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How 2 First-Gen College Students Got Into Their Dream Schools
Focus on what drives you, lean on your resources and don’t quit when going through the college admissions process.
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Cecilia Clark Assistant Assigning Editor | Education financing products, Veteran's benefits, Student and graduate finances
Cecilia Clark is an editor on the loans team. She specializes in student loans and manages product reviews and roundups. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer and developed communications strategies for cybersecurity firms. Cecilia has also worked in post-secondary education, elevator operations management and sales and military nuclear command control, maintenance management and public affairs.
Des Toups Lead Assigning Editor | Student loans, repaying college debt, paying for college
Des Toups was a lead assigning editor who supported the student loans and auto loans teams. He had decades of experience in personal finance journalism, exploring everything from car insurance to bankruptcy to couponing to side hustles.
Historically, around 30% of undergraduate students are the first in their family to attend college. And that can leave them lost and behind in the college admissions process.
First-generation college students don’t have the same points of equitable access to college as do other students, says Deana Waintraub Stafford, associate director for the Center for First-generation Student Success.
“There is knowledge that you have as someone who has already attended [college], and you can pass that to someone who is in your family — that is critical to their understanding of the process,” Stafford says. She also says that application fees, standardized testing, admissions essays and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid contribute to the obstacles facing first-generation college students.
Over the last year, those students have had the added challenge of graduating high school and finding a college amid the uncertainties of COVID-19. The pandemic has weighed on college attendance overall, as undergraduate enrollment this spring declined about 6% from the year before.
Yet Fernanda Padilla Colin and Khushi Patel — two first-generation college students determined to achieve higher education — found the inspiration, strength and guidance they needed to land the schools of their dreams. Here’s how.
NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for student loan products takes into account more than 50 data points across multiple categories, including repayment options, customer service, lender transparency, loan eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Fixed APR
3.47-17.99%
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. (1)All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. (2)As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. (3)This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 12/2/2024. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
Variable APR
4.99-17.99%
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. (1)All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. (2)As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. (3)This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 12/2/2024. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for student loan products takes into account more than 50 data points across multiple categories, including repayment options, customer service, lender transparency, loan eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Fixed APR
3.49-15.49%
Lowest rates shown include the auto debit. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. Advertised APRs are valid as of 11/25/2024. Loan amounts: For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.
Variable APR
4.92-15.08%
Lowest rates shown include the auto debit. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. Advertised APRs are valid as of 11/25/2024. Loan amounts: For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.
Credible lets you check with multiple student loan lenders to get rates with no impact to your credit score. Visit their website to take the next steps.
Focus on what drives you
When Padilla Colin talks about her path to college, she starts with her parents’ decision to leave Mexico for the United States. During the journey, she and her older brother were separated from their mother. “It’s a different level of fear that not a lot of people understand,” she says.
She helped her mother clean houses from the time she was 9 years old, and while she doesn’t diminish the significance of her mother’s work, she decided that she wanted something different for herself and her family.
Her parents pushed education as the path to upward mobility, and Padilla Colin says she grew to adopt their philosophy and apply academic pressure on herself.
She strove to get straight A’s, because she knew she wouldn’t get into college on her background story alone. “A lot of kids have stories similar to mine,” she says. To differentiate herself, she got involved with a cause close to her heart: helping to translate legal documents for immigrants.
This fall, she'll leave her home in Berkeley, California, to attend Rice University on a full scholarship. Rice is her dream school, she says, because it will allow her to study immigration topics and get an education without going into debt or financially burdening her parents.
“It was a big relief that [my parents] didn’t have to pay for my education,” Padilla Colin says. “But even before I got [the scholarship], I told them they were not going to pay for my education. I told them I’m going to college, so I’ll figure it out.”
She acknowledges that others may want to forget their tough pasts, but she uses the past to drive her. Her college admissions coach, Hafeez Lakhani, encouraged her to identify and focus on what really motivates her.
“For me, that’s immigration,” she says.
How to use what drives you
Consider challenges in your background or other aspects of your life or environment that you'd like to improve.
Brainstorm ways you can contribute to those improvements while in high school. For Padilla Colin, that was helping translate legal documents for immigrants.
Use that passion and experience to guide you in the types and number of colleges you apply to and leverage them when building your admissions packet.
Lean into your community
Khushi Patel was born and raised in Michigan and is the child of Indian immigrants. “For most of my life, we lived and worked in a local [Detroit area] motel,” she says.
Though her father graduated from high school in India, her mother stopped attending school after eighth grade. Patel says she felt determined to “escape this sort of generational poverty,” and sees her college education as something she is doing for herself and her parents.
Without academic and college admissions guidance from her parents, Patel looked to others in her community who went to college and could provide a road map. “I really learned to hone in on the resources that I did have,” she says. She talked to college graduates and leaned on teachers and counselors who she knew believed in her.
“I have been here throughout my elementary school, middle school and high school,” Patel says. “We are a low-income school district, and the majority of the school are students of color as well. When someone goes to a four-year college, it is something that is sort of out of the norm.”
By leaning on her community, she was able to identify scholarship and fellowship opportunities that eventually led to her acceptance at Brown University. The scholarships she earned will cover most of the costs.
Brown is her dream school because of the flexibility it offers.
“Brown has an open curriculum that allows students to explore,” she says. “You can take a class in literature while taking a class in robotics.”
Ask questions to ensure you understand what's needed in the process and how to boost your chances of success.
Get help filling out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is necessary for federal and many other financial aid programs and scholarships.
Don’t quit
Padilla Colin and Patel both experienced setbacks on the road to their dream schools.
Patel’s older brother got into Duke University with a full QuestBridge scholarship; Patel applied for the same program and was denied twice.
“That’s when I thought, ‘OK, it’s over. This program is made for first-generation and low-income students. If I can’t get into this, I’m not going to school,’” she says. Her parents and brother told her the right program would come along, and it did.
“Everyone’s path will look different,” she says. She reminds other students facing setbacks to remain “relentless and fierce.”
Padilla Colin says she initially thought her dream school was Harvard University. “I didn’t have any knowledge of what Harvard really was,” she says.
She decided not to apply there and instead focus on schools that were part of the QuestBridge program. In doing that, she evaluated what she really wanted in a school and realized that her real dream school was one closer to home with a strong immigration research center. Rice rose to the top with its Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
Padilla Colin advises other first-generation students to “be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity.” And she warns that the journey won’t be easy.
“There will be times in the process where you just want to break down. You will have to work hard,” she says before repeating, “You will have to work hard.”