wannabe disadvantaged

[Alli Cat]

Not what you think! Read on...

I got my first job at 14 and I've never been without one since. I consider working through college (15-20 hrs./week) a hardship, but not a "disadvantage" as such. My parents are middle-middle class and I selected "not disadvantaged" on my AMCAS. When I printed it, though, I saw all these questions that were in that section that I'd never seen. One of them was "employed before 18."

Should I say "yes" to disadvantaged and put that I had a job at 14? If it makes a difference, it was financially necessary for me to get a job that early.

I really hate to check "yes" when there are many applicants who have dealt with more difficult circumstances. The last thing I want to do is pretend to be something I'm not to enhance my chances at acceptance. But doing so would allow me to enter more pertinent info. Thoughts?

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[pocwana]

There are several other questions besides employment before 18 that are considerations in disadvantaged status. From what I have read, assuming you refer to socioeconomic disadvantage, ADCOMs want to know your economic status during your formative years, i.e. birth to age 18 years.

Alli, did you get a job at 14 to help your family out with expenses? so you could have a little extra that your family couldn't afford? because your allowance just wasn't big enough? How harshly would your not working have impacted you and your family? I ask because the answers to these questions might imply a disadvantaged state of your family. This is something you would have to decide upon yourself.

 

[Street Philosopher]

is disadvantaged status a subjective thing, or something based on your answers to the list of questions they give you? i ask because i don't "feel" disadvantaged, but i have received lots of financial aid and worked before i was 18...etc etc

 

[Alli Cat]

Thanks, poc and Street! I've decided to put no. In order to answer the "job under 18" question, I'd have to say I feel disadvantaged, which I don't. I think we all have had setbacks that may or may not have affected our chances of getting in. If I had been supporting my family with those under-18 wages, I would have a different point of view.

As many jobs as I've had, I'm pretty sure I should be checking the "count your blessings" box.

Good luck everyone!

 

[pocwana]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Street Philosopher:
•i ask because i don't "feel" disadvantaged••••• •••quote:•••Originally posted by Alli Cat:
•In order to answer the "job under 18" question, I'd have to say I feel disadvantaged, which I don't.•••••I think a requisite to filling out this portion of the application is to feel disadvantaged. Many schools will ask you about this portion of your app and if you don't feel disadvantaged, that will likely be conveyed in whatever description, whether written or oral, you give. How will that affect your application? I don't know. I'm sure it depends on the school. I wish the search were up. I've seen quite a few threads regarding this topic.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Hmmm well it looks like my question helped you find an answer! (Who says philosophers are useless?!)

I'm in the same situation as you allicat. I have a lot in the "count my blessings" box

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I'm checking "no" on the disadvantaged box, but writing my personal statment about how I rose above living in the ghetto with a gun-running and prostitute having father, only to be left on the streets with a single mother, and rising above it all by entering college at the young age of 14, working my way through with 2-3 jobs at a time.

Disadvantaged? hehehehe. Maybe. But I won't be checking the box that says so.

 

[Alli Cat]

Blitz, I hope that was tongue-in-cheek! I bet adcom members would love reading essays like that, though. They must get so many boring ones about suburbia. I could have written about the suburban ghetto I saved whining for my post-sec experiences, though. "I did menial labor for $6 an hour but I had to in order to buy food," and that sort of thing. Anyone who has worked in retail should DEFINITELY get to check the disadvantaged box.