Aren't I allowed to say I am about to be a first generation college student?

Applying to College
1

<p>The reason I ask is because my mother got remarried about a year ago. My now stepdad went to college in his home country of Hungary/Romania (I forget which one). His job here paid for him to go back to school to get the U.S. equivalent of his degree. Both of my parents have their GED and I am the oldest sibling/cousin. So as I apply to various schools this year, would it be wrong if I say I'm a first generation? I mean it was that way until my mom remarried not too long ago... but I'm not sure.</p>

2

<p>Look at this link and click the pdf for last year’s CA
<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/DownloadForms.aspx[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/DownloadForms.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It does not ask you if you are first generation.</p>

<p>It does ask you if your parents are married or divorced (relative to each other), and
for each parent, it asks if they had any college. It does not ask about your stepfather.</p>

3

<p>Sorry, I meant to say scholarships and such.</p>

4

<p>Try contacting the specific scholarship organizations and asking them.</p>

5

<p>In most cases, first-gen means no adult who raised you received a 4 year degree from an American college.</p>

6

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<p>Wait…so if I was raised by single parent who’s an Oxford-educated astrophysicist, I can say I’m first-generation? </p>

<p>I think your definition needs some refinement.</p>

7

<p>Aww, I got excited for a second when MYOS1634 said “American.”</p>

8

<p>You are the first of your lineage to go to college.</p>

9

<p>You are first generation. Get working on that essay. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>If your parent is British you’re an international student and the point is moot :slight_smile:
If you are an American student whose parent, single or not, is foreign- educated , them the college estimates whether your education is equivalent to a 4 year degree or not. :)</p>

11

<p>Different colleges can have different definitions- attended or graduated. So, OP needs to check with the colleges or any scholarship groups. </p>

<p>If I’m remembering right, there is a code for the parents’ colleges and each parent indicates any degree or not. (CA is down, so can’t confirm or copy.) As BP notes, the CA asks about parents, not step-parents.</p>

<p>And you can have a British parent and be a US citizen.</p>

12

<p>You can also be a Brit and not be international for purposes of college admission if you have a green card. Which an Oxford-educated astrophysicist who was working at an American university–and the teenage son or daughter of such a scientist–might well have.</p>