Should I apply as Disadvantaged?

[LiveLoveLearn]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Can I write the statement for what it was, or do I have to feel like I'm whining by explaining why it impaired me so much? For example, I described the financial situation with specific figures and my situation as a result and then describe my poor quality public education upbringing the influence it had. I just really don't want to feel lame and sappy by getting into it too much. I just want to state what was and move on, while hoping these admissions committees know how to infer and understand things that should be implied by certain statements describing my situation. Is it a bad move to just objectively throw the truth in the status and leave out a lot of my own subjective interpretation?

I think that in any way that you are describing disadvantages, it should be material to a point that you are trying to make about your current motiviations, how you got there, or how they made you grow. For instance, if you are describing how you have a great work ethic and perseverance to overcome challenging situations, which is evident by the fact that you worked X hours a week throughout HS in order to supplement your parents' income and help take care of your household, than inserting your parents' income seems appropriate. If you are just throwing it out there without any context to the position of which you are applying for, it may come off sounding whiny. Also, isn't there a specific spot on the AMCAS app to list the specific income amounts? If so, I think that I wouldn't include specifc financials in my PS - just allude to low income or government aid more broadly.

 

[I Love Cats]

I think that in any way that you are describing disadvantages, it should be material to a point that you are trying to make about your current motiviations, how you got there, or how they made you grow. For instance, if you are describing how you have a great work ethic and perseverance to overcome challenging situations, which is evident by the fact that you worked X hours a week throughout HS in order to supplement your parents' income and help take care of your household, than inserting your parents' income seems appropriate. If you are just throwing it out there without any context to the position of which you are applying for, it may come off sounding whiny. Also, isn't there a specific spot on the AMCAS app to list the specific income amounts? If so, I think that I wouldn't include specifc financials in my PS - just allude to low income or government aid more broadly.

<25,000 and 25000 --> 50000 is a HUGE difference in financial situations in my city. The exact value was warranted since I don't sit at the upper limit going "teeheehee, they'll never know the exact amount". I'm at the bottom limit going "crap, they'll think I'm rich." Thank you for your feedback. I'll try to use my evidence to paint a more detailed disadvantaged picture by giving a context.

 

[LiveLoveLearn]

<25,000 and 25000 --> 50000 is a HUGE difference in financial situations in my city. The exact value was warranted since I don't sit at the upper limit going "teeheehee, they'll never know the exact amount". I'm at the bottom limit going "crap, they'll think I'm rich." Thank you for your feedback. I'll try to use my evidence to paint a more detailed disadvantaged picture by giving a context.

Makes sense.

 

[TheShaker]

I think you should, most people that are disadvantaged don't seem to feel disadvantaged because they do not know any different. I know I didn't until I saw other peoples family dynamics at the end of high school

One former Dean of Admissions used to turn this into a question aimed at an applicant, "were you at a disadvantage compared with your peers" when you reached college (or age 18, if you didn't go straight to college) because you did not have opportunities commonly available to your peers?

I guess I felt a bit disadvantaged in that my peers knew a bit more about college from their parents and they actually made an informed decision as to where they would attend instead of just choosing based on cal state or UC. They were also able to shadow their parents and their parents' doctor friends. I don't know though, maybe I wasn't as informed but I don't think it put me at a huge disadvantage (especially after I discovered SDN and got all the advising I needed).

I mean it really sounds like this is completely your call. Nobody would question it with 20k/yr for a family of 4- that's precisely what I think of when I hear "disadvantaged." My only concern would be that you're a reapplicant, correct? Would an admissions committee think it was odd that you did not list your disadvantaged status during your first application, but listed it during your second?

That's another I thing I have to consider as well.

If you went to such a school, no doubt you were at a disadvantage when you reached college. Why did you go to such a school? It could be that you were disadvantaged in not having the financial means to live in a better school district or to attend a private school?

You just have to be careful because adcoms can be ruthless if they think that someone is doing this .

I've seen this way more often than not.

I think this seals the deal though. I may or may not be disadvantaged but it's sure not worth the hassle to try and make a case for it.

 

[LizzyM]

I think that in any way that you are describing disadvantages, it should be material to a point that you are trying to make about your current motiviations, how you got there, or how they made you grow. For instance, if you are describing how you have a great work ethic and perseverance to overcome challenging situations, which is evident by the fact that you worked X hours a week throughout HS in order to supplement your parents' income and help take care of your household, than inserting your parents' income seems appropriate. If you are just throwing it out there without any context to the position of which you are applying for, it may come off sounding whiny. Also, isn't there a specific spot on the AMCAS app to list the specific income amounts? If so, I think that I wouldn't include specifc financials in my PS - just allude to low income or government aid more broadly.

