Does this qualify for social disadvantage on amcas?

[amerlaw1]

Currently applying for the current cycle. My overall app is good however my volunteering hours may be considered lacking. The reason for this is because I had to work part time at my parent's shop because my father was unable to work. He has had chronic back pain for the past 17 years and has been addicted to hydrocodone and xanax for a majority of my high school and college career. Does this qualify me as socially disadvantaged?

Also, I'm a first-generation American and college student. Does that help and how can I report this?

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[RogueBanana]

Currently applying for the current cycle. My overall app is good however my volunteering hours may be considered lacking. The reason for this is because I had to work part time at my parent's shop because my father was unable to work. He has had chronic back pain for the past 17 years and has been addicted to hydrocodone and xanax for a majority of my high school and college career. Does this qualify me as socially disadvantaged?

Also, I'm a first-generation American and college student. Does that help and how can I report this?

Many schools will have a question on their secondaries along the lines of "what challenges have you faced up until this point"

That would be a good place to mention it. I believe that there is a section where, based on income, you can be considered disadvantaged. I don't think the primary Amcas has any way to state this however.

 

[tarheelpenner]

You can report being the first generation, as to whether it helps I doubt significantly but may factor in. Many people work part time (myself included) through college while maintaining volunteer hours, so I wouldn't mention this as an excuse as to why you don't have as many hours. As for your father, that's unfortunate and I'm sorry. You could talk about it, but I doubt it would add anything to your application (except maybe partially in your personal statement, but don't focus on it).

 

[LizzyM]

You can list your parents by name, and their last educational institution attended and their professions on the application. This will make it obvious that your parents didn't attend college and this gets you classified as E-1 or something like that which is AMCAS for "low education/employment" of the parents. If your dad does not work at all I think there might be a category for "disabled" or "retired" or maybe "unemployed".

You can list your part-time job as employment even if you were not paid or if you were paid off the books. No one is checking with the IRS. Everyone knows that small family businesses engage the whole family and you build the business even if it means not taking a paycheck. I worked in a family business and several of my fellow adcom members did, too. We've seen applicants like this including a woman who said she grew up napping under the counter of her parents take-out shop with her head resting on a bag of soy sauce packets.

You can also use this for the "coping skills" essay or whatever to give a better picture of the challenges you've faced over the past 17 years.

 

[amerlaw1]

You can report being the first generation, as to whether it helps I doubt significantly but may factor in. Many people work part time (myself included) through college while maintaining volunteer hours, so I wouldn't mention this as an excuse as to why you don't have as many hours. As for your father, that's unfortunate and I'm sorry. You could talk about it, but I doubt it would add anything to your application (except maybe partially in your personal statement, but don't focus on it).

Does three part-time jobs help my case?

 

[fourandtwo]

You can list your parents by name, and their last educational institution attended and their professions on the application. This will make it obvious that your parents didn't attend college and this gets you classified as E-1 or something like that which is AMCAS for "low education/employment" of the parents. If your dad does not work at all I think there might be a category for "disabled" or "retired" or maybe "unemployed".

You can list your part-time job as employment even if you were not paid or if you were paid off the books. No one is checking with the IRS. Everyone knows that small family businesses engage the whole family and you build the business even if it means not taking a paycheck. I worked in a family business and several of my fellow adcom members did, too. We've seen applicants like this including a woman who said she grew up napping under the counter of her parents take-out shop with her head resting on a bag of soy sauce packets.

You can also use this for the "coping skills" essay or whatever to give a better picture of the challenges you've faced over the past 17 years.

Question- if my mom went to college but my dad never graduated from high school, do I get classified as E1?


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[Goro]

Currently applying for the current cycle. My overall app is good however my volunteering hours may be considered lacking. The reason for this is because I had to work part time at my parent's shop because my father was unable to work. He has had chronic back pain for the past 17 years and has been addicted to hydrocodone and xanax for a majority of my high school and college career. Does this qualify me as socially disadvantaged?

Also, I'm a first-generation American and college student. Does that help and how can I report this?

Nope; disadvantaged is for your life prior to college.

 

[LizzyM]

Question- if my mom went to college but my dad never graduated from high school, do I get classified as E1?


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It depends on your mother's profession as to whether or not you are classified as E1.

 

[fourandtwo]

It depends on your mother's profession as to whether or not you are classified as E1.

I see. Okay, she was a housewife all throughout my upbringing and then she became an admin staff at my university 2 years after I started college.


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[LizzyM]

I see. Okay, she was a housewife all throughout my upbringing and then she became an admin staff at my university 2 years after I started college.


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If you list her as clerical worker, administrative assistant or something like that, your family might be classified as E1. If the job were "higher up" (Dean, Chairman, director) then you might be classified as E2.

 

[sadeghayoubi]

Nope; disadvantaged is for your life prior to college.

Do you know the word limit? I have a lot of stories to tell lol

 

[Goro]

Do you know the word limit? I have a lot of stories to tell lol

App logistics are not my forte.

 

[fourandtwo]

If you list her as clerical worker, administrative assistant or something like that, your family might be classified as E1. If the job were "higher up" (Dean, Chairman, director) then you might be classified as E2.

Thank you for the clarification Liz!


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