<p>Most colleges classify applicants as first-generation college students if neither parent holds a college degree, whether its 2-year degree or higher.</p>
<p>If your parents holds a college degree in China, then you won’t be a first-gen. (Bending the rules… some people … don’t put their parents as college graduates since it cannot be verified within the US. I’m not sure if it works with Chinese colleges though.)</p>