates in your ability to manage college coursework? Did you need to take a heavier load or find yourself closed out of higher level classes because you did not have AP course credit? Some adcoms will consider that you had some HUGE advantage in that you got out of [X central america country]. Your mother had a job and she worked hard and supported you and your siblings. That doesn't make you disadvantaged. You had a job. That doesn't necessarily make you disadvantaged compared with those who are unable to find work. What kind of work did you do and what were the hours. Did your school work suffer or were you able to work part-time and still keep up in school? It is unclear whose car was hijacked. The story should be about 0-18 and it is unclear what else is going on here.

 

[studentdr12]

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[Crayola227]

you can PM me too

 

[AlMedNY23]

I'm in a little bit of a conundrum as to whether I should apply disadvantaged or not. According to the help criteria, federal and state assistance programs may qualify one for disadvantaged status. In my very early childhood, my family was on food stamps and medicaid, but that was only for a little bit. Then for the vast majority of my childhood, my family has been receiving supplemental security income (SSI) for my mother's disability and inability to return to work. My family still receives the SSI, and my father has been the only one provider for the family on a modest income (60,000). I feel like the food stamps, medicaid, and SSI fit the criteria of federal and state assistance programs, but I still feel uneasy about applying disadvantaged. This is in part because we moved out of the city to the suburbs when I began high school. From high school onward, we have had a modest-sized home, and I went to a decent public high school that offered a lot of AP classes. I didn't really feel like I fit in, but that's besides the point.

@LizzyM @Goro @gyngyn I would greatly appreciate your verdict on this. Should I apply disadvantaged or not?
(Disclaimer: My GPA is on the low side, and I don't want to appear as if I am looking for a way around screening)

 

[LizzyM]

I'm in a little bit of a conundrum as to whether I should apply disadvantaged or not. According to the help criteria, federal and state assistance programs may qualify one for disadvantaged status. In my very early childhood, my family was on food stamps and medicaid, but that was only for a little bit. Then for the vast majority of my childhood, my family has been receiving supplemental security income (SSI) for my mother's disability and inability to return to work. My family still receives the SSI, and my father has been the only one provider for the family on a modest income (60,000). I feel like the food stamps, medicaid, and SSI fit the criteria of federal and state assistance programs, but I still feel uneasy about applying disadvantaged. This is in part because we moved out of the city to the suburbs when I began high school. From high school onward, we have had a modest-sized home, and I went to a decent public high school that offered a lot of AP classes. I didn't really feel like I fit in, but that's besides the point.

@LizzyM @Goro @gyngyn I would greatly appreciate your verdict on this. Should I apply disadvantaged or not?
(Disclaimer: My GPA is on the low side, and I don't want to appear as if I am looking for a way around screening)

If I'm not mistaken, everyone gets to answer the questions about gov't assistance, how you paid for college, employment before age 18, etc even if you don't check the disadvantaged box. Is that correct when you fill out the AMCAS? (I've only seen it as a consumer of information, not as an applicant) If so, don't check the disadvantaged box but check the others that apply. Sometimes a bit of modesty in not claiming disadvantaged status works like reverse psychology.

 

[gyngyn]

I'm in a little bit of a conundrum as to whether I should apply disadvantaged or not. According to the help criteria, federal and state assistance programs may qualify one for disadvantaged status. In my very early childhood, my family was on food stamps and medicaid, but that was only for a little bit. Then for the vast majority of my childhood, my family has been receiving supplemental security income (SSI) for my mother's disability and inability to return to work. My family still receives the SSI, and my father has been the only one provider for the family on a modest income (60,000). I feel like the food stamps, medicaid, and SSI fit the criteria of federal and state assistance programs, but I still feel uneasy about applying disadvantaged. This is in part because we moved out of the city to the suburbs when I began high school. From high school onward, we have had a modest-sized home, and I went to a decent public high school that offered a lot of AP classes. I didn't really feel like I fit in, but that's besides the point.

