Question about Parents' Education...

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topogigio

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I have a question.
On many of the secondaries, they ask whether I am the first one in my immediate family to graduate from college.

Both my parents have college degrees, but they are both from Mexican universities. In the US, these degrees don't count for squat so both my parents work at clerical jobs for very close to minimum wage. Now, on AMCAS, I still indicated both my parents had degrees and provided the name of the universities they attended.
During my pre-medical committee interview, I mentioned in my essay that I was the first one in my immediate AND extended family to graduate from college IN THE US, which is very true. On the secondaries, I will probably indicate the same thing I did on the AMCAS and TMDSAS primaries, that they DO have college education.

However, I'm afraid the committee evaluation might include something regarding the fact I mentioned in my essay, and that they will find this contradicting. How can I let them know that they are not contradicting, simply that I am the first one to graduate in the US (and probably the first one to work for more than 6/7 dollars an hour??)

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The adcoms can read. They understand that your parents received college educations in Mexico which puts them among the most highly educated people in Mexico. They also see that you are the offspring of immigrants and the first to graduate from a US college. Clear as a bell. Don't worry. We get it.
 
LizzyM said:
The adcoms can read. They understand that your parents received college educations in Mexico which puts them among the most highly educated people in Mexico. They also see that you are the offspring of immigrants and the first to graduate from a US college. Clear as a bell. Don't worry. We get it.

Thank you for your response. I was a little concerned about this fact.
:)
 
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I really wonder, is that really that big of a benefit to your application that your parents have no education?
 
Severus said:
On some level, it very well should be.

I agree; however I think the OP is milking it and pushing the line. Admin's going to see that he/she's trying to go for the "i defeat the odds and succeed college even when neither of my parents had the chance in a poor country" when in fact they were PROBABLY (my assumptions) the elites in Mexico considering that they both attended and finnished college.

BTW to the OP, just because your parents can't use the college degree in the US for squat, doesn't mean that they didn't have the opportunity to attend college and give you that opportunity. I know many pre-meds that has BS that's isn't worth squat in the U.S. after they fail to make it into med school... doesn't mean they didn't go to college. :rolleyes:
 
gerido said:
I agree; however I think the OP is milking it and pushing the line. Admin's going to see that he/she's trying to go for the "i defeat the odds and succeed college even when neither of my parents had the chance in a poor country" when in fact they were PROBABLY (my assumptions) the elites in Mexico considering that they both attended and finnished college.

BTW to the OP, just because your parents can't use the college degree in the US for squat, doesn't mean that they didn't have the opportunity to attend college and give you that opportunity. I know many pre-meds that has BS that's isn't worth squat in the U.S. after they fail to make it into med school... doesn't mean they didn't go to college. :rolleyes:

How is her family story "milking it" or "pushing the line"? Also, you shouldn't assume things about people. How does it change things if her parents were rich, poor, or in between? They obviously valued education in their lives. They work at jobs and support their family like everyone else. Their kid attended college. I don't see how this has anything to do with your crappy assumptions. It is a unique story, a life story from a fellow applicant. I personally think it rocks.
 
same with me. my father had a degree in economics from his homeland but that means nothing in the US. i'm still the first.
 
jackieMD2007 said:
How is her family story "milking it" or "pushing the line"? Also, you shouldn't assume things about people. How does it change things if her parents were rich, poor, or in between? They obviously valued education in their lives. They work at jobs and support their family like everyone else. Their kid attended college. I don't see how this has anything to do with your crappy assumptions. It is a unique story, a life story from a fellow applicant. I personally think it rocks.


are yo dumb or just too stupid to see my point? I wonder what the OP's angle is... I can see the personal statement now, something a long the line of bitching and whining about being the first person to attend college in the family, oh the struggles, oh the lack of directions... If this was not the goal, he/she wouldn't make a point of where her parents went to college or what their degree is worth in the US. It is irritating when people exagerates and milk every situation in their life instead of relying on their merits... leave that to people who truely struggled.
 
gerido said:
are yo dumb or just too stupid to see my point? I wonder what the OP's angle is... I can see the personal statement now, something a long the line of bitching and whining about being the first person to attend college in the family, oh the struggles, oh the lack of directions... If this was not the goal, he/she wouldn't make a point of where her parents went to college or what their degree is worth in the US. It is irritating when people exagerates and milk every situation in their life instead of relying on their merits... leave that to people who truely struggled.

Poor gerido, must be hard for you up on that high horse.
 
gerido said:
are yo dumb or just too stupid to see my point? I wonder what the OP's angle is... I can see the personal statement now, something a long the line of bitching and whining about being the first person to attend college in the family, oh the struggles, oh the lack of directions... If this was not the goal, he/she wouldn't make a point of where her parents went to college or what their degree is worth in the US. It is irritating when people exagerates and milk every situation in their life instead of relying on their merits... leave that to people who truely struggled.

Again, you make dangerous assumptions. There is nothing in the OP's post that indicates that she is bitching or whining, she was simply making sure her unique situation was laid out in such a way that people would understand. I am sure she didn't whine or bitch, but simply included her family situation as a means of letting the ad coms know more fully who she is and where she comes from. I see your point, and I already acknowedged the fact that it sucks and is hurtful to others.
 
I knew this post would start an argument eventually...

