Financially Disadvantaged?

[0Complications]

What exactly are the criteria to apply as financially disadvantaged? Is there a time period for this or is it all of your life? Is it acceptable for a non-trad to file financially disadvantaged?

Is it looked down upon, questioningly, or otherwise in some other unfavorable light if you don't "look" financially disadvantaged but are?

Note for the above comment: While we try not to judge a book by it's cover we often do. So, it is a genuine question I have been considering.

Thanks for the help. I feel it's somewhat ambiguous and was hoping for some clarification.

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[charlie murphy]

do you eat bologna samwitches 3 times a day?

 

[Appless]

It refers from ages 0-18 and is based on income levels, government programs such as being on medicaid, food stamps, free school lunch programs...i forget what else i tried searching on AMCAS for somethig about it but found nothing. I remember a thread like this about 1 month ago where someone posted something from amcas...anyways I always felt that if you have to question if you are disadvantaged probably best to just shy away. There are people who are poor and what not but if you lived in a white suburban neighborhood and went to a normal school like everyone else and didnt have to do something like work full time or more to support your family from a young age, Id consider you not disadvanged.

For example, my mom makes 9k per year in a dead end job and I was on medicaid, food stamps, and all that other stuff when I was younger but my grandma always helped support us so we never really were on the streets or anything and I was able to attend school in a middle class area. We werent rich but at least i had clothes and food. I also had to support a son since 19. Even though Im defiantly financial disadvantaged I still am going to choose just not to check it...I dont want to get grilled about it. Id rather just maybe talk about some of this stuff in my PS or in secondaries when they ask about extenuating circumstances or diversity and what not. As a non-traditional I dont think you could go for the whole financially disadvantaged thing unless you are talking from 0-18 as its my understand that is all they care about.

 

[blondie08]

I think the qualifications are less stringent than people think. There are different levels of being financially disadvantaged, so as long as you are not falsifying information you should be fine.

For example, I had to work 40-60 hours per week while in college to pay for my own school and other finances, and I felt that situation put me at a disadvantage to other people who did not have to do that, and maybe got better grades or MCAT scores because they had more time to study. So I applied as financially disadvantaged. AMCAS has several questions after you check that box, and asks you to explain why you believe you qualify for this status... so I spoke only to the situation above and did not include anything regarding federal assistance etc.

And no one ever asked me about it directly at any of my interviews. If you are honest, no one is going to drill you. But some of my interviewers were more sensitive to the time I had to work and how that affected my school work. So I would say to apply as disadvantaged if you feel it helps you to explain a situation where you felt you were at a disadvantaged because of money.

Hope that helps.

 

[0Complications]

I think the qualifications are less stringent than people think. There are different levels of being financially disadvantaged, so as long as you are not falsifying information you should be fine.

For example, I had to work 40-60 hours per week while in college to pay for my own school and other finances, and I felt that situation put me at a disadvantage to other people who did not have to do that, and maybe got better grades or MCAT scores because they had more time to study. So I applied as financially disadvantaged. AMCAS has several questions after you check that box, and asks you to explain why you believe you qualify for this status... so I spoke only to the situation above and did not include anything regarding federal assistance etc.

And no one ever asked me about it directly at any of my interviews. If you are honest, no one is going to drill you. But some of my interviewers were more sensitive to the time I had to work and how that affected my school work. So I would say to apply as disadvantaged if you feel it helps you to explain a situation where you felt you were at a disadvantaged because of money.

Hope that helps.

Some great points. I'm with you on this Blondie. I think the question is addressing whether or not, in your opinion, the playing field was level. Granted it will not be perfectly level for everyone, but they want to know if there were major obstacles that made paying for school, food, and rent while studying, and attending classes more difficult. That's my take as well.

Thanks for the feedback. Any other opinions are always appreciated.

 

[kansaskid]

I think the qualifications are less stringent than people think. There are different levels of being financially disadvantaged, so as long as you are not falsifying information you should be fine.

For example, I had to work 40-60 hours per week while in college to pay for my own school and other finances, and I felt that situation put me at a disadvantage to other people who did not have to do that, and maybe got better grades or MCAT scores because they had more time to study. So I applied as financially disadvantaged. AMCAS has several questions after you check that box, and asks you to explain why you believe you qualify for this status... so I spoke only to the situation above and did not include anything regarding federal assistance etc.