You may not know that the AMCAS has a specific, optional section for applicants who self-identify as disadvantaged. It has a series of yes/no questions to answer and a space for a brief explanation. Starting in the application cycle for 2013 matriculation, all applicants were invited to categorize their family income in childhood into broad categories and describe the sources of college funding (self, parents, loans, scholarships, etc). Furthermore, one has always had the option of listing parents names, occupations, highest degree obtained, etc. which is a proxy for socioeconomic status.

It is not necessary to work a statement about your disadvantaged upbringing into the PS or connect it to "why medicine" although if you want to serve in an area like the one where you were raised, that would be a reasonable statement to include in the PS, particularly if primary care providers are scarce in that area.

 

[tiedyeddog]

You don't sound disadvantaged, no. If an ADCOM asks during the personal interview how you were disadvantaged and you basically say you mom wasn't around then you will likely get laughed at.

You did poorly in high school because of choices you made. A disadvantage would be you did poorly in high school because you had to work from 6-midnight everyday to support your family, not because your mom wasn't around to boss you around.

 

[nabilesmail]

.

 

[Lamel]

My mom almost lost custody of me when my dad burned me with cigarettes or when I stumbled into his gun rack and cut myself on his pistol. - is that a normal occurrence?


I did poorly throughout my entire life because of my choices and the fact that I never had any parents home between morning and night SINCE I WAS 6 YEARS OLD. No one to tell me to do my homework, no one to guide me, no discipline. Though we weren't extremely poor, we were poor, I wore hammydowns with holes in them during elementary school , I would wait outside for 1-2 hours in my driveway waiting for my moms arrival after 8-9 hours of not eating. My father's Debt makes 60k dwindle down FAST.

I went to a HS that almost lost accreditation and had racial riots- I started college in remedial english and math and had to attend 3 colleges at a time to get enough classes due to budget cuts.

Did you ever have to move to the other side of a country and live with relatives you were not close to, with no friends or even your immediate family to talk to? I lived in their basement (though it was a nice basement) feeling like a burden every single day. I would come home from school and go straight to my room and read because I had nothing else to do, I never hung out with friends there because I felt ashamed asking for anything to people I was not close to. Even when we would get fast food here, I would ask for only one small burger (when it would take me 3 to actually get rid of my hunger) because I felt terrible asking for more. That is not something a 12-13 year old should have to do.

Was my life the worse possible? No, But don't tell me I had no disadvantages.

So then put yourself as disadvantaged.

 

[nabilesmail]

I'm not going to because of the OBJECTIVE measures and statistics. That doesn't mean that it still isn't true or is not appropriate to talk about in diversity/most challenging essays and I doubt an Interviewer would laugh at me

I mean one of my uncles whose a Penn trained orthopedic surgeon, who came from Africa also to escape Eddie Ameens oppression, thinks my story is tougher than his. And thats without him even knowing the more intimate details.

Anyways, I didn't mean to sound whiny- and at this point I had already decided to not apply as disadvantaged, but his comment was insulting

 

[tiedyeddog]

I'm not going to because of the OBJECTIVE measures and statistics. That doesn't mean that it still isn't true or is not appropriate to talk about in diversity/most challenging essays and I doubt an Interviewer would laugh at me

I mean one of my uncles whose a Penn trained orthopedic surgeon, who came from Africa also to escape Eddie Ameens oppression, thinks my story is tougher than his. And thats without him even knowing the more intimate details.

Anyways, I didn't mean to sound whiny- and at this point I had already decided to not apply as disadvantaged, but his comment was insulting

Dude, put it in the diversity assays and all the essays about "what have you overcome in your life". That is excellent stuff for that. It will make you unique and sounds great.

You just aren't disadvantaged in the sense they are looking for.

 

[TheLastofUs]

.

 

[nabilesmail]

Once again- I've stated 3 times that I'm not going to apply as disadvantaged, but I do think it's appropriate for secondary essays on topics of diversity or greatest challenge- my experiences also led me to medicine and wanting to help disadvantaged groups in Los Angeles.


Anyways, this thread really is /closed unless other people have specific questions about the disadvantaged form :]

 

[LizzyM]

My mom almost lost custody of me when my dad burned me with cigarettes or when I stumbled into his gun rack and cut myself on his pistol. - is that a normal occurrence?


I did poorly throughout my entire life because of my choices and the fact that I never had any parents home between morning and night SINCE I WAS 6 YEARS OLD. No one to tell me to do my homework, no one to guide me, no discipline. Though we weren't extremely poor, we were poor, I wore hammydowns with holes in them during elementary school , I would wait outside for 1-2 hours in my driveway waiting for my moms arrival after 8-9 hours of not eating. My father's Debt makes 60k dwindle down FAST.

