Single Parent Discrimination?

[IrishTwins]

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I'm currently going through a divorce, and am wondering if I should disclose that I am a single parent when I apply next cycle. It seems like this might be a point for some discrimination, seeing that I won't have the support system in place for studying that I used to. So - I'm wondering if I should either a) not mention that I have children in my application or b) not finalize my divorce until after I apply. Any thoughts? I do still have quite a bit of family support available, and don't have any doubts personally about being successful in school. I just wondered if this was similar to the pregnancy discrimination that some have experienced in the past.

Perhaps another relevant question would be - does marital status even appear on the application?

 

[LizzyM]

I'm currently going through a divorce, and am wondering if I should disclose that I am a single parent when I apply next cycle. It seems like this might be a point for some discrimination, seeing that I won't have the support system in place for studying that I used to. So - I'm wondering if I should either a) not mention that I have children in my application or b) not finalize my divorce until after I apply. Any thoughts? I do still have quite a bit of family support available, and don't have any doubts personally about being successful in school. I just wondered if this was similar to the pregnancy discrimination that some have experienced in the past.

Perhaps another relevant question would be - does marital status even appear on the application?

Marital status does not appear on the application. The application does, I think, ask how many dependents. Frankly, that line is so buried, I don't know of anyone who looks at it.

If you don't wear a ring or mention husband, ex-husband, or children, it is not likely to come up.

If you are getting letters of recommendation from people who know your personal history, you might want to give them a heads up that you aren't going to reveal this in your application. (Some will mention that you juggled school and family well particularly when you had ... premature labor, six weeks of bedrest and a very difficult recovery after your twins were born... in the belief that this makes your application even more impressive. However, that might make your kids etc a topic of the interview and then the question might be raised of your support system, etc.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm currently going through a divorce, and am wondering if I should disclose that I am a single parent when I apply next cycle. It seems like this might be a point for some discrimination, seeing that I won't have the support system in place for studying that I used to. So - I'm wondering if I should either a) not mention that I have children in my application or b) not finalize my divorce until after I apply. Any thoughts? I do still have quite a bit of family support available, and don't have any doubts personally about being successful in school. I just wondered if this was similar to the pregnancy discrimination that some have experienced in the past.

Perhaps another relevant question would be - does marital status even appear on the application?

Support network was a very popular line of inquiry on the interview trail even for those with no kids, so this could come up. I doubt it will be an issue of discrimination though if you do, in fact, have a support network in place. A better question though is whether a professional school where you will be working many weekends and overnights after the second year is going to work out as a single parent. You might be on rotations where you get 4 days off a month ( not always weekend days or days of your choosing), and you might be spending the night at the hospital as much as every third night. So make sure your support team is on board with this kind of commitment. It's really not just a question of whether you can do it academically.