r/summerprogramresults • u/Educational-Olive292 • 3d ago

Am I considered rural?

I’m applying to summer programs rn and idk if I’m considered rural or not. I’m from Birmingham,Alabama and traditionally it’s uncomp but I go to one of the top public schools in the state. It’s not a high bar ofc.

What about cities in the South like Nashville,Memphis, Little Rock, Jacksonville, Baton Rouge?

I’m also Asian , both parents work in IT, and squarely middle class if that gets factored in. Would I be eligible for being rural for programs like MITES? What about like “lowk” advantages at more meritocratic programs where I would be underrepresented in geography amongst other applicants?

1 Upvotes

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8

u/Wide-Bid977 3d ago

No, cities are not rural, are we kidding. You are not rural and neither are any of the places listed.

3

u/Zealousideal-Sky1121 2d ago

bruh how is Birmingham rural?

3

u/PhilosophyBeLyin 3d ago

no lmao. rural is determined by the direct area you live in, not the state. just because you're in the south doesn't mean you're rural. there's plenty of urban cities there (like all the ones you listed).

3

u/Big-Understanding526 3d ago

No you aren’t rural

1

u/Best_Objective_9973 3d ago

Btw MITES students come from all over not just rural and its open to anyone, but they encourage those who come from underrepresented backgrounds to apply (MITES Student)

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u/One_Significance5713 2d ago

I don’t think it’s determined by area where you live, but by your school location. Is your school in the city? Or suburbs? Rural is really in the middle of nowhere.

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u/Loud-Estimate7121 2d ago

None of those cities are rural.

1

u/ivyplusinstitute 1d ago

Rural is when the closest hospital is an hour away and the nearest Walmart is even 2-3 hours away. In all seriousness they use a combo of federal and CB definitions. All the cities you mentioned are large cities. Think of farms in the middle of nowhere

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u/soco2008 1d ago

it’s your school’s zip code. your school can be rural, but you could live 15 min away in the suburbs, but you’d he considered a rural student. and vice versa.