<p>How big of a boost is it? I am actually a true first gen, both parents DID NOT graduate high school (dropped out). </p>
<p>Would I have a bigger advantage in admissions because NO ONE (when I say no one I mean no one including aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins etc....) in my family has ever graduated high school?</p>
<p>This is including moms and dads families.</p>
<p>I say yes, but it won’t be anything for an automatic acceptance. Should make for some good essays, though.</p>
<p>About 18% of Stanford undergrads are either first-generation or low income. It is something that Stanford is increasingly trying to focus on with students that are here, but, in order to do that, they do need to admit first generation low income students. </p>
<p>i would say that it is a boost if you have made the most of the resources available to you. you can feel free to write about it if that has been an inspiration or obstacle or some type of motivating factor in your life thus far.</p>
<p>am i considered first gen if my father completed some college in another country?</p>
<p>^ Nice thread hijack!</p>
<p>Nobody really knows how big of a boost it is, but it is a boost. I personally don’t think it’s a huge one, but still it helps them to evaluate your accomplishments in context. I don’t think it will make a difference that no one in your extended family went to college (but it does add an interesting fact about your background; if it has an effect, it would be very small, I expect).</p>
<p>@caveat: if either of your parents have had higher education, you are not considered first-generation.</p>
<p>At one point the common app wouldn’t let you put your parents as college graduates unless they went to school in the U.S and their school had the school code. Not sure if its still that way?</p>
<p>@ Freezingbeast They let you put International Colleges now! It worked for me! :)</p>
<p>Would I be a first gen if my mother dropped out of college in another country and my father also dropped out, but in the the U.S.?</p>