Help with Education of Parents?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

Hi,
My mother graduated from high school and did not attend college. My father, on the other hand, graduated high school and took a few courses at a local community college (but didn’t receive any degree). He enrolled at a Fire Academy at a “Vocational-Technical Center” and earned a Certificate of Completion in Fire Fighting. How would I list this in the common app? Does it count as a trade school, associates degree, or does he have no degree at all?

I’m very confused and don’t want to make any mistakes on my application, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

2

Bump

3

It depends upon the school if you are first generation or not. Duke defines first generation as someone whose parents and siblings have not gotten a college degree. Other schools and programs can define it differently. You have to look it up with each situation

4

Do not list certificate programs… Just high school graduate. This makes you first generation attending college, which is true. Taking a few classes at community college is not the same as graduating and I would not list that.

5

@suzyQ7 That’s true, but the certification was received from a vocational school and the common app asks if a parent has attended any vocational/trade schools. Would inputting the CC that my father attended (there’s an option to select ‘no degree’) + adding in the vocational/trade school be correct?

6

That appears to the be closest thing that matches your description of his post-high-school education.