Chinese First Generation

Applying to College
1

<p>I am applying to a lot of top colleges and I have a question about hooks.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I know that being Chinese hurts in the college admissions process for selective colleges</p></li>
<li><p>I know being a first generation college student helps.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>so, what about a first generation chinese....what does that do? I know that a lot of Chinese Americans applicants are the first in their family to go to college and many of them have the same stories( parents dont know how to speak English, work really hard, high level of accomplishments in the face of adversity, etc,etc)</p>

<p>How do college admissions view these applicants? any answer will be greatly appreciated</p>

2

<p>I don’t believe that your claim (1) is true. The American culture has moved past that.</p>

<p>Insofar as (2), it is certainly a challenge for first generation Americans (from whatever nationality) to learn the language and the culture, while at the same time preparing for college. Make sure you note that you are a first generation American on your applications. It will allow the college admission committee to better understand your high school record.</p>

3

<p>@fogcity, it’s not as much of a racist thing as a statistical and image thing. Top colleges want to look diverse and since so many Chinese people do go to them, from what I’ve heard, ir will hurt a little bit if your other stuff can’t match up. It shouldn’t be a big deal though.</p>

4

<p>Are you sure your parents didn’t go to college in China?</p>

5

<p>your GPA and your SAT/ACT scores and your EC are way way way more important than all other stuff …</p>

6

<p>The biggest challenges that you will face in your situation are:</p>

<p>1) Your parents may not understand the US educational system well enough to believe that it truly matters very little where you go to college. The most important factors in your personal success in life are your own individual character and drive. Here you can indeed start at your cheap local community college, and go on to become a raving success in the field of your choice.</p>

<p>2) Your parents may not understand how hideously expensive higher education can be and how willing many colleges and universities are to allow you to load yourself (and possibly your parents as well) with life-destroying levels of college debt. </p>

<p>To help your parents deal with #1, make sure that they talk to plenty of multi-generation US residents. A guidance counselor whose grandparents immigrated from Sweden or Italy early in the 20th century will have a very different perspective on #1 than a late 20th century immigrant from China.</p>

<p>To help your parents deal with #2, sit down with them and run the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculators at [EFC</a> Calculator: How Much Money for College Will You Be Expected to Contribute?](<a href=“http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_status.jsp]EFC”>http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_status.jsp) Check every single college website that you read for the projected Cost of Attendance (COA), and figure out what things they have left out of the COA that you would need to be sure to include in your budget. Visit [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org), and read up on different kinds of financial aid. Visit [Project</a> on Student Debt: Home](<a href=“http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org%5DProject”>http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org) so you know what to avoid.</p>

<p>You may well have to take the lead in these discussions, but you won’t be the first child of recent immigrants who has had to do that. When your parents can’t help, it is perfectly OK for you to ask the parents here for useful ideas. There are a lot of really smart ones to be found in the Financial Aid and Parents Forums.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

7

<p>Thanks everyone for the reply</p>

<p>More Info: My parents did not go to college in China. They were high school drop-outs. My dad actually came here illegally but he is legal now. Both of my parents work extremely hard to support my brother, my sister, and me. We are in the lower-economic/social ladder. My mom currently works at a chinese fast food restaurant while my dad is unemployed. I wrote an extra essay on my commonapp about the tasks i am required to do since my parents do not speak English and they are super busy(I take care of daily tasks that require English, care for my siblings, work at a restaurant to earn my own spending money, help other non-English speaking Chinese families in my community,etc). My main essay was about losing 80 pounds during my junior year( went from 255 to 175). I like my essays because I wrote them in a humorous/ positive tone despite the seriousness of the situation. I want to show them that even thought I have been through a lot, I am still joyful and optimistic about the future. ( if anyone wants to read it, I can email it to you)
I completed the FAFSA and it said that my EFC is 0 which means that I can be expected to get full or a generous amount of financial aid if i get accepted at many of the top places.</p>

