ic S/general/checkmark circled Thanks for subscribing! Be on the lookout for our next newsletter.
ic S/general/checkmark circled
Saved to My Favorites. View My Favorites
Articles / Applying to College / Is My Daughter First Generation to College?

Is My Daughter First Generation to College?

Sally Rubenstone
Written by Sally Rubenstone | July 6, 2012

Question: My husband has "some" (i.e. very little) college experience, and I have an AA degree. My daughter wants to attend a 4-year college. Would she be considered "first generation"?

The standard definition of a "first-generation" college applicant is a student with no parent who has earned a bachelor's degree before that student reached age 18. So your daughter will be considered "first gen."


Occasionally, however, colleges and scholarship committees may impose their own, different guidelines. (For instance, if a student has a parent with a bachelor degree but does not reside with that parent, he or she may still be viewed as first-generation).

Although your daughter meets the traditional definition of first-generation, she should read all instructions carefully if applying for specific scholarships or programs.

The fact that neither you nor her dad has earned a B.S. or B.A. should work in her favor at admission-decision time. Good luck to all of you as you navigate this maze!

(posted 7/5/2012)

Written by

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.

More on Applying to College

See all
Copy of Articles & Guidance

Tips for Applying to College as a Trans Student

Choosing where to apply and applying to college is hard enough, but when you’re trans, non-binary, genderfluid, or genderqueer, t…

Header

5 Reasons to Fall in Love With Quinnipiac

Between the Mount Carmel Campus, York Hill Campus and North Haven Campus, Quinnipiac offers something for everyone. It’s no wonde…

How to Transfer to a New College: A 5-Step Plan

How to Transfer to a New College: A 5-Step Plan

It happens from time to time – you've started college, but you realize that perhaps your university wasn't the best cho…

Student in bed on computer in dimly room

Which of Two (Opposite) Colleges Should I Choose?

Question: I'm trying to decide between 2 schools that at first seem very similar: Both are small, private liberal arts colle…

Can I Reapply After Early Decision or Early Action Rejection?

Can I Reapply After Early Decision or Early Action Rejection?

Question: If I apply to a college through Early Decision or Early Action, but I am not accepted, can I apply again through Regula…

Get a student loan that goes beyond tuition.

Ascent offers cosigned and non-cosigned student loans with exclusive benefits that set students up for success.

Explore Now!
Find Your Scholarship

Want to find money for school that doesn’t need to be paid back? Access insights and advice on how to search and apply for scholarships!

Search for Scholarship