And no one ever asked me about it directly at any of my interviews. If you are honest, no one is going to drill you. But some of my interviewers were more sensitive to the time I had to work and how that affected my school work. So I would say to apply as disadvantaged if you feel it helps you to explain a situation where you felt you were at a disadvantaged because of money.

Hope that helps.

I am planning on applying as financially disadvantaged for this reason. I mean, I know I've worked harder to be at the same place as my peers and I feel like medical schools should recognize that. I'm not really sure how helpful it'll be, but maybe it will explain my intensity.

 

[GoBeers]

I think the qualifications are less stringent than people think. There are different levels of being financially disadvantaged, so as long as you are not falsifying information you should be fine.

For example, I had to work 40-60 hours per week while in college to pay for my own school and other finances, and I felt that situation put me at a disadvantage to other people who did not have to do that, and maybe got better grades or MCAT scores because they had more time to study. So I applied as financially disadvantaged. AMCAS has several questions after you check that box, and asks you to explain why you believe you qualify for this status... so I spoke only to the situation above and did not include anything regarding federal assistance etc.

And no one ever asked me about it directly at any of my interviews. If you are honest, no one is going to drill you. But some of my interviewers were more sensitive to the time I had to work and how that affected my school work. So I would say to apply as disadvantaged if you feel it helps you to explain a situation where you felt you were at a disadvantaged because of money.

Hope that helps.

I don't understand how you had to work full time, or even over full-time, as a student? If 60 hours was so necessary, shouldn't you probably have qualified for financial aid?

I mean I still had to work 12-20 hours a week to support myself with daily needs like food, but I had financial aid and scholarships that covered my tuition, room&board, plus an extra $2000.

 

[Appless]

Well I want to apply disadvantaged but I was always told they were talking about a period from 0-18 pre college...while I could certainly make a case for it during those times, I really dont feel that I was disadvataged a whole lot until I started my freshmen year of college when my son was born...Im just not sure if i should write about that or what...time to go bother some people on committees i guess.

 

[0Complications]

Were you on food stamps or received free lunch? If you were, then go ahead say so.

I don't think this is a mandatory criterion. Have you looked into this? Most government aid will not be given if you are registered as a full time student.

There are a number of reasons why individuals might not be eligible for financial aid. I know mine is from my pre-20's years, but regardless I have been ineligible for financial aid, scholarships, and the like for over 2.5 years.

These two coupled together, with no aid whatsoever can make school slightly more of a challenge. I can certainly understand why Blondie had to work 40-60 hours a week just to manage. I've done 60, but that usually includes 10 hours volunteering at the hospital, so I would say it's probably closer to 45-50ish for me.

This is certainly not to minimize the achievements of those who do not have the need for full-time employment, but rather to bring special attention to the applications of those who did, so that they can see that they weren't simply not taking their coursework seriously.

Honestly, I can't wait for medical school when my only job is to study and do research.

 

[xrevision]

Disadvantaged Status

Disadvantaged status is self-determined and each medical school has their own policies for how they use this information.

To help determine if you are disadvantaged, click the How do I know if I should be considered disadvantaged? link, which displays the following information:

Underserved: Do you believe, based on your own experiences or the experiences of family and friends that the area in which you grew up was inadequately served by the available health care professionals? Were there enough physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and other health care service providers?

Immediate Family: The Federal Government broadly defines "immediate family" as "spouse, parent, child, sibling, mother or father-in-law, son or daughter-in-law, or sister or brother-in-law, including step and adoptive relationships."

State and Federal Assistance Programs: These programs are specifically defined as "Means-Tested Programs" under which the individual, family, or household income and assets must be below specified thresholds. The sponsoring agencies then provide cash and non-cash assistance to eligible individuals, families, or households. Such programs include welfare benefit programs (federal, state, and local); Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC or ADC); unemployment compensation; General Assistance (GA); food stamps; Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Medicaid; housing assistance; or other federal, state, or local financial assistance programs.

Click the Yes button to be considered a disadvantaged applicant. A Disadvantaged Status form will appear. Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

 

[NeuroChaos]

Question:
Does any one have any tips on writing the disadvantaged essay w/o sounding whiny? Do you also state what you learnt from it or only what you did? I am speaking financially disadvantaged here.

