I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Both my parents graduated from college too. But my husband only has an associates degree. We live a comfortable lifestyle, and my kids have lots of highly educated roll models and attend an excellent school.
I was on a college website and read this:
“If you have a parent, guardian, or other custodial family member that has not completed a four-year college degree, you may be considered a first-generation student. Every student takes a different path toward college, and this is especially true for students in this category.”
It didn’t occur to me to think of my kids that way. I taught in a high poverty urban setting. I had students who were literally the first person in their entire extended family to finish high school.
That’s who I thought “first generation” meant.
I guess I’m just curious. It would make me sad to think of kids like mine taking slots designated for students like mine.
It does depend on each school’s definition of first gen. I agree with you that the definition at most schools would be neither parent has a college degree, while some colleges define first gen as neither parent attended any college. JHU’s first gen definition you quoted is curious and of course a phone call would clarify.
I have a former student who i still keep in touch with who is considering applying, who would be first gen by any standards. So, I was on the website out of curiosity.
They will also ask for your education on the common app. I had to give my kid explicit undergrad and grad details for both of us. Year, degree(s), school, and even major(s).
My kid filled out the common app. But I’d gather that if they were looking to slot you into a first gen spot, that’s the first place a college would look. Nearly everyone uses the common app to apply. Even if they didn’t I’d imagine they have that info since they ask for parental education. They could also easily google the parents. Colleges often had detailed numbers of students who were 1st gen in various acceptance letters together with other demographic data.
Can you lie? Maybe. But it could turn around and bite you since it’s easy to find people on the web and with linkedin etc much of the educational data for parents is also available. I work for myself and my info is still out there.
A college that has that information in the application can then apply its own definition of first generation to it, if considered. (Same with legacy, if considered.)
I’m saying I wouldn’t want my kids to have this privilege, and I’m curious whether they’d get it anyway if we put on the application that their dad doesn’t have a four year degree (since he doesn’t).
I’m also wondering if, when I look at a school with a student who is truly first gen, and see “X percent first gen” and feel reassured that they will have peers who share their experience, if they’re counting kids like mine in the number.
Well, it’s impossible to tell. We know of a kid who was being recruited for a sport. She was considered 1st gen by this school as both parents had degrees from other countries. That was that particular schools definition. I do think some 1st gen stuff seems imbalanced. Like anything, some kids will find themselves on the right/wrong side of the definition.
Yes Arizona uses that definition (First Cats | Student Success & Retention Innovation) and in theory it seems you would still be first gen with parents who came to the US for a PhD after a bachelors overseas. S23 is going to apply there, but I doubt he will mention it (seems wrong when both parents have PhDs).
There is no question that says “Are you First Generation?” Or “Are you legacy?” for that matter. It does ask for the parents’ education, including name of university and degree. Some colleges in the common app will ask if any relatives attended that school. What each university does with that info will vary.