<p>What exactly are they asking for? position as in job position or the Mr/madam thing?</p>
<p>They are asking for what their position is in their job.</p>
<p>They are looking for the job title.</p>
<p>but it says mandatory if parent is living.... makes sense? My parents could be retired or unemployed....</p>
<p>so then put retired or unemployed.</p>
<p>but there's already one section for accupation...</p>
<p>There is a line for type of occupation and another line for specific job title.</p>
<p>Sigh. For example, my dad is an industrial engineer: that’s his ocupation.
his job title is Director of (CITY) Affairs</p>
<p>The less information you give in this section of the common app, the better.</p>
<p>why is it the less you give the better? if your parents professions give away that you don’t need financial aid, isn’t that slightly in your benefit?</p>
<p>^
Because colleges don’t care. They want to see where you’re coming from and they have higher expectations from fancy job titles–although you can’t fool them too much.</p>
<p>If your parents make enough money or are important enough to affect your admission to a college, it won’t be through the application. </p>
<p>I think that the advice is that if your father is “CEO of BB&T” but something like, “Banker.” As for me I put “Disabled” under both of my parents… hopefully that won’t have negative connotations.</p>
<p>“they have higher expectations from fancy job titles–although you can’t fool them too much.”</p>
<p>So say your father was a lawyer and you were applying to pre-law program, it would look worse than the child of a physicist who was applying to a writing program? And if a parent was a “senior analyst” or something it would be better to just say “analyst”?</p>
<p>@bobdylan4444, that wasn’t his point at all. anyways, it doesn’t matter if your father is a lawyer and you’re applying to pre-law… (unless he bought a building/is a legacy)</p>
<p>the fact remains that they certainly expect more from the kid of a CEO than of a factory worker.</p>
<p>oh okay thanks for clearing that up. Sorry, I got so confused because I’ve heard the exact opposite from everyone I talked to. (Maybe that’s because neither of my parents are CEO’s of major companies)</p>
<p>I’ll be specific. Both of my parents have their own dental clinics. What would the appropriate position be? Self-employed? CEO?</p>
<p>Charles V ; if both your parents have their own dental clinics; the title could be “owner”.</p>
<p>I thought it could. But the ‘‘owner’’ doesn’t necessarily work there.</p>
<p>Head of Clinic? Director? Bumpity bump, btw.</p>