First generation question

Applying to College
1

<p>How do colleges verify that you are a first generation college student? On the apps, it usually is just something you check. Do they actually verify it somehow?</p>

2

<p>Bump 10char</p>

3

<p>They send out a mass listserv to every college in the world asking if your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, or great great grandparents attended there so they know you’re not lying.</p>

4

<p>In all seriousness…I just checked my transfer commonapp (which if I remember correctly I think is pretty much identical to a first year’s, though i could be wrong)</p>

<p>In the “Family” section, you have to write if and where your parents went to school. If you write respond with “No College” for both parents, I assume they’d just assume that you’re a first generational, since (this is my guess) it’s kind of unlikely that your grandparents/g grandparents/gg grandparents went to college if your parents didn’t.</p>

<p>You could also specify on the “Additional Information” section of the common app that you are a first gen.</p>

5

<p>So you could basically lie about it and get a boost during the admission process?</p>

6

<p>But when the college looks at your FAFSA and your parents tax returns, they’ll see what they do. Plus you’re fooling yourself if you think “first gen” is such a boost. </p>

<p>Plus you’d be a jerk to do so. (somehow I don’t think this realization will alter your plans, however)</p>

7

<p>I’m not a first gen and I don’t plan on doing that. I was just wondering about the ethics of that. (As some students lie about extracurriculars)</p>

8

<p>They don’t check but if they find out (which they most likely will if you apply for FA) then you are in serious trouble</p>

9

<p>What if my father went to school in Korea? But he has a blue collar job here since his degree does not mean crap in America.</p>

10

<p>^^College is college, it doesn’t matter where it’s done.</p>

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</p>

<p>What is there to wonder about? A lie is unethical, whether it’s about first gen, ECs or anything else on your application. And it’s no less a lie just because others do it.</p>