<p>I'll be honest, being a first gen. college applicant is pretty frustrating sometimes. We have no knowledge of financial aid or the majority of college related things. </p>
<p>Neither of my parents were able to afford college. My mom is an immigrant from Latin America (though she's not Hispanic, so no URM status) and though she was able to better her condition through hard work and perseverance, the majority of my family is really disadvantaged. Not a single one of my relatives on her side has attended college or even aspired to. My dad is from the US, but has likewise done well for himself out of hard work and dedication. College is something totally foreign to the majority of my family, and some relatives even disapprove of higher education. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, I'll be entering the application process soon. My parents have consistently encouraged me to be diligent with school work and extra curricular activities (without becoming helicopter parents) so that I can have the college education they were unfortunately never able to obtain. I've been able to build up a pretty hefty resume: student body president, 4.0, 2240 sat(hopefully better next time), valedictorian, volunteering, APs, etc. </p>
<p>So is there any way to talk about my family history when applying to colleges? I don't think it would make a stellar essay, but let me know otherwise. I want to show them how hard I've tried in spite of my family's history, and I want them to see how driven I am. </p>
<p>So, do top tier schools really look at family history? Or is it not likely to factor in to my admission?</p>
<p>Yes being a first generation college student is a boost to your application</p>
<p>One portion of the Common Application asks for information about your parents. Most of it is pretty bland stuff (name, address, occupation, etc.), but one thing they is about is each parent’s education. Specifically, they’ll ask for the highest level of education attained; for the colleges where they earned their undergraduate degrees, if any; and for the the universities where they earned their graduate degrees, if any.</p>
<p>So, if your parents never attended college, any college or university that cares about that fact will know. I’m not sure that every college or university actually does care whether or not your parents are college educated, but I can understand why they would. I absolutely agree that there’s a whole lot about preparing for and applying to college that you would know if you’ve gone to college, and you probably wouldn’t know if you haven’t. But don’t become obsessed with that fact. Even though it’s likely true that many college-educated parents have something like “insider information,” in many cases, children of college graduates face another problem: there’s a lot that we think we know that just isn’t true any more! The landscape has changed greatly since we went to college in the 1980s.</p>
<p>Are you getting useful support from your high school’s college counseling office?</p>
<p>Thanks for the support guys! It’s definitely a new challenge for all of us. I’m glad to hear I may be rewarded for my perseverance. </p>
<p>@siliconvalleymom: I definitely frequent my counseling office more than most students do, but due to the fact that she handles about 500 other kids, it’s a little hard to get information. I’ve talked to her about this once or twice. </p>
<p>@Everyone else: Is this considered a “hook”, even though I’m Caucasian? Or is it not really a stand-out characteristic?</p>
<p>First gen is not a hook. It is a tip at most and not at all schools.</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re doing great, just keep it up and develop a realistic list of schools to apply to. If it gives you an edge, great, if not, you’re still in good shape.</p>