Growing up disadvantaged without huge effects?

[Latteandaprayer]

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I might be misunderstanding what disadvantaged means, but I grew up on food stamps, Medicaid, and in a poor neighborhood. Friends have described my house as looking like a crack house and that they’ve been too scared to sleep over because my neighborhood looks dangerous. Anyway, I know I’m financially disadvantaged.

However, I went to a strong high school, one of the top 10 in my state (as silly as it is to rank high schools). I’m now at a top public undergrad and my grades aren’t horrible. I work part time, but only about 16 hours a week to help my parents with bills.

I feel gross posting this, because I’m not trying to brag about my success or try to get brownie points for being poor. I’m just genuinely curious if I should designate myself as disadvantaged since I didn’t have to overcome serious hurdles (working full time, going to a crappy high school and undergrad, etc). I feel like I can’t give a strong response as to how being disadvantaged affected me besides the shallow “we never took vacations, I didn’t have the nicest clothes, and we couldn’t always afford the best produce at the store.”

 

[altblue]

Messaged you on the matter!

 

[OchemOficionado]

I feel like I can’t give a strong response as to how being disadvantaged affected me besides the shallow “we never took vacations, I didn’t have the nicest clothes, and we couldn’t always afford the best produce at the store.”

I feel like you answered your own question with this line. You don’t have to fill out the disadvanged prompt to be considered disadvantaged. Your answers to your parents income growing up and their educational attainment will allow AMCAS to designate you.

 

[Latteandaprayer]

I feel like you answered your own question with this line. You don’t have to fill out the disadvanged prompt to be considered disadvantaged. Your answers to your parents income growing up and their educational attainment will allow AMCAS to designate you.

Dumb question, but would it raise red flags if I don’t fill out the prompt? Like would adcoms think I’m too lazy? I don’t want to lie and pretend I academically struggled, but if I were an adcom and saw that someone didn’t fill it out I’d think they were too lazy to.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Dumb question, but would it raise red flags if I don’t fill out the prompt? Like would adcoms think I’m too lazy? I don’t want to lie and pretend I academically struggled, but if I were an adcom and saw that someone didn’t fill it out I’d think they were too lazy to.

I think you’re overthinking it. My guess is that an adcom would rather see it blank than filled with fluff. I’ll let an adcom speak on it though.

 

[ciestar]

If you don’t feel that it disadvantaged you, don’t check the box. It is subjective and nobody will try and argue that with you. The last thing you want is to sound disingenuous

 

[LizzyM]

Even if you don't "check the box" you should list your parent(s) name(s), education and occupation(s). Also answer any questions posed other than checking the disadvantaged box. Don't forget to list that part-time job in the experience section. What you write will paint a picture and schools will see how you will add to the diversity of the class (most applicants come from families where at least one parent graduated college and many have parents who have completed professional school).

 

[Latteandaprayer]

What you write will paint a picture and schools will see how you will add to the diversity of the class (most applicants come from families where at least one parent graduated college and many have parents who have completed professional school.

Thanks! My dad was a dentist in our home country, but couldn’t get his license in the US because of the language barrier. Does that “take away” from this point?

 

[LizzyM]

No. You won't be classified in AMCAS EO system because it doesn't classify parents who were educated abroad (perhaps for the very reason that many highly educated people have to take menial jobs in the US due to licensing restrictions) but if you list your parents' occupations (don't say "dentist" if he isn't working as a dentist) the adcom will get the picture. I do believe that there are boxes to check regarding government benefits, employment before age 18 etc even if you don't check the "disadvantaged" box and write the extra essay.

 

[Latteandaprayer]

I am going to disagree with some of the posters here. As you said you grew up on on assistance, in a poor neighborhood, in a house friends wouldnt sleep in. You then went on HS, a public college, and have done well despite the fact you work part time to help your parents. You sound like an applicant who does not see or take credit for what they have accomplished, especially when starting from a DISADVANTAGE like being on assistance, and still, still having to help your parents with bills why you attend college. If you do not see that you were in fact, disadvantage growing up, by not having income for many of the opportunities that others in the applicant pool will have had, then I think you are doing yourself a great disservice by not checking the box on AMCAS

Thank you for the advice/kind-ish words. I understand that I did grow up objectively disadvantaged and that not many applicants have to help their families in college, I just don’t *feel* disadvantaged the way I see other disadvantaged people say they do. I never felt like I was missing out on a lot (besides the vacations and nice clothes, etc). I never felt like doors were closed for me because of it, just that I didn’t have a “boost” by having family connections or being able to pay for a program to help me get ahead. Not everyone takes advantage of those, though, and not everyone has them anyway.

How do you think I should approach the essay? Obviously you don’t know me, but do you know how I can explain how I’m disadvantaged without making up how hard my life was?