 

[LizzyM]

Disadvantaged is for age 0-18. If you come off sounding sincere, it might give you an edge. If you sound like a faker and a whiner, then it might hurt.

You can go with "just the facts" such as parent died or became disabled or abandoned the family, family income made it difficult to make ends meet, you received help from food pantry, etc, got a job when you were xx years old and covered costs of school clothes and supplies for yourself and a younger sibling as well as household expenses.

Having to work long hours while in college should be folded into your "experience" section with job titles and hours per week. The adcom also takes that into consideration when looking at what you were able to accomplish. Keep in mind that the AMCAS also has a place for your parents' names and occupations as well as the ages (IIRC) of your siblings. This too helps form a picture of your household situation.

 

[ami1983]

Question:
Does any one have any tips on writing the disadvantaged essay w/o sounding whiny? Do you also state what you learnt from it or only what you did? I am speaking financially disadvantaged here.

Just state the reason why you think you were financially disadvantaged, and cite things like family size, family income, Medicaid, food stamps, reduced lunch etc.

 

[LizzyM]

Just state the reason why you think you were financially disadvantaged, and cite things like family size, family income, Medicaid, food stamps, reduced lunch etc.

The disadvantaged section has fields for family size, family income, received gov't benefits (Y/N), worked before age 18 (Y/N), contributed income to support family (Y/N) [that last one relates to whether you helped pay the household bills or just worked for walking-around money], and some others as well as a percentage breakdown of how you covered college costs (what percentage scholarships, loans, family contribution, personal contribution, etc). So, that stuff doesn't need to go in the narrative.

 

[deleted212936]

Hi,

Should I list the reasons why I'm economically disadvantaged, or write it as an essay?

 

[funklab]

do you eat bologna samwitches 3 times a day?

I wish!!!!

Protein every meal, now thats living the life!

 

[GoBeers]

The disadvantaged section has fields for family size, family income, received gov't benefits (Y/N), worked before age 18 (Y/N), contributed income to support family (Y/N) [that last one relates to whether you helped pay the household bills or just worked for walking-around money], and some others as well as a percentage breakdown of how you covered college costs (what percentage scholarships, loans, family contribution, personal contribution, etc). So, that stuff doesn't need to go in the narrative.

what if we became disadvantaged DURING college? I would think that is of equal importance and concern too compared to 0-18 yrs old period?

 

[LizzyM]

Hi,

Should I list the reasons why I'm economically disadvantaged, or write it as an essay?

most people write a paragraph (there isn't much space) that provides information that isn't otherwise on the application about the family situation that leads you to consider yourself economically disadvataged.

 

[LizzyM]

what if we became disadvantaged DURING college? I would think that is of equal importance and concern too compared to 0-18 yrs old period?

AMCAS doesn't ask for that. However, if you had to work while in college, that informtion goes in the experience section (including hours per week). If you had merit or need based scholarships in college due to a hardship, that can go in the experience section, too.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Ultimately the choice is up to you whether or not to mark yourself as financially disadvantaged. I opted not to. However, my family's financial situation was the base of my PS because it has had a large impact on how I got to where I am today, what I was involved with during college, and my career goals.

 

[deleted212936]

My family was immigrants and my sister and I were raised on the income of a single mother working as an art-craft optical tech (aka: making glasses). Her income's been around ~15,000/year. We always have to limit spendings on everything. But while lack of money hindered my opportunities during college, I don't feel like it affected me academically during high school (when I used to get certain things for free, such as textbooks and lunch meals...)
Thus I wonder if I should mark myself as "disadvantaged". I don't know how much adcoms are interested in knowing this information..
Thoughts/advice?

 

[Just1]

Hi Lizzy,

I have a question. I did work before 18 (when I was 14, tutoring and working at a printing shop where I received cash) not because we were in strenuous circumstance, but because my parents were so stingy (well, because they were poor but not to the extent of food stamps) and I thought I can help out somehow by working. Would that constitute as disadvantaged?

Thank you!

most people write a paragraph (there isn't much space) that provides information that isn't otherwise on the application about the family situation that leads you to consider yourself economically disadvataged.

 

[dw2158]

Hi Lizzy,

I have a question. I did work before 18 (when I was 14, tutoring and working at a printing shop where I received cash) not because we were in strenuous circumstance, but because my parents were so stingy (well, because they were poor but not to the extent of food stamps) and I thought I can help out somehow by working. Would that constitute as disadvantaged?

