<p>What makes a first generation student so desirable to some colleges? Do they somehow raise a schools rank? Is it in the mission of a private school? It seems that some schools are really courting these students.</p>
<p>I am not aware of any college or university that is really courting these students. I am aware, however, of a lot of teenagers on College Confidential who believe that being “first generation” will give them a big boost in admissions, so they obsess over what the precise definition of “first generation” is, and whether or not they meet it.</p>
<p>Some colleges and universities want socioeconomic diversity in their student body. One way they achieve this diversity is with a small bias in selection in favor of students whose parents never attended college, but whose own academic achievement in high school matches, or nearly matches, that of the undergraduates the college normally enrolls. In other words, given two applicants who are roughly equally appealing to the admissions committee, one of whom is the child of college-educated parents and one of whom is not, they’ll choose the applicant whose parents did not go to college.</p>
<p>A lot of colleges and universities don’t do this. Sometimes, that’s because they admit students in a way that’s highly driven by numbers. Sometimes, they choose some other means of diversifying the class. The practice, when it occurs, does seem to be much more common among private institutions than public ones. Because they are government agencies, public colleges and universities often have to be a lot more systematic and a lot less free-wheeling in admissions than private ones can be.</p>
<p>Some AdComs may enjoy fostering the American dream. </p>
<p>Some may feel that students who have distinguished themselves in high school without the advantages that often come with parents who went to college have demonstrated more individual merit, abililty, or drive. If these individual qualities are more lasting than the family support, these students may be more likely to succeed in college away from their families and become distinguished alumni.</p>
<p>Schools do report if this is a factor in their admissions process, often on their website or in section C of the Common Data Set.</p>
<p>^^^ Yes, what Bean says^^^. I looked at the CDS for a few schools and the “very important” box was checked next to first generation. I understand that these are updated every year, and that what is “very important” one year may be "considered "the next, but is there a specific reason that a school would give extra consideration to first gen students? </p>
<p>I’m coming from reading an popular article about un-hooked white girls. It opens wtih
" Thats the euphemism for smart girls with really good grades and solid SAT scores, but who lack some special hook or positioning for example, being a star athlete, concert pianist or first generation to go to college. They experienced a particularly tough time getting into most of the nations most competitive colleges. But they may enjoy a bit of peace of mind knowing everyone else did as well."</p>
<p>This compares being a concert pianist to having a dad whos a plumber! Do colleges really search out first gen kids/girls? What does it do for the school?</p>
<p>How can first gen be more important than migrant worker status?</p>
<p>My answer remains the same: they don’t recruit these students heavily or aggressively.</p>
<p>You’re basing your contrary position on a couple of common data sets (and I’m sincerely curious to know which ones) and one sentence in one article in the popular press. Then you’re complaining that the position you’re holding is nonsensical, and asking how it can be so.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s nonsensical. I just don’t agree that it’s really happening. Certainly not widely, if at all.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC</p>
<p>Amhearst, Williams. section C7</p>
<p>Bump for value of first gen students on campus. Another thought- are there fewer first generation students out there than I imagine? Maybe with so much outreach(night schools, CC, for profit U’s, first gen students have become rarer (seems unlikely)</p>
<p>OK, that’s two (and Williams actually says “important,” not “very important”). And while I doubt that Amherst and Williams prize first-generation status as highly as those common data sets say they do, it’s only two. I looked up several other colleges and universities of various degrees of competitiveness.</p>
<p>MIT: considered
Yale: considered
Oberlin: important
Pomona: considered
Rice University: considered
University of Tennessee: considered
University of Minnesota: considered
University of Kansas: not considered
University of Kentucky: not considered
Wright State University: not considered
Keene State University: considered
University of Nevada, Las Vegas: not considered</p>
<p>I just picked some colleges and universities. I reported all the results I found; I didn’t stack the deck in my favor. The only institution in my diverse but not entirely random sample that considers “first generation” important is Oberlin.</p>
<p>I really don’t think there are a lot of colleges and universities beating down doors to find applicants whose parents didn’t go to college. So I really can’t explain why they’d do that.</p>
<p>
Who said that?</p>
<p>Nobody said that, it was just me. I would assume that most migrant workers would fall under the first generation umbrella. It’s just that it must be an enormous umbrella! I mention migrant status because that is a federally verified status for underserved kids (at least where I live) and I haven’t seen any questions about it on any forms. Maybe there are lots of underserved populations in this country and you are just expected to tell your story in your essays.</p>
<p>Omedog, where is this question coming from? Why do you ask?</p>
<p>I just have questions- some are philosophical. I guess I’ve always blown off the notion that first gen could be a hook, but when shown a little evidence, I wanted to learn more. I still don’t believe that it is the same thing as concert pianist, and I hope its different from migrant worker, but I don’t think I really have any answers. I probably misnamed the thread.</p>
<p>A student who comes from a family that has not had parents or grandparents having gone to college is disadvantaged in that there is not the know how about applying, the benefits, the advantages. A common attitude among people, is that what worked for them is good enough for their kids. So these kids are ground breakers and are at a disadvantage as compared to a group of families who are familiar with the college route. Note that I said group. It is not a one to one correspondence, but something that one sees in groups,</p>
<p>So when a student is stellar and has managed to do all the things necessary to gain entrance to a selective college, without the family know how and support that a student whose family knows the ropes can have, there is some preference given. There are also preferences for those who have achieved well despite challenges and hardships. FIrst generation in itself not usually enough. But combined with low income, coming from a school that does not have many kids going to college or to selective colleges , such a candidate is given a leg up over those kids who have family support, resources and schools that give them every advantage. It makes sense to me.</p>
<p>Though there is a direct correlation overall between family income and academic success, there are some clusters that are definite outliers. Those clusters include kids coming from families that may not have much money, but whose parents are well educated and cultured. I know a number of parents who simply did not make much money, but they bestowed the love of learning, gave their kids the advantages of library, proper language, knowledge and college as a goal. This is not something that is often seen in first generation families economic strata. </p>
<p>Only a few colleges recoghize this, by the way. And it is not always recognized. It’s not a hook but is a tip factor. And no, colleges are not beating down doors to find these kids. You don’t see top colleges going into the schools where one is likely to find first generation kids and recruiting them. If one happens to venture into the applicant pool, and is so identified, it is a factor taken into consideration, all things equal and maybe a bit more. Admissions directors hate the silver spoon kids as a rule, especially those who have not taken advantage of all the resources they have been given,</p>
<p>Thanks for that answer! After thinking about it for awhile, I wondered if my question should have been “why is this included in the CDS?” It being on those papers was what made me wonder if it improved a schools rank. It is probably what gives hope to seniors around the country too!</p>
<p>Actually, ime, first-gen is a hook and is major, among a certain level of colleges. Remember, as cpt notes, we’re not talking about any old kid who made it to hs senior year- the most coveted are “stellar.” </p>
<p>About the CDS- there is no hard and fast set of definitions for “considered” or “important.” And “hooks” are no guarantee.</p>
<p>First gen is not a hook like legacies, athletes, developmental admits, URMs, Facbrats. FIrst gen is a tip factor, which is usually considered with other factors such as being low income, attending an underperforming school. The child of a plumber making a substantial amount of money, going to a top performing school in the burbs is not going to get the tip if it comes to choosing between then and a student who is on PA, attends a school with a low graduation rate and works a job that helps support the family while still maintaining a 4.0/2300.</p>