I’m a first-gen American but not a first-gen college student, living with my mom (single parent) with a yearly income of about 12k. I know that’s not a lot, so I was wondering if it’d be enough to make a difference. I also want to go into the STEM fields and as a female, I thought maybe that’d be a good thing too? I’m of Asian-Indian heritage, so I don’t think diversity will be on my side (Asian-wise). I have average grades and such, and am in Mock Trial, Feminist Club, and an after school college prep program. I’ve also volunteered a few times but it’s not a enough to really count. I wanted to give as much information as I could so you you have an idea how much it could help.
Thanks!
It really depends on the colleges you are applying to. If you are thinking about public or private universities like large state schools or top notch privates, the lower income and STEM interest won’t pull nearly as much weight as extracurricular activities, grades, and test scores. However, if you’re looking at smaller public universities or liberal arts colleges, they may look harder at you to boost diversity. From the EC’s you’ve listed, they are slightly less than average. Not to say there is no college that will even look at you, but top of the line universities may be out of reach. But, having those qualities such as STEM, low income, and being a minority will definitely help you out at a handful of colleges. Hope this helped! Best of luck with applications!
Thanks!