<p>Hi. Is there any way you can let college admission officers know you are low-income (your parents' income is $20,000 per year)? </p>
<p>Is it even worth mentioning? It is important to me personally because it means that I have succeeded despite my family having barely enough money to make ends meet. It makes my GPA and SAT scores mean that much more to me. If that makes any sense. Is there anywhere I can indicate I am from a low-income family?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Depending on the college, there is usually a place on the application for you to put your parents income. Some adcoms will see it, others wont depending on the school. If you really want your situation to be known in greater detail then you can either write an essay, write about it in the additional information section, or have your GC mention it in his/her letter.</p>
<p>Your GC, if aware of the situation, would probably be the best method of showing/describing to colleges.</p>
<p>If you have a good story about overcoming adversity, then use it in your essay. But if you think it may be a hook, or something desirable, there is some doubts about that. Look at the number of Pell grant recipients at your desired school. If it is a need-blind school, then you will be judged holistically on your own merits. If the school is need-aware, do you really want to be automatically put in the pile of “deserving poor” that are fighting for scarce dollars if there is a stronger story that you can tell?</p>
<p>If you’ve been in or you’re applying through a special program that restricts participation to low-income students, the schools will figure it out, even without specific financial information.</p>
<p>The school report which will accompany your transcript, will include federal data on #of students receiving free/reduced lunch. This directly points to the poverty level of any particular HS.</p>
<p>You can apply through Questbridge.</p>
<p>^ If you are applying to the selective schools that use this program, it will identify you as coming from a disadvantaged background. Less selective schools really go more by the numbers.</p>
<p>As noted above, there are some private schools that limit the number of lower income students they admit. They are “need aware” in admissions. For those schools, it is better to not reveal that your family is very low income. At those schools, some people don’t use fee waivers, even if they can. Those types of colleges market themselves mainly towards upper income geographic areas, and feel they cannot afford to heavily subsidize too many low income students (particularly students who are not under-represented minorities). </p>
<p>At plenty of other schools, they look for students who have achieved despite difficult circumstances. Some schools give an edge to students who do well at public high schools that have high poverty rates, vs. a student who went to an expensive prep school and had every academic and socio-economic advantage.</p>
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The only problem with this is even if you are admitted you can’t afford to attend the school because the college won’t fill your financial need.</p>