Helps identify first gen, which is helpful in the current environment. Also identifies legacy which may or may not add value in today’s climate.

Potential data point on family income but so is home address zip code. Don’t overthink it.

Anonymous wrote:Just like everything else, there are snobby college admissions officers that will go for the academically prestigious -family candidate over the modest one.

Legacy or Ivy background yes, commonly educated, not so much.

Anonymous wrote:Reframe the assumption. For need-blind schools, high parent education levels, depending on type, often indicate a likelihood that the applicant is full pay.

Top schools with big endowments don't care about measly full pay, they need to give aid to proof their charitableness for image, non profit tax status and grants. They do hunt for development cases bringing big donations.

It provides context. If mom has a JD from a T14, expectations are going to be higher and both academics and ECs will be evaluated in that context.

Those of us with advanced degrees are among the most privileged people in the world. Snap out of it and stop the pity party.

Anonymous wrote:Astounded by the level of detail the common app seeks on parents. Will high parental education level (grad school, phd etc) be held against the applicant?

For sure but firstly no applicant with an ounce of integrity would lie and even once who do, their parent's employment and income is pretty clear from W2 so colleges can put 2 and 2 together.

For every need blind school, there are many need aware schools. Schools need to pay the bills and having parents who went through advanced schooling also shows a kid is likely to graduate. I hav a PhD, my husband has a MD - our daughter was accepted to every need aware school she applied to and was given merit at each too. Maybe your kid will be disadvantaged at Harvard, but it help them score merit at schools like Santa Clara, Holy Cross, Syracuse, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can I lie and get away with it?!

Which way would you be lying?

I can see benefits to both.

My kid is Pell eligible but not first Gen

They DO want Pell eligible. Pell data goes into the US News ranking formula.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will having highly educated parents be seen as being "over-privileged"

But don’t colleges want kids who come from privileged families? Afterall they need to make sure they accept students whose families can pay the bills. Look at the data.

Lots of need blind places -- who presumably don't care?

They are blind to the financial aid check box and calculated need, but yet don't admit an entire class needing aid. They find a way to consistently end up with the same % full pay vs % on financial aid year after year. They need Pell grant recipients for the US News ranking, but ultimately they need some significant portion of full pay students. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not suggesting full pay is a significant advantage, but in most cases it is better to be full pay than not.

It is just another data point. Single mother is a high school teacher with a doctorate? Is that a plus up? Is that just part of the story?

Answer the questions and don't worry over what you can't control.

It can hurt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can I lie and get away with it?!

Which way would you be lying?

I can see benefits to both.

My kid is Pell eligible but not first Gen

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will having highly educated parents be seen as being "over-privileged"

But don’t colleges want kids who come from privileged families? Afterall they need to make sure they accept students whose families can pay the bills. Look at the data.

Lots of need blind places -- who presumably don't care?

Anonymous wrote:Will having highly educated parents be seen as being "over-privileged"

Yes. That's the whole point.

Anonymous wrote:Will having highly educated parents be seen as being "over-privileged"

Yes, in some cases.