<p>My mom went to a community college-college transfer program, but never received a degree, my dad dropped out of high school, none of my siblings are old enough to attend, my grandparents both went to college, but never got degrees, and my aunt and uncle went. So am I a first generation student? Is that something that the admissions office considers?</p>
<p>Supposedly, a first gen student is the first to attend college. Since your mom and grands went to college - even if they didn’t graduate - it doesn’t sound likely you’re first gen.</p>
<p>If it is for a specific program or award, they’ll have their own definition of “first generation”</p>
<p>Some schools do count the first-gen if no one graduated. My DS was considered first-gen because neither parent graduated but then he was considered both legacy and first -gen at a different school. No school asked educational history of grandparents, though grands and great-grands on DH side have enough degrees to start a think tank. It is critical to get the definition for each program, scholarship and school in question.</p>
<p>But this is a question that you yourself never need to answer. </p>
<p>College applications don’t have a box that says “Check here if you’re ‘first-generation.’” They’ll ask you for information about your parents (name; address; occupation, if working; post-secondary education, if any). You just give the answers. Then those colleges that do care whether an applicant is “first-generation” (not all colleges do) will decide whether you meet their definition of that term.</p>
<p>^This.</p>
<p>The only exception I’ve heard of is a member who was applying for a scholarship and was asked if they were first gen and not given a definition. I told them that they needed to call the organization and ask as there are a range of definitions of first gen.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! I now realize that I don’t need to answer that question myself. I’ll just let the colleges decide on what I am :)</p>