<p>I know that the other things matter too but I do have decent stats. I rank 5th in a senior class of 320 students at a rather competitive liberal arts school in Georgia However, my sat is kinda low( 720cr, 690m, 670W 2080Total). I have a 4.0 unweighted gpa with a total of 11 AP tests. 5s in world, U.S, govt, and 4 in Environmental, Lang, and Stat. My current APs classes are Lit, Comp Govt, Macro, Euro, and Art History( I am taking two of them online because my school does not offer anymore social science APs for me to take). Yes, as you can tell, I love social science. I made a 750 and 740 on the SATII world and US respectively. I applied as a hopeful political science, international relationship, and economics major at all of my colleges. My resume is somewhat mediocre. nothing unusually fantastic but I do have a few things that I enjoy to do a lot such as debate, model UN, lit meet, mock trial, speaking competitions, etc (yes, i have some awards in these EC activities but no State or National Level awards). Furthermore, I am in all the honor societies. I am the President of the National Honor Society and Treasure of the National Beta Club. President of the Debate Team and Vice President of the Junior Statesmen/ Young Activist Club at my school. I also volunteer at the DA’s office of Victim Witness Protection Program and I help special kids learn tennis as part of my Senior Project requirements( I am learning how to play tennis this year, helps me stay in shape lol).</p>

<p>Sorry for ranting. I just got on a roll. I probably left out some information but, in essence, that is me in a nutshell. I really hope that college admissions do not treat me as just another chinese applicant. I know that there are a lot of chinese with better stats than me. However, I want to show them that I am not the stereotypical chinese. I didnt even take AP CAL, AP physics, AP CHEM, or AP BIO for crying out loud lol. I am a person who loves to debate, a person who loves to have mind stimulating intellectual conversations about current events, history, and philosophy. </p>

<p>It sucks to be a Chinese that wants to go to a top tier college…Wish that I was native American or Alaskan now lololjkjk. </p>

<p>Therefore, I just want to know if the First Generation/ Chinese situation hurts/help me with college’s quest of diversity.</p>

8

<p>also, I was a Georgia Governor’s Program Finalist in Social Science( 6 week selective academic summer camp).</p>

<p>It adds to my social scienceness lol :)</p>

9

<p>With a 0 EFC, you should get decent aid at the top institutions because by and large they also are the most generous with aid. However, you still need to be sure that you have at least one rock-solid academic and financial safety on your list. Talk with your guidance counselor about eligibility for the Georgia HOPE, and any other state programs you could qualify for. [GAcollege411</a> - Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program Overview](<a href=“http://www.gacollege411.org/Financial_Aid_Planning/HOPE_Program/Georgia_s_HOPE_Scholarship_Program_Overview.aspx]GAcollege411”>http://www.gacollege411.org/Financial_Aid_Planning/HOPE_Program/Georgia_s_HOPE_Scholarship_Program_Overview.aspx) You are truly fortunate to have some excellent public institutions in your home state.</p>

<p>You also could take a look at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt; to see if there is anything that you qualify for.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for your help. I have my safety school, and my financial situation is covered if that is the only school I can get into.( FAFSA, HOPE and other scholarships.) </p>

<p>I really really want to go to a top tier school like the other 30000000 gazillion people in this country. lol.</p>

11

<p>bump…</p>

12

<p>bumpy…anyone else have any comments</p>

13

<p>What schools do you have in mind? I think that you have a good chance at low Ivies, UChicago, UC’s etc, however, if you’re considering HYPSM, then brace yourself for discouraging comments. Though your app is overall solid, the low SAT significantly reduces your chance. However, depending on the years you’ve been in U.S, that score might be understandable. In addition, your weight loss is another plus in terms of making your essay stand out as there are numerous are Chinese first gens from low economical class with parents who work in restaurants. Recently, I also came across one that’s almost exactly like yours, however, I think that they had a stronger resume, so unfortunately your status very much commonplace (the same goes for me :(). In spite of all this, I wish you the best of luck in getting accepted!</p>

14

<p>yeah, I know exactly want you mean rundmc. You just reaffirm my belief that being Chinese sucks for college admissions. lol. I know there are a lot of people out there with better stats, resume, sat scores, etc. I hope for the best but plan for the worst. I know the chances at at HYPS school is extremely low but I am aiming for Duke, Georgetown SFS, UPenn, Dartmouth, UChicago and WashU. Good luck to you as well :)</p>

15

<p>Op, are you a senior? Then there is not much you can do now. Just wait for the decisions. It,s good to see kids like you who pull themselves through tough conditions. I think you will be rewarded for your efforts and achievements. Keep working hard, even if you don,t get into your #1 college this time.</p>

16

<p>yes, i am a senior. Thanks for your comment. I was kinda just wondering about the Chinese First generation. Waiting is not fun. lol. I will be content with whatever that happens. One of my greatest quotes in life is my Confucius " Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall," and I try to live by that quote each and every day. Whatever happens, happens but I will always continue to work hard.</p>