How to Handle Being Surrounded By Privilege
I've gone through two huge moves in my life: once when I left Brazil when I was 9 and settled in Miami, and again when I left Miami to come to Tufts. I…
Some advice based on my first gen experience of college search
As a first-gen student myself, I can't say that I speak for all first-gen students. We’re not all the same. We all have different journeys and obstacles to overcome on our way to college (and at college). My parents had some college (one of them in a completely different country), but neither of them had even applied for a four-year college. They couldn’t help me with the forms, the logistics of the college search or preparation for interviews.
Even so, I think we first gens often share a lot of the same fears and challenges – we’re all going to somewhere new for the first time and it’s one of the first times we’re doing something without our parents’ voices of experience. We sometimes feel like impostors during the process – not quite knowing what will come next.
Here’s are some of the pieces of advice that helped me:
- Seek out college experience opportunities. Many colleges have taster programs for first-generation college students like us. These programs really helped me to narrow down my search because I fully explored a campus, hung out with current students and tried out classes. At Tufts, we have the Voices of Tufts Diversity Experiences program. Programs like Voices give you a chance to meet people who are going through what you are going through now but also current students who have been in your shoes.
- Don’t limit yourself to one type of school or region. It’s tempting to apply to colleges you’ve heard of, or because your friends are going, but get out of your comfort zone! It can feel a little overwhelming at first but there are ways to start to check out schools that might be a better fit - you can search by the major you’re interested in, or even try researching 5 wildcards (e.g. if you are convinced you want urban, try researching 5 rural or suburban schools and see if they seem cool too).
- Talk to people around you about the college search process. It’s surprising what you find out when you talk to your respected teachers or job mentors. Perhaps they were first gen too, or they aren’t but would be a great mentor to you during the process because they’re a great editor or know a lot about the process.
- Make the most of the internet as a research tool. I often joke that when I applied to college we still used a paper form, but even back then, the internet was a fantastic way to find out about a college and its courses. Today, there’s so much more. Tufts offers a virtual tour, blogs from admissions officers and current students, the online version of Jumbo magazine, essay advice, major descriptions and information on everything from financial aid to testing, pre-matriculation credits, clubs and housing. If you haven’t visited or cannot visit, the admissions website is a great place to start exploring about Tufts – you can then delve deeper into department websites and course descriptions, or Tufts’ student group YouTube videos! Going deeper into schools' sites helped me with interview questions and to feel confident as I applied to each school.
- For financial aid – don’t let the sticker price scare you. Tufts meets 100% of demonstrated need and colleges often offer financial aid packages that will mean the actual cost is much less – you can find out more by searching their financial aid pages and using the Net Price Calculator. Be aware that your parents may not want to talk about finances but you can approach it in different ways. I know my parents sometimes felt overwhelmed by the process – bringing home pamphlets and doing my own homework online and with my guidance counselor helped them understand what the actual cost was likely to be. You can use the Net Price Calculator with other resources from school counselors to walk through this together.
- Finally, be confident and continue to challenge and apply yourself academically. You can do this. It isn’t always easy being the first, but you’re working hard in high school, you’re excited to study at a higher level and gain access to new worlds beyond your own. Don’t let this process get you so overwhelmed that you don’t continue performing in the classroom or let your other important interests go – we want you to be your true, best (and happy!) self through this process.
