What qualifies as first generation and how significant is it in admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

There’s nothing embarrassing about being contacted by first Gen support groups unless you explicitly lied when asked about the facts of your life. If you didn’t - you are just depriving your kids of amazing opportunities

I think pp is saying to the people suggesting this to her (that have similar degrees and are having their kids claim they are first generation college students), that it would be embarrassing for her friends’ kids to go to such a support group to get assistance they are not entitled to. Pp is honest and ethical and knows that she and her spouse did go to university and that her children have had advantages bc of it. Contrary to what people on this board think, your life is not decided based on what college you go to - especially for someone who has supportive parents (emotionally and financially). But if someone is basically penniless and homeless and has parents who never went to college, those programs can make a big difference. Good for you pp and best of luck to good kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professor who works with first-generation students. This kid would not be considered a first-generation college student.

How do you select the kids you work with? Like, who endorses their 1st gen’ness?
And would you consider a kid whose parents didn’t graduate college in the US but did in another country 1st gen?
Thank you!

Most schools will use the typical definition, which is both biological parents did not attend a 4-year institution. This might help: https://firstgen.naspa.org/blog/defining-first-generation

Sometimes this can be overlooked if the child doesn't know/live with the parent who went to college. This is a good explainer of that: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/education/edlife/first-generation-college-admissions.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a rising tide of animosity toward poor kids regardless of race now?

I think it’s more about pretend poor

are you kidding me?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

There’s nothing embarrassing about being contacted by first Gen support groups unless you explicitly lied when asked about the facts of your life. If you didn’t - you are just depriving your kids of amazing opportunities

But we have university degrees. How can you not see that applying as first generation is just wrong. I cannot see how this is not obvious

As a kid who was first gen when and where no help or recognition was ever extended, TY!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if there is a box to check on any app if you are first gen. If yes, I wouldn’t check it, but would slip something into her essay about the mom bearing the brunt of parenting and not having the opportunity to go to college. And let the chips fall where they may.

On the Common App you are asked to provide the level of education both parents received. There is not a box to check "first gen".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

I'm volunteering with a program where your child could qualify as first gen. If you don't need assistance with the US college application process, that's great. Perhaps you feel that you can figure it out on your own, or pay for independent counselors. But other parents and kids without US college application experience might feel that they can benefit from learning more about the process, and that's what this program is for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

I think this really depends. In my home country, a 3 year degree is similar to Associates degree in US; this is someone who is a technician, a nurse, a bookkeeper (not an accountant!); a Bachelor's equivalent is 5 yrs. Add on the language barrier, lack of connections, and/or often the need to move down the ranks in US because of licensing, e g nurses become nursing assistants, and I can see how someone with parents with this background will rightfully benefit from first gen assistance.

Of course, if your 3 year degree is from Oxford, that's absurd to claim first gen status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professor who works with first-generation students. This kid would not be considered a first-generation college student.

How do you select the kids you work with? Like, who endorses their 1st gen’ness?
And would you consider a kid whose parents didn’t graduate college in the US but did in another country 1st gen?
Thank you!

Most schools will use the typical definition, which is both biological parents did not attend a 4-year institution. This might help: https://firstgen.naspa.org/blog/defining-first-generation

Sometimes this can be overlooked if the child doesn't know/live with the parent who went to college. This is a good explainer of that: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/education/edlife/first-generation-college-admissions.html

Are you the PP working with first gen kids? I asked her specifically because I am interested what it looks like in real life

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

I'm volunteering with a program where your child could qualify as first gen. If you don't need assistance with the US college application process, that's great. Perhaps you feel that you can figure it out on your own, or pay for independent counselors. But other parents and kids without US college application experience might feel that they can benefit from learning more about the process, and that's what this program is for.

Thank you PP (I am a different PP than the one you replied to).
My kid was invited to one of these programs (we qualify on the basis of income). He didn’t take anyone’s spot; he was waitlisted initially but quickly got a spot which makes me think that there’s quite some availability. It was the case with some other programs he was in, too: unfortunately many eligible families just aren’t interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if there is a box to check on any app if you are first gen. If yes, I wouldn’t check it, but would slip something into her essay about the mom bearing the brunt of parenting and not having the opportunity to go to college. And let the chips fall where they may.

On the Common App you are asked to provide the level of education both parents received. There is not a box to check "first gen".

