<p>All the applications ask about your parents martial status. Does it help/hurt or mean anything if your parents are separated or divorced? Or is it just something they want to know but does not affect admissions chances at all?</p>
<p>I think you can play it to your advantage by means of your essay. A divorced family can cause lot of stress, and/or financial hardship. So you can bring out that even with such a hardship/stress, you were able to perform well at school.</p>