The fact that my parents went to college in Mexico does not by ANY MEANS make them part of the "elite" in that country. On the contrary, they struggled greatly to attend and to pay for their education, because they were not rich at all. One day you should go visit my grandparents on their little town in central Mexico so you get an idea of what it's like and how my parent's grew up.
On the other hand, Mexico has so much corruption, unemployment and nepotism, that even people with a college degree have a hard time getting a nice job. My parents never had one...why do you think we moved here in the first place????

I never lied in my applications. I indicated my parents had college degrees.

If I wanted to milk my situation, I would have indicated they only had a high school diploma, or possibly not even that...there is NO WAY the adcoms could have found out otherwise, since they didn't graduate from high school OR college in the US.

I was asking a simple question and got an answer from Lizzy M a long time ago, and that is pretty much the only opinion I was interested in, since she is an adcom member.
 
topogigio said:
I knew this post would start an argument eventually...

The fact that my parents went to college in Mexico does not by ANY MEANS make them part of the "elite" in that country. On the contrary, they struggled greatly to attend and to pay for their education, because they were not rich at all. One day you should go visit my grandparents on their little town in central Mexico so you get an idea of what it's like and how my parent's grew up.
On the other hand, Mexico has so much corruption, unemployment and nepotism, that even people with a college degree have a hard time getting a nice job. My parents never had one...why do you think we moved here in the first place????

I never lied in my applications. I indicated my parents had college degrees.

If I wanted to milk my situation, I would have indicated they only had a high school diploma, or possibly not even that...there is NO WAY the adcoms could have found out otherwise, since they didn't graduate from high school OR college in the US.

I was asking a simple question and got an answer from Lizzy M a long time ago, and that is pretty much the only opinion I was interested in, since she is an adcom member.

Well okay. I will make a note to not participate in these sorts of discussions again. Memo to everyone: if you're not on an adcom, don't bother. :thumbdown:
 
jackieMD2007 said:
Well okay. I will make a note to not participate in these sorts of discussions again. Memo to everyone: if you're not on an adcom, don't bother. :thumbdown:

Jackie!

I'm sorry. That post wasn't directed to you, but to the other people making dumb assumptions. I should have said that in my post.
Thanks for your comments as well. :oops:
 
topogigio said:
Jackie!

I'm sorry. That post wasn't directed to you, but to the other people making dumb assumptions. I should have said that in my post.
Thanks for your comments as well. :oops:

No biggie! I was like, DAMN! I was standing up for the OP! Jeez!! :)

I think it is really awesome to have people in your med school class that had all kinds of different life experiences. Everyone who gets in has good GPA, MCAT, Life experiences, etc. I would hate for us to all be clones of each other.

BTW I bet your parents are stoked you are eligible and applying to medical schools! I know mine are. :)
 
i'm actually in the same boat as topogigio. my parents got degrees in mexico (dad was a chemist and mom was an RN) but they moved to the US shortly after they married. like topogigio mentioned, their degrees weren't worth **** so they had to start from scratch. and by the way, i don't really think there's such a thing as "elites" in Mexico. even if there were, why would they come to the US if they were already "elite"?

i'm not saying topogigio and i deserve pity points for anything. we are merely stating facts since the question was specifically asked. gerido, there's no need to get mad simply because we benefit from URM status and you don't. ;)
 
Pancho Villa said:
i'm actually in the same boat as topogigio. my parents got degrees in mexico (dad was a chemist and mom was an RN) but they moved to the US shortly after they married. like topogigio mentioned, their degrees weren't worth **** so they had to start from scratch. and by the way, i don't really think there's such a thing as "elites" in Mexico. even if there were, why would they come to the US if they were already "elite"?

i'm not saying topogigio and i deserve pity points for anything. we are merely stating facts since the question was specifically asked. gerido, there's no need to get mad simply because we benefit from URM status and you don't. ;)

If the question is "Are you the first member of your family to graduate from college?" then for you Pancho, as for the OP, the answer is "no". The response is not about the value of your parents' degree in the US market, it is about whether you come from a family of non-college educated people. US Census data from 1997 showed that only 14% of Mexican immigrants 25 years of age and older had more than a high school education and an additional 17% had a high school diploma alone. Therefore, these parents with college degrees are among the most highly educated Mexican immigrants here in the States. This isn't to say that you did not have hardships as a kid but uneducated parents with no experience in higher education was not one of those problems.
 
gerido said:
are yo dumb or just too stupid to see my point? I wonder what the OP's angle is... I can see the personal statement now, something a long the line of bitching and whining about being the first person to attend college in the family, oh the struggles, oh the lack of directions... If this was not the goal, he/she wouldn't make a point of where her parents went to college or what their degree is worth in the US. It is irritating when people exagerates and milk every situation in their life instead of relying on their merits... leave that to people who truely struggled.


Oh no you DIDN'T just say Jackie is stupid. Jackie's got more intelligence and class in her avatar than you have in your whole spoiled arrogant little body. Why you need to go around bashing people for sharing their life story? World's already negative enough. Go take a bubble bath and remind yourself life is good and there's no need to be hating. Go take a time out on the naughty mat and then come apologize to everyone on this thread.

OP: Yes, I think adcoms will understand. And my father-in-law was a businessman in Taiwan who now works at a grocery store, so I feel you. Don't let poo-heads like Mr. Grumpy up above get you down. :thumbup:
 
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