Would providing family income numbers (especially when it is harshly low) aid in the decision process? Does that additional context (tied in to the “world you come from” essay for example) help the admissions team made decisions and understand the applicant better, or is this just a vehicle for saying “I’m disadvantaged; take me.”
It certainly helps the officers understand the applicant better. The officers want to know you and how you come across and overcome your barriers. The only way I could see that declaring “low income” would increase your chances is if you were to discuss how low income has shaped you. For instance, in my interview, I talked about how my family’s low income limited by resources and how I used modern tools (such as the Internet database or club fundraising) to come up with innovative approaches around personal income dilemmas.
@obitosigma of course, income information is nothing without discussing its effects. The example I used, the world you come from essay, is, I think, the best opportunity to use this information. I think it’s an important factor to what I am and where I came from. I think that’s reason enough to put it in. Agree?