Does it specify whether it’s in the US or not? I don’t have access yet so can’t look it up
I am surprised our HS website specified that it’s in the US - I wonder how they coach the parents/kids to respond if it’s a degree from another country. I will have to wait and see!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

There’s nothing embarrassing about being contacted by first Gen support groups unless you explicitly lied when asked about the facts of your life. If you didn’t - you are just depriving your kids of amazing opportunities

But we have university degrees. How can you not see that applying as first generation is just wrong. I cannot see how this is not obvious

As a kid who was first gen when and where no help or recognition was ever extended, TY!

It’s not like she would take your spot if she agreed! There’s a good college for everyone, and programs in high school for everyone too. It’s not like “sorry we already have enough first gen students you are SOL”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

I'm volunteering with a program where your child could qualify as first gen. If you don't need assistance with the US college application process, that's great. Perhaps you feel that you can figure it out on your own, or pay for independent counselors. But other parents and kids without US college application experience might feel that they can benefit from learning more about the process, and that's what this program is for.

Thank you PP (I am a different PP than the one you replied to).
My kid was invited to one of these programs (we qualify on the basis of income). He didn’t take anyone’s spot; he was waitlisted initially but quickly got a spot which makes me think that there’s quite some availability. It was the case with some other programs he was in, too: unfortunately many eligible families just aren’t interested.

Volunteer here. I also think some of the issue of people not being interested is that when the college application programs are presented to them, midway through high school, they don't know what they don't know. By this time senior year, I think many, many parents and kids -- first gen or not -- are realizing they have questions about the process or feel that they could use some advice. Some parents have the financial and social resources to shepherd their kids through the process and find the necessary help when they have questions. Other parents may not know where to begin. I think the point of college application programs for first generation/low income/minority students is to give more students access to helpful resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if there is a box to check on any app if you are first gen. If yes, I wouldn’t check it, but would slip something into her essay about the mom bearing the brunt of parenting and not having the opportunity to go to college. And let the chips fall where they may.

On the Common App you are asked to provide the level of education both parents received. There is not a box to check "first gen".

Does it specify whether it’s in the US or not? I don’t have access yet so can’t look it up
I am surprised our HS website specified that it’s in the US - I wonder how they coach the parents/kids to respond if it’s a degree from another country. I will have to wait and see!

On the common app, they ask for parents' specific university names and locations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if there is a box to check on any app if you are first gen. If yes, I wouldn’t check it, but would slip something into her essay about the mom bearing the brunt of parenting and not having the opportunity to go to college. And let the chips fall where they may.

On the Common App you are asked to provide the level of education both parents received. There is not a box to check "first gen".

Does it specify whether it’s in the US or not? I don’t have access yet so can’t look it up
I am surprised our HS website specified that it’s in the US - I wonder how they coach the parents/kids to respond if it’s a degree from another country. I will have to wait and see!

On the common app, they ask for parents' specific university names and locations.

Interesting! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I have 3 year degrees from outside the US. It was proposed to us that our kids are first gen.
The idea is absurd. I could never in good faith use this loophole.
How embarrassing for your children when they are contacted with support groups for first gen kids.
How this is even discussed is beyond me

I'm volunteering with a program where your child could qualify as first gen. If you don't need assistance with the US college application process, that's great. Perhaps you feel that you can figure it out on your own, or pay for independent counselors. But other parents and kids without US college application experience might feel that they can benefit from learning more about the process, and that's what this program is for.

Thank you PP (I am a different PP than the one you replied to).
My kid was invited to one of these programs (we qualify on the basis of income). He didn’t take anyone’s spot; he was waitlisted initially but quickly got a spot which makes me think that there’s quite some availability. It was the case with some other programs he was in, too: unfortunately many eligible families just aren’t interested.

Volunteer here. I also think some of the issue of people not being interested is that when the college application programs are presented to them, midway through high school, they don't know what they don't know. By this time senior year, I think many, many parents and kids -- first gen or not -- are realizing they have questions about the process or feel that they could use some advice. Some parents have the financial and social resources to shepherd their kids through the process and find the necessary help when they have questions. Other parents may not know where to begin. I think the point of college application programs for first generation/low income/minority students is to give more students access to helpful resources.

Right, but my son was approached in 6th grade.
Some programs he was part of were in elementary school.
I think what scares people off is commitment: mandatory attendance, summer school, parent workshops etc.
as for me as a low income divorced mom I don’t have money for private counselors but I have access to Internet, YouTube (highly recommend the college essay guy’s videos) and know that getting into college is a project and should be approached as such. Is a college degree needed to realize this? I don’t know.