Should I apply as disadvantaged

[vectorman]

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Hi,
To determine if I should apply under disadvantaged status, AMCAS asks whether or not I had been economically disadvantaged (among other stuff) for the majority of my life upto age 18. Under this definition I seem to qualify since, coming from India, our daily income was around $2, we qualified for many federal programs, healthcare facilities werern't in our reach, I had to work before I was of age 13 to help support my family, before coming to the US I had very little formal education, etc. But after my mother passed away, one of my father's cousin adopted me so I could come to the US, who at that time was a student (I was 13 at this time). Now, his income is around $100K. So based on this do you guys think I would qualify for disadvantaged status.

Also, when claiming to be disadvantaged, should I say that I was adopted just so I could come to the US? Lastly, Does being disadvantaged really help the application process? I thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[TheRealMD]

It really depends on when you were adopted compared to your current age. More likely than not you can claim to be disadvantaged, but I'd want a more detailed timeline (easier to follow, like bullet points) before giving you any more advice.

 

[ryandote]

Hi,
To determine if I should apply under disadvantaged status, AMCAS asks whether or not I had been economically disadvantaged (among other stuff) for the majority of my life upto age 18. Under this definition I seem to qualify since, coming from India, our daily income was around $2, we qualified for many federal programs, healthcare facilities werern't in our reach, I had to work before I was of age 13 to help support my family, before coming to the US I had very little formal education, etc. But after my mother passed away, one of my family members adopted me so I could come to the US. His income is around $100K. So based on this do you guys think I would qualify for disadvantaged status.

Further, does being disadvantaged really help the application process? I thank you in advance for your advice.

You are the only one who can answer this. However, as the old saying goes, "If you have to ask...."

 

[caduceusdude]

It seems like u should. after all it does say majority of ur life.

 

[vectorman]

0-13 In India
13-20 In US

Hope it clarifies things a little

 

[searun]

If you have had alot of advantages since you came to the US at age 13, I probably would not claim disadvantaged status since your family in the US makes 100 grand per year. That is alot more than most people in the US make per household. This is not ghetto USA material. So for the last 7 or 8 years, you have lived in the top five percent of USA families economically, this is not East St. Louis. I would not claim disadvantaged status, it could blow up in your face, especially, if you attended a private college. Just make it on your own merits as a worthy applicant and don't try to gain some advantage that you do not deserve. It will piss people off and bite you in the butt.

 

[searun]

I would not claim disadvantaged status. But you could write a fantastic compelling personal statement about your life....focus your energy on your personal statement...that is where you really can help your application. Good luck. I love India. Everyone that I have ever met from India is well spoken, hard working, and admirable. And what an incredible history your country has, the art, the philosophy, everything, Dehra Dun.

 

[vectorman]

Actually, I attend a state univ. where I got a full tuition scholarship. My uncle also has two kids of his own. He also adopted my brother. Right now three of us are attending college.

 

[vectorman]

I would not claim disadvantaged status. But you could write a fantastic compelling personal statement about your life....focus your energy on your personal statement...that is where you really can help your application. Good luck. I love India. Everyone that I have ever met from India is well spoken, hard working, and admirable. And what an incredible history your country has, the art, the philosophy, everything, Dehra Dun.

Have u every seen an Indian slum or an impoverished rural village...makes u think...there r two sides to everything.

Any way, please keep commenting. I really need ur advice.

 

[Lshapley]

Well, I would just ask one of the more accessible med schools what they think or post something on one of the message boards on SDN that is frequented by adcoms (do a search). I am applying as an ED and received some guidance from LizzyM with a couple questions I had.

I, for one, think you should apply as ED. You were certainly in a rough situation before you were 13 and you did not receive many of the advantages of many of us on this board received during your most formative years. When you write your ED essay on AMCAS, I would make sure not to omit the adoption at age 13. If you write the essay without mention your good fortune, than that would be certainly frowned upon by an adcom.

Good luck!

 

[BigRedPremed]

It depends on if you feel disadvantaged/deprived. From reading this post, I don't quite get that feeling although only you would know. It's not based on income alone.

