Hey, everyone. Umm, here’s the deal. My father didn’t attend college (high-school dropout), and my mother attended the University of Mexico in Coahuila for two years. Would I qualify as first-generation? I mean, it’s an international school…but even so, it’s still a college. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
<p>You would not be considered a first generation student. First generation means neither parent attended college and it does not matter that your mother attended school in the U.S.. or outside of the country.</p>
<p>I would ask at the school what they think.
First gen students seemed relatively uncommon enough that schools were asking about parents college degrees and lesser attainments were considered as if they didn't occur. We asked about community college courses and the look we recieved was a :rolleyes: " oh, please......"</p>
<p>do first-gen students have an advantage when applying to schools?</p>
<p>they seem to only have a slight advantage unless combined with minority or other status that would make them stand out.
Student needs to have equivalent quality of application ( grades recs scores essays) as students whose parents wih college degrees.
It may be something that they like to keep track of, but it isn't really a hook.</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm Hispanic, so I'm at an advantage there. The reason I ask is because, in Mexico, they don't have bacholor's and associates, and stuff like that, at least not in the way that we do in the U.S. Because of that, credit hours don't really transfer accurately to the U.S. It's a bit confusing, really, but thanks for your input, anyway!</p>
<p>What about if your parents never went to college, both your parents came from an eastern european country, neither went to college, and you're fluent in that language? Would that person have an edge?</p>
<p>No, you're not first generation if a parent went to any college anywhere. As a Mexican, you're a URM which is a far bigger factor though.</p>
<p>Doesn't first gen mean neither parent has college degree?</p>
<p>It depends on the school. At most colleges (especially select schools, first-generation college students as those students whose parents have had no college or university experience. These students have been defined as being from blue-collar backgrounds containing lower levels of formal education . ). When compared to the "traditional student", first-generation college students had lower pre-college critical thinking abilities, and were more likely to come from low income families, and to have been encouraged by teachers (not parents) to attend college.</p>
<p>According to the National center for Educational Statistics, </p>
<p><a href="http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/98082.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/98082.pdf</a></p>
<p>*First-Generation Students: Undergraduates Whose Parents Never
Enrolled in Postsecondary Education *</p>
<p>Coca-Cola Foundation First Generation Scholarships define it as students who are the first in their immediate families to attend college.</p>