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What does applying disadvantaged actually do?
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gmcguitar4
what do you mean authentic? what was your disadvantage? disability? health? family responsibility? financial?
Socioeconomic.
The reason I even brought up the issue of authenticity is because ppl often criticize others for overdramatizing their issues. In retrospect....it was insignificant to even add in the element of authenticity. I was just wondering...what does it actually do if you were an ADCOM member?
Do you give the applicant a second-look when you would have otherwise discarded it? I have no concrete knowledge of this...so I wanted to get some of your opinions.
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What does it do?
Sometimes it annoys us. If the reasons given seem exaggerated or overhyped it can make us think less of an applicant. (e.g. claiming that being a woman and an ethnic minority is a "double disadvantage" )
Some schools are seeking to enroll students who have come up from modest circumstances and so the "disadvantaged" toggle can help in that regard.
Proceed with caution.
Sometimes it annoys us. If the reasons given seem exaggerated or overhyped it can make us think less of an applicant. (e.g. claiming that being a woman and an ethnic minority is a "double disadvantage" )
Some schools are seeking to enroll students who have come up from modest circumstances and so the "disadvantaged" toggle can help in that regard.
Proceed with caution.
What about experiencing life threatening injury in undergrad? Like say a DVT in your arm and pulmonary embolism that left you with permanent injury?
Disadvantaged is talking about being disadvantaged during your childhood i.e. 0-17
For further discussion about a similar issue (and better definitions of disadvantaged status), see this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=858313 (both Catalystik and LizzyM weighed in)
Thanks for response. I'm certain that my life experiences will justify my being disadvantaged. In addition, I made certain (at least in my opinion) to not whine...but to simply describe the situation and how I overcame this disadvantage by becoming the best possible person I could possibly be.
In the situation that a school is annoyed by my statement, would it be an automatic rejection?
Look at how many people don't get an interview at a given school (information in the MSAR, a book published by AAMC). Is that what you'd call an automatic rejection? A disadvantaged statement that comes across as whining could be a contributory cause of a "no interview" stamp on your application but it is likely to be one of a number of reasons that in combination result in "no interview".
I put I was disadvantaged. I have gotten interviews at most of the schools I have applied to (still waiting on some top top schools). I think putting you are disadvantaged (if its legit) sets you apart for many other applicants who usually hail from high socioeconomic level. In regards, to "whining". I really dont follow, I don't feel sorry for myself--It is what it is. No school has really pryed and asked about it during interviews. So sometimes I wonder if they actually think I am disadvantaged. I mean I am not showing up to the interview in tattered clothes or with a chip on my shoulder. However, I think it is exactly my disposition that allowed me to be successful in the light of less than perfect circumstances.
Thanks for the info. I'm confident that my PS will accurately address the situation in a productive way. In my original post, I felt the need to incorporate an element of authenticity. I changed it because I felt that it didn't contribute to the purpose of this thread. However, I have noticed that people often bring up this factor when the topic of DS is brought up. Probably for good reason...? I'm not an ADCOM, but I would imagine that many students write whiny DS statements because of shallow reasons. I don't want to make any assumptions, but that is the vibe that I get. Thank you for chiming in!
