If I’m the first person in my family to go to an American university, would I be considered to be the first person from my family to go to college?
Foreign institutions count equally with those in the US.
[In general, is an Oxford or Cambridge UK graduate less “educated” than one from East Swampy State in the US?]
LOL, no.
The point of ‘1st generation’ is to acknowledge that students coming from homes where there is no tradition of going to university, and whose parents do not have any experience of preparing for and attending college are at a disadvantage. For example, knowing to plan HS courses to meet the expectations of the colleges.
Nice try, but no, that doesn’t cut it to be considered as a first generation college applicant. Educated parents having attended college is global. Instead of looking for loopholes, just work hard.