@LizzyM @Goro @gyngyn I would greatly appreciate your verdict on this. Should I apply disadvantaged or not?
(Disclaimer: My GPA is on the low side, and I don't want to appear as if I am looking for a way around screening)

I'd let the facts speak for themselves.

 

[AlMedNY23]

If I'm not mistaken, everyone gets to answer the questions about gov't assistance, how you paid for college, employment before age 18, etc even if you don't check the disadvantaged box. Is that correct when you fill out the AMCAS? (I've only seen it as a consumer of information, not as an applicant) If so, don't check the disadvantaged box but check the others that apply. Sometimes a bit of modesty in not claiming disadvantaged status works like reverse psychology.

I'd let the facts speak for themselves.

@gyngyn @LizzyM Thank you to the both of you! That was the direction I was leaning towards.

 

[_formidable_]

After reading through this all I am wondering how do I explain my
Life with out trying to gain a pity party but just understanding ? I am also the first of many generations to graduate College. I mean grandparents and great grandparents and their family I am the first. I am a female URM. How exactly do I explain but not ask for a cry me a river. I mean honestly noooooone knows the blow information about me. Not my friends or any school. I've kept it a secret as I feel like it didn't matter before. But typing it all out I myself am startled. I think I kind of submerged the truth for a long time.

 

[LizzyM]

You will be asked the names of your parents, their occupations and their highest education. That provides information on your parents lack of college education and thus you are assumed to be first generation college student. You can choose to list your employment in the experience section. Most people list only things that happened after HS graduation but there is no rule against listing other employment. You can also work some of your history into your personal statement, particularly if you feel drawn to a career assisting survivors of domestic violence and people living in poverty.

 

[_formidable_]

You will be asked the names of your parents, their occupations and their highest education. That provides information on your parents lack of college education and thus you are assumed to be first generation college student. You can choose to list your employment in the experience section. Most people list only things that happened after HS graduation but there is no rule against listing other employment. You can also work some of your history into your personal statement, particularly if you feel drawn to a career assisting survivors of domestic violence and people living in poverty.

Oui! Merci : ) @LizzyM

 

[whirlpool159]

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[Goro]

See what the wise LizzyM wrote above.

The disadvantaged section is not a pissing contest for those who had the most woe filled life, like the old "Queen for a Day" TV show.

I lived in section eight housing w/o a car and commuted to college from a dangerous neighborhood, which I feel made me less outgoing and willing to engage in extracurricular activities throughout college. My GPA was great though and I have been doing more EC's during a gap year after graduation. Would it be too much of a stretch to write a disadvantaged essay about this issue? I included my background in my personal statement because it motivated me to pursue a career in medicine.

 

[LizzyM]

I lived in section eight housing w/o a car and commuted to college from a dangerous neighborhood, which I feel made me less outgoing and willing to engage in extracurricular activities throughout college. My GPA was great though and I have been doing more EC's during a gap year after graduation. Would it be too much of a stretch to write a disadvantaged essay about this issue? I included my background in my personal statement because it motivated me to pursue a career in medicine.

did you grow up in that housing prior to college? If so, as a member of a low-income family, you might reasonably self-identify as disadvantaged. However, keep in mind that the section is to explain ages 0-18, not why you didn't step it up in college.

 

[mwsapphire]

I'm flattered.

Wait.....she isn't a female??????
Her profile doesn't say anything...but....wait...what.
That cat looks kind of feminine, I think. It looks like a girl kitty.

 

[mwsapphire]

Very interesting, for some reason I've always imagined you being a female. I have no idea what your specialty is (what is it?) so that's not it. I presume it is just because I feel like an altruistic ADCOM who spends time helping strangers online is more of a motherly quality than a fatherly one. Sorry about that!

She's an OBGYN.
I asked her 🙂

 

[mwsapphire]

People assume @gyngyn is female?! Funny, I assumed the opposite, likely because I assume all adcoms are wide-shouldered men in suits that will soon scoff at my application as it comes across their desks. Except LizzyM, who I picture to be exactly like Judge Judy (gavel included). But then again, I also picture interviews to look a lot like a trial lol.

I always pictured Goro as kind of tall/skinny type????