Thank you!

well i'm not LizzyM, but i'm gonna go ahead and say the answer to that question is probably... no. did your income actually contribute to the family income, or was it just pocket money?

 

[Just1]

Oh and I got through college with federal/state grants due to the family income. I was a receiver of federal pell grant if that clarifies any income situation. Thank you again!

Hi Lizzy,

I have a question. I did work before 18 (when I was 14, tutoring and working at a printing shop where I received cash) not because we were in strenuous circumstance, but because my parents were so stingy (well, because they were poor but not to the extent of food stamps) and I thought I can help out somehow by working. Would that constitute as disadvantaged?

Thank you!

 

[Just1]

I worked so I can contribute.

well i'm not LizzyM, but i'm gonna go ahead and say the answer to that question is probably... no. did your income actually contribute to the family income, or was it just pocket money?

 

[LizzyM]

If you were working and handing the $ over so the electric bill could be paid and the lights turned back on, then you might have a case for claiming that you were economically disadvantaged as a kid. If you were earning $ so that you could buy yourself basic essentials (or otherwise go without stuff like notebook paper and socks), you might consider yourself economically disadvantaged. If you were working so that you didn't have to ask for money for movies and snacks, then you might want to rethink this.

Many kids qualify for college loans and grants without having been raised in a situation of destitution.

If before the age of 18 you qualified for Medicaid, public aid, free school lunches, gov't subsidized housing, then you might consider yourself to have been economically disadvantaged as a kid. If that was the situation, it is likely that you didn't have opportunities for vacation travel, sports equipment, music or dance lessons. I met a little girl who told me she'd take the free swimming lessons at the town pool if her mother (who worked in fastfood) could find the money to buy her a swimsuit. THAT's disadvantaged.

Were you at a disadvantage compared with the average college freshmen because you grew up in poverty?

Avoid putting yourself in a position where the adcom hears when it reads your disadvantage statement. If it doesn't pass the sniff test, then it might be a turn-off.

 

[AdemTD]

"Disadvantaged" has a wide definition and does NOT necessarily mean that one grew up poor. According to at least two schools that I have visited, they consider one disadvantaged coming from a broken home, a medically under-served community, or a small school district with very limited opportunities for students as far as AP courses, etc. go.

 

[LizzyM]

"Disadvantaged" has a wide definition and does NOT necessarily mean that one grew up poor. According to at least two schools that I have visited, they consider one disadvantaged coming from a broken home, a medically under-served community, or a small school district with very limited opportunities for students as far as AP courses, etc. go.

I'd be careful with that because the AMCAS goes to every school and not every school is going to look kindly on an applicant from Manhattan (a medical underserved area despite its 4 medical schools-- you can look it up -- they have a shortage of primary care providers), who attended a small private school on the Upper East Side, whose parents are successful business executives who divorced.

Claiming disadvantage but making a weak case can make it look as if you are looking for some unjustified advantage. This can make an adcom look unkindly on your application.

 

[AdemTD]

I'd be careful with that because the AMCAS goes to every school and not every school is going to look kindly on an applicant from Manhattan (a medical underserved area despite its 4 medical schools-- you can look it up -- they have a shortage of primary care providers), who attended a small private school on the Upper East Side, whose parents are successful business executives who divorced.

Claiming disadvantage but making a weak case can make it look as if you are looking for some unjustified advantage. This can make an adcom look unkindly on your application.

I agree with what you've said, however, the areas I am talking about are those that have 3 hospitals, 40,000 people, and no interstate highways in the entire county. Not Manhattan

 

[Just1]

I definitely don't want to sound whiny. However, I would like to be able to share my circumstance. I believe Pell Grant, by definition, is given to those of economically disadvantaged students. I even got $500 assistance in buying clothes. Yay!

 

[pianola]

I definitely don't want to sound whiny. However, I would like to be able to share my circumstance. I believe Pell Grant, by definition, is given to those of economically disadvantaged students. I even got $500 assistance in buying clothes. Yay!

Huh, that's so weird. Cause I got a Pell grant in one of my finaid packages. Didn't stop the school from thinking my family could handle a hefty $50,000 per year in COA (yes this school gives only need-based aid).

Oh and by the way, we can't handle that kind of loan-debt, if you were wondering. Which apparently the school wasn't.