<p>Is it true that being from a low-income family and advantage to most top schools?
How about Johns Hopkins?Is it also an advantage if a student is from a low-income family?</p>
<p>Not really, you should at least have something that would make the top schools to accept you.</p>
<p>It may be an advantage in FA for top need blind schools, but not acceptance.</p>
<p>Before last year schools may have been need blind but with the economic downturn and endowments slashed these schools have instead become need aware. You are certainly at an advantage if you’re able to pay the total bill.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s an advantage. However, there are choice few schools that “like” low-income/first generation/minority students (preferably more than one of those qualifications) who have “overcome obstacles”. But that’s IN ADDITION TO a phenomenal application. For example, a whooping 17% of Stanford’s student body is first generation and I BELIEVE 24% are from families making under $60k (Stanford’s “low income” marker). That’s pretty unbelievable for an elite college.</p>
<p>Being need blind and meeting 100% of need are two different things. The vast majority of colleges do not meet need. Recruiting low income kids is a priority for very few schools and as Waitingdad says, it may be less of a priority this year.</p>