Common app - parent place of birth question

John McCain was born to US citizen parents in the Panama Canal Zone, which was a US territory at the time. George Romney was born in Mexico to US citizen parents. Both acquired US citizenship at birth according to the laws of the time.

Although there has not been a Supreme Court case about whether someone was eligible for President based on the “natural-born citizen” requirement, it is usually assumed that this means someone who acquired US citizenship at birth.

Not that this has anything to do with the OP’s question.