I was born in the U.S., but my parents brought me to China when I was about 1 year old. My grandparents took care of me in China until I was almost 5 years old. I went to pre-school in China and learned Chinese there. I started kindergarten when I returned to the U.S., where I started learning English. I also took English as a Second Language (ESL) classes while in kindergarten and first grade.
What would be considered my first language? I spoke Chinese first and did not learn English until I was 5 years old. However, English is the language I speak the most outside of home.
Where did I grow up? I lived in China from ages 1-5 and the U.S. for the rest of my life. What age range is considered the “growing up” range?
I want to put on my application that I lived outside the U.S. for 4 years, but my parents won’t let me. They said that they never put on government papers that I lived in China. Would my parents get in trouble if I say that I lived outside the U.S.? I want to put it on my application because I want to write about it in my essays. I also feel that not putting it on my application would hinder me since my SAT/ACT Reading scores are not too good.
As a young adult, I believe you would be considered bilingual as you sound like you are equally competent in both English and Chinese. Since you didn’t learn English until you started school and were placed in ESL classes, English would likely be considered your “second” language in that you learned it after Chinese, but you are otherwise bilingual.
Are you an American citizen? Are your parents legally residing in the USA? If so, I do not believe that the fact that you lived in China as a toddler and preschooler would matter if everyone’s status in the US is legal. There must be a way that you can find out for sure.
Chinese is a first language for you, definitely, unless you weren't exposed to it after age 5 and have no competence in it any more. (It's worth being more specific than just "Chinese", by the way—Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese, &c. are actually all different languages.) However, given when you started learning English, you can certainly claim to be natively bilingual in English and whichever Chinese language (unless, of course, your Chinese has fully atrophied)—generally, full exposure to a language starting before sometime around ages 6–8 results in native competence.
Usually, "growing up" means one's tween and teen years, but it's a terrifically inexact concept. (Is that what it actually asks for, in those words? My oldest doesn't start applying til next year, so I haven't looked at the application form itself yet. If that's what it asks for, that's a horribly phrased prompt.)
As for the legal aspect of whether you legally lived in China or not, I have no expertise at all on that, so I'm going to have to give no advice at all on that one.
If you can remember a time when you did not speak English, then it certainly would not be your first language. While you can certainly claim English proficiency, Chinese would be your first language.
I agree with @dfbdfb "Growing up" is a rather vague concept; personally, I would say 10+. Is that even a question anywhere? I don't recall that phrasing.
I also can't speak to the legal ramifications, but I can say that living outside the US does not give you, or anyone, a pass on your SAT/ACT scores.
Would my best option be to play it safe and not put that I lived outside the U.S.? The only downside would be that I cannot write about it in my essay.
The CommonApp will ask you specifically how many years you lived outside the U.S. You will also sign the application (electronically) stating that the information is all true. If you lie on the CommonApp, colleges can rescind any offers of admission. Therefore you need to state that you lived in China for those years - and therefore your quest bridge application should be consistent with your Common App.
It is true that I lived in China for about 4 years, but my parents urge me to not to put it on my application because they said that they never put on government forms that I lived in China. Will colleges be able to find out whether I did or did not live in China? It might not say it on government papers, but I did. So, if I say that I did, I might be seen as lying if it is not on record. On the other hand, if I say that I did not, I might be seen as lying if it is actually on record. (My parents say that it is not on record.) If I decide to allude to living in China in my essay, should I just put that I did, regardless of what my parents say and whether or not it is on record?
This is a complicated situation and I am unsure which path to take.
One additional thought on the language: Does it limit you to one language as your first language? If so, whoever built the form needs to have a stern talking to.
(I still stand by my claim above that any language a child is continuously exposed to before age 6 to 8 counts as a first language, even if it wasn’t chronologically first.)