There’s a level of naïveté in this thread. Every single bit of information you disclose is available to be used by the admissions officer. If you think that this is just harmless extra information at a top 20 school, you need to talk to former admissions officers.

Higher level degrees and high profile schools put additional attention to the quality of the application, the quality of the writing and the overall applicant profile. It is a higher bar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our college counselor pushed us to put in my family's higher education and career on the common app. DH is a surgeon and I am an engineer. She had no issue with DS mentioning anything related to my husband or my career in the job declaration, nor did she seem bothered that DS mentioned our career in the "identity"-type essays either, only because our paths there was a bit circuitous. FWIW, DS doesn't want to be a doctor but does lean towards biomedical engineering.

We are still wondering if this is a good idea strategically, and letting DS decide on this.

I hope you and DH get admitted to all the schools DS applies too!

Not sure what this is supposed to mean by your snark. I was trying to be helpful with offering different counselor advices on how to approach this kind of question. I think kids shouldn't hide, but I don't think they need to go out of their way to showcase it either. If it's something that truly influences their career path or identity, either in positive or negative ways, then I guess mention it.

Anonymous wrote:There's no legitimate reason to include parent occupation on the app.

The parent isn't attending school

Occupation not required. The question is re: degree, and specifically to list the JD or leave it at MPP or PhD or a Bachelor's. Etc.

Anonymous wrote:Our college counselor pushed us to put in my family's higher education and career on the common app. DH is a surgeon and I am an engineer. She had no issue with DS mentioning anything related to my husband or my career in the job declaration, nor did she seem bothered that DS mentioned our career in the "identity"-type essays either, only because our paths there was a bit circuitous. FWIW, DS doesn't want to be a doctor but does lean towards biomedical engineering.

We are still wondering if this is a good idea strategically, and letting DS decide on this.

I hope you and DH get admitted to all the schools DS applies too!

Anonymous wrote:Certain college advisors say to downplay privilege. Sara Harberson says never put summer programs on your application (it shows you are privileged and rubs the AO and readers the wrong way), don’t list hobbies that show wealth, don’t mention any travel, “The Game” says to strategize parent’s occupations on the Common App, etc. I may be doing it wrong, but my kid is just going for it and being their authentic self. Isn’t that what they say they want? We are HHI, DC goes to private school, parents have advanced degrees, all signs of privilege are subtly in the application. Yes, we also have a stay at home parent with a JD. Who cares? Colleges are worried about money and budget cuts. Hopefully, this year there is a big bump for full pay, high stats, ED kids.

College consultants are frauds, except the ones who who help you kid do the actual work. (Then your kid is the fraud.)

Some AOs want unprivileged ( == "equity"), some AOs want privileged (bring more honor and donations to school).

Anonymous wrote:You all are seriously trying to hide your privilege? Crazy time.

How dare you accuse me of hiding my privilege!

I'm "Hispanic" !

(One of my child's great grandfathers moved to Venezuela from Spain. He was the COO of an oil company.)

Anonymous wrote:There's no legitimate reason to include parent occupation on the app.

The parent isn't attending school

That's why parents occupations are not required field.

There's no legitimate reason to include parent occupation on the app.

The parent isn't attending school

Interesting convo on YCBK. They admit that they look at everything including college to figure out if a kid is yieldable.


“You were talking about Layla, and you were talking about how the fact that one parent went to Harvard, one went to Dartmouth, and how that plays a role or doesn't play a role in the read, right? Because there were so many different ways that could be sliced.

It could be, we don't want to hold your privilege against you, but at the same time, understanding your privilege is part of understanding who you are, and then different institutions might have different thoughts on whether you're yieldable, and that could come into play. That was a really great nuanced conversation. Anything you want to add to that one, Hillary?

Yeah. It's interesting. Sometimes we'll see students who have parents who went to two IVs or both went to Stanford or something, and this is maybe a little bit unique to CC because CC is a unique place in many ways, but we won't automatically think that the student is not yieldable because what we offer is quite different and our community is quite different from some of those schools.”

From Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews: Tips To Help You Understand How Colleges Make Admissions Decisions, Oct 19, 2025

You all are seriously trying to hide your privilege? Crazy times.

The applications with a kid with a true hardship will shine through this nonsense.

The kid should be themselves on the application. What hardship would they write about in the essay? Not making the lacrosse team? Losing the big game? It’s okay to not get into an Ivy. Really, it will be fine.

First Gen students are clearly identified and students with a real hardship will write about it (homeless, incarcerated parent, etc).

Get a grip people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certain college advisors say to downplay privilege. Sara Harberson says never put summer programs on your application (it shows you are privileged and rubs the AO and readers the wrong way), don’t list hobbies that show wealth, don’t mention any travel, “The Game” says to strategize parent’s occupations on the Common App, etc. I may be doing it wrong, but my kid is just going for it and being their authentic self. Isn’t that what they say they want? We are HHI, DC goes to private school, parents have advanced degrees, all signs of privilege are subtly in the application. Yes, we also have a stay at home parent with a JD. Who cares? Colleges are worried about money and budget cuts. Hopefully, this year there is a big bump for full pay, high stats, ED kids.

Does that mean your kid didn't click "yes" on the "Are you applying for financial needs" on the common app, nor filling out FAFSA/CSS?

Why would they fill out the FASFA/CSS? We are full pay.

Then why would they hide parents degrees/education and occupation???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it better not to include it so reviewers and AOs are not like "ugh, an attorney parent" (regardless if you currently practice)?

You people are truly nuts

Dime a dozen. Fill it out and move on.

Anonymous wrote:Is it better not to include it so reviewers and AOs are not like "ugh, an attorney parent" (regardless if you currently practice)?

You people are truly nuts

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certain college advisors say to downplay privilege. Sara Harberson says never put summer programs on your application (it shows you are privileged and rubs the AO and readers the wrong way), don’t list hobbies that show wealth, don’t mention any travel, “The Game” says to strategize parent’s occupations on the Common App, etc. I may be doing it wrong, but my kid is just going for it and being their authentic self. Isn’t that what they say they want? We are HHI, DC goes to private school, parents have advanced degrees, all signs of privilege are subtly in the application. Yes, we also have a stay at home parent with a JD. Who cares? Colleges are worried about money and budget cuts. Hopefully, this year there is a big bump for full pay, high stats, ED kids.

Does that mean your kid didn't click "yes" on the "Are you applying for financial needs" on the common app, nor filling out FAFSA/CSS?

Why would they fill out the FASFA/CSS? We are full pay.

Don't some schools suggest that you fill out FAFSA/CSS even for merit-based scholarships. I remember seeing it in Virginia Tech's, for example.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certain college advisors say to downplay privilege. Sara Harberson says never put summer programs on your application (it shows you are privileged and rubs the AO and readers the wrong way), don’t list hobbies that show wealth, don’t mention any travel, “The Game” says to strategize parent’s occupations on the Common App, etc. I may be doing it wrong, but my kid is just going for it and being their authentic self. Isn’t that what they say they want? We are HHI, DC goes to private school, parents have advanced degrees, all signs of privilege are subtly in the application. Yes, we also have a stay at home parent with a JD. Who cares? Colleges are worried about money and budget cuts. Hopefully, this year there is a big bump for full pay, high stats, ED kids.

Does that mean your kid didn't click "yes" on the "Are you applying for financial needs" on the common app, nor filling out FAFSA/CSS?

Why would they fill out the FASFA/CSS? We are full pay.