does a cousin count as family member on applications?

[bluecalx]

Title sums it up. I have a cousin who just graduated from a school I'm applying to. Can I put his name down when asked if I have any family members who are alumni, or does it just mean immediate family?

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[mehc012]

Is he related to you? If yes, then you can put him down. He may not count for as much as a parent, but that's up to the adcom's to judge for themselves. I don't see how it could hurt you, per se.

 

[wizedw]

This is school dependent! Some places ask if a parent or sibling went there, some just say family member. Sadly, the school where my uncle works only wanted parent or sibling.

 

[Praefectus]

Yes. It might depend on whether your cousin graduated from UG or from professional/grad school. Regardless, it adds to your connection to the school. I'm sure that one school I'm applying to will ask about my cousin who taught there for a while (she's in private practice now), but I'll definitely emphasize that connection during the interview.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Seems reasonable if they are directly asking you.

 

[Jepstein30]

I would and plan to for the schools I have cousins at.

If a school explicitly asks for parents (some schools do), I plan to throw in the names in the "Why this school?" or "Additional info" sections since they do establish a connection to the school and have very much to do with why I'm interested in certain schools.

 

[biomaj]

I have a cousin who just graduated from a school I'm applying to. Can I put his name down when asked if I have any family members who are alumni...

😕

 

[pre med 2014]

yes cousin are family members.