Is being a first generation college student an advantage in any way?
Sometimes.
What were you hoping it would do for you?
@thumper1 I’m only hoping that my profile has more positives than negatives, so I was wondering if the first-gen thing would affect my application even the slightest bit.
Op is an international student. Most of this will have no bearing in comparison to your family’s ability to pay.
Oh brother. If the OP is an international student…the “first generation” thing doesn’t apply to him…at all.
I don’t know anything about the intersection of being BOTH an international student and a first generation college student. BUT: many elite colleges report the percentage of their incoming class who are first generation, without any mention of domestic/international status. The impression this gives is that being first generation matters a good deal. Maybe it is true that the international component reduces this a bit, but probably not totally.
Depending on where the poster is looking to apply - many “elite” colleges care a lot about admitting and supporting first generation students.
Reporting this statistic…and having it have an impact on admissions are two very separate things. There are a LOT of things reported on the Common Data Set that do NOT have one bit of impact on admissions.
@thumper1 Okay I should have been MORE clear. It is not just a reported statistic. It is a stat that many colleges brag about. Clearly are proud of. It is NOT something that ALL colleges care about that much, but many colleges do treat it as one of the many gauges of “diversity” in an application. Neither you nor I know HOW much WHICH colleges. But there is no doubt that SOME do care. That is the only point I am trying to make.
See as just one example, the link below shows the money that Brown University is putting behind its support for first generation students.
https://news.brown.edu/articles/2016/03/firstgen
Many top colleges (including elite lacs and ivies) try to get around 16% first gen, so yes, it is a huge advantage coupled with URM.
^^^ For an international applicant (which the OP is), don’t think being first generation or URM will provide an advantage.
I don’t know of any proof that it is a “huge advantage” coupled with URM or anything else. However, college’s CDS’s will show the weight they give it in admissions, which is usually either “Not Considered” or “Considered” rather than “Important” or “Very Important.”
I don’t think colleges count minority int’ls as URMs. I doubt that being first gen as an int’l makes much difference either.
^ that’s what I thought but I’m no longer so certain.
In most cases, yes.
However, there are a few exceptions among a few respectable/elite private colleges which do provide need-based FA for international students.
However, the admission selectivity for those institutions tends to be exceedingly keen so I wouldn’t count on this being a sure thing until you have admission and a viable FA offers in hand.
There are only 5 colleges in the country that are both need blind and meet 100% demonstrated need to international students