<p>My parents didn't go to college, neither did any of grandparents and so on.... Does this make me first generation? I've only had an uncle go but I'm not even sure that he graduated.</p>
<p>If your parents did not go, you are usually considered first generation.</p>
<p>Ok, thank you.</p>
<p>If your direct parents/guardians did not attend a school of superior education (past high school) then you are a "first generation".</p>
<p>what is the advantage of being first generation?</p>
<p>Being a first-generation college student (first-generation Chinese-American is different) is generally seen as being from a disadvantaged background, because if your parents went to college, you'd probably be expected to continue going to college, and if your parents went to famous schools, you might be pressured to work extra-hard so you could go to a famous school like they did. Being a kid whose parents didn't go to college, going to college is a totally new experience, and you don't have parents to help guide you through the college processs and to tell you what college will be like. I'm a first-generation college student, and I really felt that my friends whose parents went to college had an edge because they had in their minds that they were going to college from the start. This is all kind of generalized. So, to level the playing field, colleges take note of first-generation college students, because they have to kind of go beyond this background of family who didn't attend college. And being a competitive student with great credentials in addition to being first generation college student is a plus because it shows that you've really stepped up and have overcome such an obstacle from a disadvantaged background.</p>
<p>Also, the Common App won't ask whether you're a first-generation college student explicitly (they won't use the term). Instead, they'll ask you whether your parents went to college, whether they got a degree, etc., so for the Common App, you don't need to know what it means to be a first generation college student, but it does help for scholarships and things like that, where you can say explicitly that you're first-generation college student.</p>
<p>I'm assuming you're asking in terms of college apps.</p>
<p>Conclusion: It depends on the school and how they define it.</p>