Looking For Input...

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Dolly96

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Hi everyone,

I'm back. For the last and final time. I'm reapplying and am getting ready to submit my application. I just have a few concerns that I'm hoping ya'll may help me with.

Topic #1: My reason for marking myself as disadvantaged...

I have classified myself as disadvantaged for multiple reasons in my previous application. I have grown up in a single parent household after my dad left us, my mom made less than 40k a year with her small business and with 5 kids it was a bit of a struggle growing up, I am a first generation American with immigrant parents/grandparents who don't speak English well, live in an underserved and poor city where I've experience some scary stuff, and have been on Medicare since we could not afford health insurance.

The Concerns

1: My mother's dad was a doctor in a different country. I have mentioned him in my personal statement and am worried because people assume that since there was a doctor in my family (although not immediate family) that we were well off. Truth is, my mom didn't get any money because they live in different countries. We were living in a 2 bedroom house and ended up losing it eventually. This is not stated in my application and am worried that admissions will be confused about my classification.

2: My mother came to America as an international student before getting citizenship. So she does have a college degree despite it being really difficult as English is not her first language. According to the way AAMC classifies disadvantaged I am not since she has a college degree and her occupation of running her own small business.

Should I still mark myself as disadvantaged?

Topic #2: I do not include my father's information on my application

I don't have a relationship with my father and he was out of my life at what I believe were the most crucial years (he left while I was in 5h grade).

The Concern

1: Will admissions be weirded out if I continue with this application without his info? I stated that he was gone in my disadvantaged essay in the last application.

Topic #3: Personal Statement

The Concern:

I have had a lot of family struggles that I did not mention in my personal statement. I don't like talking about them and let alone writing about them is tough. It makes me feel like I'm asking for sympathy. So I just wrote my statement without mentioning these things. Is it important to include these things to make it a bit more powerful instead of writing about it in maybe the disadvantaged essay, activity descriptions, and/or secondaries? Every secondary is different so I may not have the opportunity to discuss it for every school.

Topic #4: I have done a public health project that was presented through a small board presentation at my college.

The Concern:

Since this is really my only “research” experience (other than taking a research introductory course on a really interesting subject), is it okay to classify it as research in my activities section? Should I list the course I took?

Please don't quote this. I will most likely delete details shortly after I've received some input.

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We tend to find the omission of information about a living parent odd (unless adopted). There is the possibility that this will appear to be obfuscation.
You will not be considered disadvantaged by AMCAS nor the majority of evaluators (in the usual sense of the word). I do not recommend "checking that box."It is more likely to hurt you than help.
You still have plenty to talk about to let folks know who you are and what your struggles have been.
 
@gyngyn
Thank you so much for your honest input.
The disadvantaged essay is where I discussed not having my father around and the financial stresses it led to. After speaking to admissions at two schools just this last week I brought up this question while discussing my application. Both schools mentioned how seeing some of the struggles I stated in the disadvantages essay really helped them see that I've dealt with hardships that would add diversity to their classes. When asked about ommitting father's information.. I was told it was appropriate since it was obvious why I did not after reading my disadvantaged essay.

From this, I understand that every school and every single individual will see my application differently. However, after your advice I was set on not checking that box because I'd rather be safe than sorry. So I changed my personal statement to briefly include the issue with my father since there really is nowhere else to put it. Now, I'm confused on what to really do but will have to make up my mind by the end of this week.
 
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If you don't use your essay for a disadvantaged essay, the draft will be useful for diversity or greatest challenge questions.
 
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