For example: my parents made even less back in China (everyone in China or India is going to be dirt poor compared to an American). Here, we lived for years on my dad's $9000 yearly stipend as a grad student. But I never felt like I was denied anything (outside of a few toys growing up) and would never even think about applying as disadvantaged.

 

[ryandote]

Well, I would just ask one of the more accessible med schools what they think or post something on one of the message boards on SDN that is frequented by adcoms (do a search). I am applying as an ED and received some guidance from LizzyM with a couple questions I had.

I, for one, think you should apply as ED. You were certainly in a rough situation before you were 13 and you did not receive many of the advantages of many of us on this board received during your most formative years. When you write your ED essay on AMCAS, I would make sure not to omit the adoption at age 13. If you write the essay without mention your good fortune, than that would be certainly frowned upon by an adcom.

Good luck!

Early Decision??

 

[sehnsucht]

Have u every seen an Indian slum or an impoverished rural village...makes u think...there r two sides to everything.

Any way, please keep commenting. I really need ur advice.

My 2 cents:

My past experiences fit the questions under the disadvantaged status section so I filled it out. If an adcom, student or professor asks me about it, I can give them additional details about aspects of my life which may not have been made clear through the description I've already filled out.

I make no secret of my past experiences because it is part of who I am and you shouldn't either, however, be wary of using it as a "pity" card. Not everyone has seen or experienced living in a third-world country slum in this country so try not to be defensive about questions pointed at the validity of your experiences. It is part of your job as an applicant to help people understand where you are coming from because not everyone can relate to your perspective.

I grew up in a country that had as many slums as it did beautiful tourist spots so I am quite familiar with a "slums" you speak of -the sights, the smells, the discouraging status of the people.

Anywho...think about your experiences and see how it fits into a larger context. Has it helped you in your path towards medicine? In my opinion, having something under the "disadvantaged" section should surface elsewhere in your PS and contribute to a larger picture of you as an applicant.

 

[baby methuselah]

my advisor gave it to me like this and it solved the problem for me:

applying as ED can either...
1. help you a little a certain schools that use this criteria (but only a little)
or
2. hurt you A LOT if they believe you misrepresented or used it as a pity card (at every school)

so that made the decision pretty clear for me.

 

[benzene2008]

Now, his income is around $100K. So based on this do you guys think I would qualify for disadvantaged status.

NO .

 

[sehnsucht]

NO .

100K income for one guy? that is some phat cash....

 

[SIREN]

You are the only one who can answer this. However, as the old saying goes, "If you have to ask...."

Agreed. 👍

 

[Bito42]

The point of putting disadvantaged is to alert the admissions committee that you had to work harder to get to the point where you could apply (may or may not be true in your case). They may consider it a strength that you overcame obsticles. It also benefits other students to be classmates with disadvantaged classmates.

I'm not sure about med schools, but I know for undergraduate schools they aren't always "need blind", and it's a financial disadvantage to the school to accept "disadvantaged students". so this may be something to keep in mind.

Like everyone has said, this is a MINUTE part of your application which most likely won't be looked at, in comparison to your grades/scores/essay/reccs.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

I dunno man. Off the top of my head I'd say it'd be more impressive if you just shrugged it off and apply not disadvantaged, after all you'll surely have time in PS/secondaries/interview to make your background known.

 

[arangatan]

The questions that AMCAS gives you are guidelines to figure out if you fit the criteria for being disadvantaged, so if you answered those and you want to do this then I think that you should go for it. I think it all comes down to your essay. If you can write an essay explaining what obstacles and hardships you have overcome and how that has impacted your application then yes you should apply as economically disadvantaged. Will this help your application? Yes probably, since most medical schools clearly state that one of their goals is to have a diverse class, including economic diversity. I think that very few people can understand what it feels like to be economically disadvantaged. It is not only about what things you can buy, but also the stigma and shame that you may experience, the things you feel that you missed out on, the mindset and outlook on life that you have that may be different from people who grew up their whole entire lives surrounded by luxury. However, if once you start writing the essay you find yourself unable to explain how your life experiences have impacted your life since 13 (what you feel you missed out on, what you had to work harder at, what you couldn't do because of financial reasons, how this has impacted your outlook on life, etc) then I think that's a sign that maybe you shouldn't.