first generation to college question

<p>I was wondering if anyone had any information on how being a first generation to college might help in applications? My parents didn't go to college and I'm also a URM. My GC in our past discussions, never brings up the URM status (which is fine) but she centers on my grades (which are very good) being a male (she says there's a shortage of them) and being first generation. She mentioned more than once that colleges like to have the first child from a family where the parents hadn't gone to college. Has anyone had any experience with this? She was also pushing colleges like Vassar and Wheaton, along with my picks, because again, the lack of males. Thanks for any info.</p>

<p>Being a first generation, URM, male will give you a definite advantage in college admissions at many schools. There is a shortage of those characteristics in the applicant pool at many schools, thus your application, test scores, etc. will tend to be viewed more positively.</p>

<p>As to how that translates into specific schools is difficult to say without more information. For example, would be the "boost" you receive be suffcient to get into Vassar? Swarthmore? Harvard? That kind of precision requires more data.</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback. I'm not interested in the Ivies, although Haverford is on my list to visit, Swarthmore didn't seem like it would be a fit. I also will be doing a MA trip soon and hope to see some in Boston and Worcester. I have always been an honors student with 2 AP's so far (small school doesn't offer many)and have a few EC's that I"ve been involved in for many years. My weak point is I don't test well on long tests. It isn't a problem that needs meds since I can handle normal exams, but when I have to take long exams like the PSAT or SAT, I have a hard time focusing. The antsy feeling is magnified and I'm exhausted at the end. My doctor told me to prep more in small doses and take the ACT which is shorter (and did feel better) I hope to raise the 27 on that this fall (didn't prep first time)and my SAT score also. I've always been the type of kid sitting in the front row, asking questions, etc. and want a small (1500-up)to med. college where an "undecided" can get a variety of majors. I'm leaning toward English, psychology, education or religious studies, but I'm not positive the way that some kids are.</p>

<p>first generation college students help quite a bit. one school that emphasizes first generation is Princeton. their admissions dean (Rapelye (sp?)) really loves first generation college students. but make sure you have good stats to go with your first generation and URM status. im first generation with decent stats (although i am chinese... so not URM) and i got into HYPM.</p>

<p>URM, First generation, good grades - you are set if you have a sport or an interesting community service thing going on....I would not worry too much about the testing if your grades are great...my kid, also an URM, had a 3.8, tested terribly in math (560) okay in English (630) but still got into nearly every school applied to with big money..(in all fairness, they did get a 799 on SAT II LIT) - anyway, you sound like you are in an excellent position not only to get in somewhere but also to receive financial assistance....</p>

<p>if you are first generation with equal stats to say a white person...looks whos going to win.First generation helps you "enormously". Its a scale tipper in other words.</p>

<p>what's URM?</p>

<p>URM- Underrepresented Minority Native Americans, African Americans,and Hispanics are the URMs. Asians (including Indians), and people of Jewish descent are considered overrepresented.</p>

<p>Most schools realize that if your parents didn't go to college but you still were able to get decent grades and test scores that you have something special going for you. I think it is true.</p>

<p>I'll second Mr.B's comment</p>

<p>I don't think that being a first generation college student has anywhere near the importance that being a URM does. Maybe if you came from a truly poor family it would be a deciding factor, but I can't really see them heavily favoring somebody that has parents which make about or slightly below the average but no college education.</p>

<p>Ditto with ohnoe
my daughter is 1st gen college- but caucasian & middle class.
If she had been on free/reduced lunch & an interesting minority the combination would have been much more attractive to schools.
They were pretty upfront with it not being a big deal unless combined with other disadvantages. After all, my generation was the last generation to be able to actually make a living without a college education, so it really was not that unusual.</p>

<p>I agree, but I think it depends on the school. I remember someone at Brown saying they love to give a first generation a break, URM or not. Hopefully, that will be less and less in the future with more kids getting opportunities. The "male" angle I've heard before too but didn't realize it cut across all lines, not just minority. My S's GC said a lot of schools don't have enough males, not just recently co-ed schools.</p>