Even though my law and college degrees and high school diploma were all taken away by way of a criminal conspiracy I intend to sue in federal court in the event of no prosecution, I care a lot about the first gen community. As a first gen myself as my Dad went to medical school in India and my Mom never finished college in the U.S., I've seen countless posts on social media of people wondering how they're going to move up in life given the Trump cuts to federal financial aid and GradPlus loans. This is a horrible time for many young future professionals who have big dreams God put in their heart that they want to see come to pass. Instead of being able to break into big law jobs or secure government class jobs, they're being left stranded while those from generational wealth have no problem taking those spots. Though I'm from generational wealth, I'm also a first gen through and through, and I care a lot about leveling the playing field for everyone. As a future MD/PhD forensic psychiatrist, I want to do everything I can to help my future patients and help the world heal from collective trauma that is holding America back from being the best and most equitable country it can be. I have seen firsthand in my experiences being deprived of due process that this country runs on money, and if you don't have money then you are SOL. Hopefully my legal actions will change this trend, but Trump is showing the world he only thinks the rich should access high paying and high status careers and I disagree completely. The only people at the top should be the most morally upright and ethical.
If you want to be a lawyer, then here is what I recommend. Put yourself through an affordable LLB (Essex and London offer great options online for an affordable price) and then pursue a top-tier LLM through federal financial aid and qualify in both England and Wales as a solicitor and your chosen U.S. state. Do a clerkship and then apply for big law. Being qualified in two countries makes it a lot easier to get jobs in the U.S. in big law. Look at Amal Clooney's resume. She got her BA in Jurisprudence from Oxford then did an LLM at NYU (a brand name, big law feeder school), did a clerkship, worked in big law, then dual qualified as a barrister and is doing just fine financially now. You don't need a JD for all jobs. If you really want a JD and you have good talking skills, consider taking up a sales job or HR recruiting job that gives you commission so you can afford to put yourself through a top law school full freight.
If you want to be a clinical psychologist, then I recommend you get clinical research experience as quickly as possible, possibly by working in the clinical trials field and then finding mentors who can help you publish papers so you can take the leap and get a fully funded PhD program to admit you given that the PsyD programs will be off-limits due to costs.
If you want to be a physician and majored in a science subject, then consider high-paying paths in the clinical research organization and pharmaceutical world first, so you can afford your future tuition. There aren't tons of medical schools like Yeshiva Albert Einstein and NYU that offer free tuition which in my view only makes it easier for rich kids capable of building the resumes only they can build by having tutors and not having to work. Another option is to pursue the MD/PhD path which covers tuition and offers a stipend.
If you want to be an MBA from a top tier M7 or equivalent business school, then I recommend you work the highest paying and best job where you learn more than just how to navigate a rapidly decaying business world and learn about the real world that you can find and also start your own side business where you can make enough tuition in the 4-6 years after college to afford the partial freight tuition at some of these schools. Don't forget about hidden costs of travel and socializing with these people. A better alternative is the executive MBA route, but that comes with problems of people not bonding as closely as they do in the full time MBA path.
If you want to be an MPA from either Harvard, Cornell, Berkeley, NYU Wagner, or Princeton and seek out secure jobs, then I recommend you make extra money starting a side business outside of your normal nonprofit or government job. This way, you build a nest egg and can choose a school based on curriculum and not based on financial need.
High Paying Side Jobs I Recommend for First Gens
- Tutoring. You can make hundreds of dollars an hour tutoring children in various subjects, especially if you went to an elite college.
- Notary Public and Notary Signing Agent. You do not need any formal educational qualifications and can make up to $500K a year if you manage full-time and up to $250K a year managing part time.
- Process Server. You can make a ridiculous amount of money serving documents in divorce cases where creative presentation is key.
- Sales. Anything sales that is commission based plus a base salary is a great option to go into.
- E Courses. You can sell your knowledge in a way that makes money!
Good luck to everyone and remember that if God put a dream in your heart, then that means it's yours for the taking.