<p>When talking first generation, does it mean first generation american or first generation college student? Does it actually give a boost?</p>
<p>First generation college student. Usually it gives an applicant a boost.</p>
<p>neither of my parents went to college for undergrad here, but my dad did his mba here. so...that means im not a first generation college student?</p>
<p>^Yea...pretty much.</p>
<p>No, it really does not. ^^^^^^</p>
<p>"First generation college student" usually refers to a student who does not have any undergraduate college or universitiy degrees in their immediate family, regardless where from. If your parents have undergraduate degrees - from the US, the UK, Russia, Vietnam, Uganda, wherever - you probably are not going to be considered a "first generation college student" at most places. You should ask the institutions you are applying to if you are interested in knowing. Some schools won't even consider you "first generation" if there are associate degrees in your family. It depends on the school, but many will consider you first generation only if there is no undergraduate work done in your family (namely your parents).</p>
<p>Heh well my mom only completed 10th grade, probably the same with my dad so yea..</p>
<p>I was confused with the terms was all, and if it actually did give a boost in college apps</p>
<p>Adofficer--isn't that what the preceding posters said? XXshorty said he figured he was not first gen, and Tritiumknight agreed.</p>
<p>^^^^^^Yea...that's basically what I said..</p>
<p>How does a college check something like first generation student? Couldn't a lot of lying go on with this topic?</p>
<p>My response was to all of the above, not just Tritium (hence all the ^^^^ things)...sorry if that wasn't clear.</p>
<p>The bad things that would happen if you got caught would outweigh the good that could come from trying to lie to them.</p>
<p>Adofficer has written some pretty funny posts about lies he's caught. My favorite was the one about a kid claiming to be a URM who called himself a skinny white boy in an essay!</p>
<p>First generation is not a big boost unless it's accompanied by URM status and/or poverty from what I've been told.</p>
<p>Some URMs(50%) are white looking.</p>
<p>Collegekid is correct that first generation by itself does not present much of a boost in the admissions process. First generation is looked at from a socio-economic stand point also (there are some students whose parents have never attended college and the family fall solidly in the middle/upper middle income bracket).</p>
<p>^^If you're talking this as from a college admissions officer POV than I have to take your word for it. But if you read most college admissions books, it states before they read any student file, they look to see if the parents are college educated first, which set their expectations before they read your file.
I have not found or read anywhere that they read to see how much the parents make. In fact, salary is not reported. The lower social economic level is another disadvantage which comes from the kind of high schools they attend and problably whether they check that they receive financial aid for fee, etc..</p>
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But if you read most college admissions books, it states before they read any student file, they look to see if the parents are college educated first, which set their expectations before they read your file.
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<p>In the family section of the common app (and most other applications) before they ask whether or not your parents attended college, they ask what they do for a living.</p>
<p>It is very possible to be an electrian, plumber, carpenter, general contractor, (or in NYC work for transit, fire dept, NYPD, sanitation) etc. with out attending college an pull in some major bucks (now to work for the city one needs to have completed 2 years of college before appointed).</p>
<p>What does preclude somebody from having a college education and turn plumber, carpenter? Lots of actors do it, Harrison Ford is an example.</p>
<p>Does a sibling currently attending a community college count as "attended college?"</p>
<p>Is an associate's degree still considered an undergrad degree, or does this only apply to four-year degrees? Would I be first generation if one parent has a two-year degree?</p>
<p>OH! I have a question:</p>
<p>What if one of your parents went to college for a yr and dropped out (because couldn't pay)... no degree. Does that one yr of state school mean no first-gen status???</p>