I went to a HS that almost lost accreditation and had racial riots- I started college in remedial english and math and had to attend 3 colleges at a time to get enough classes due to budget cuts.

Did you ever have to move to the other side of a country and live with relatives you were not close to, with no friends or even your immediate family to talk to? I lived in their basement (though it was a nice basement) feeling like a burden every single day. I would come home from school and go straight to my room and read because I had nothing else to do, I never hung out with friends there because I felt ashamed asking for anything to people I was not close to. Even when we would get fast food here, I would ask for only one small burger (when it would take me 3 to actually get rid of my hunger) because I felt terrible asking for more. That is not something a 12-13 year old should have to do.

Was my life the worse possible? No, But don't tell me I had no disadvantages. Poorer people still get fed on time and have parents play a large role in their life. This isn't Afghanistan.

This really comes off as a pity party and it isn't attractive. Self-identify as disadvantaged if you wish but it could blow up in your face.

 

[AdrianVeidt]

I'm a grown man and 3 burgers is entirely too much food for one meal, my goodness.

OP, stop putting your entire life out here for others to read. It destroys anonymity and could compromise you in many ways. The edit button is your friend.

 

[SilentSoldier]

I'm curious Lizzy as to what's your honest take on the disadvantage part of the app? Is it something you take seriously when evaluating applicants. Or is it something that you deem that should be taken off entirely.

 

[nabilesmail]

This really comes off as a pity party and it isn't attractive. Self-identify as disadvantaged if you wish but it could blow up in your face.

Bah! Sorry, I didn't mean to give it out that way - I just felt insulted when someone commented that an interviewer would laugh at my circumstances- Which I couldn't imagine to be true.

Honestly, like 3 posts after this thread was made, I decided to NOT apply as disadvantaged.

 

[StephanieZ]

I think there is alot more to it than money, as some have pointed out. Without putting numbers out there, I could probably qualify as disadvantaged based on my parents income growing up, but the thing is, I never felt disadvantaged. My parents never went to college and didn't make alot, but we lived in the same small house my entire life, both my parents worked steadily at the same jobs for years, we always had food in the house, health insurance, clean clothes to wear, etc. This was mostly due to my mom being awesome with finances, and making a tight budget work. Most importantly, my parents were involved in my life. I was never in a position where my home life would have negatively influenced my schoolwork, so I wouldn't feel right saying I was disadvantaged.

As far as OP's situation, I'm not really sure. Even though you may have had a more difficult upbringing than your mom's 60-100k would suggest, it could still be risky to claim disadvantaged.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm curious Lizzy as to what's your honest take on the disadvantage part of the app? Is it something you take seriously when evaluating applicants. Or is it something that you deem that should be taken off entirely.

It's amusing to have this discussion. Many times URM discussions spiral into "it should be by income, not race". Then you get into income discussions that are very hard to sort out given cost of living, size of family, extraordinary circumstances (disabled sibling, for example), and all the rest.

I think that there are times when "disadvantaged" makes sense and tells part of the applicant's story in a way that is short and to the point. I recall an applicant who was born to a teen mom and who bounced between mom, who was an addict, and maternal grandparents. The applicant enlisted in the military right out of HS and then went to a service academy some years later. Another memorable applicant was a woman whose mother was a motel chambermaid. She never knew her father or even his name. She worked while in HS to provide essentials for herself and her sibling. She was smart enough to get a scholarship to a very prestigious university.... do you think she was "disadvantaged" compared to other students in that social setting and in the classroom?
A third example comes to mind... a situation I've seen a few times where the parents education does not match the income category and in the disadvantaged section there is the opportunity to mention that the parent that one would expect to be the breadwinner given education and profession is disabled and has not worked in years.

On the other hand, I've seen some pretty crazy claims of disadvantage including someone whose father was a physician in a specialty known for big bucks in a suburb known for big houses. She claimed "disadvantage" because her father had paid 100% of her college costs and she had spent her savings living in an expensive city during her first year out of college. 😕 That make me laugh.... and not in a good way.

 

[tiedyeddog]

On the other hand, I've seen some pretty crazy claims of disadvantage including someone whose father was a physician in a specialty known for big bucks in a suburb known for big houses. She claimed "disadvantage" because her father had paid 100% of her college costs and she had spent her savings living in an expensive city during her first year out of college. 😕 That make me laugh.... and not in a good way.

wow... I am utterly flabbergasted.