<p>Sorry for this question has been asked before or I'm ignorant, but I would like to know if including your parents income and occupation is required or optional? (particularly the common app)</p>
<p>Also if do put your parents occupation that is "highly regarded," and income is more than middle class, will it negatively affect admissions at top school?</p>
<p>You're going to have to apply for financial aid at some point. Or not, at which they'll assume you're high income (which you would be, if you can pay for a top school by yourself).</p>
<p>It won't help you (like being low-income might a little) but it won't hurt you, I don't think. Most top schools are need blind anyway so that says that they won't consider income/financial aid when deciding if you're in or not (I'm assuming that works for the upper end of the spectrum as well as the lower).</p>
<p>I guess it's completely optional. In fact, the whole common application personal information section only serves for statistics purpose...However it's just my two cents.</p>
<p>It's required if you are applying for any type of financial aid, whether need-based or merit. Usually that involves filling out the FAFSa forms.</p>
<p>not requiring aid should actually help you. a lot of top schools don't have the aid to give every qualified applicant who applies, if you are qualified enough to get in - you will likely get in so they can give their aid assets to someone else who is just as qualified or more so. This probably works differently at HYPS, where there is enough aid to go around.</p>