<p>^^^^^</p>
<p>I doubt that is any easy ‘tell’ at least in my neck of the woods. Parents may give the kid the car, but require him to pay for the gas and partially fund the car insurance. Even families with 7 figure incomes require the kid to get a job - because that’s what they had to do.</p>
<p>Actually, many lower-tier schools honestly practice need-blind admission–they just don’t guarantee to meet the full need of the FA students that they admit.</p>
<p>Keilexandra, In a way, isn’t it better for a school to honestly admit it is need-aware, admit its quota of full pay students needed to “break even”, and then meet the full need of students who require financial aid? It seems more rational to me and I suspect many, if not most, colleges do this.</p>
<p>^ It’s sometimes (often?) the other way around: they admit need-blind until the aid budget is exhausted, then admit the full pays until they’re full (all subject to yields).</p>
<p>^^ Didn’t say I agreed with the practice, which is what Reed did before it went need-aware and 100% need (since it can’t afford both). Most of the schools I’m aware of that practice need-blind admissions but don’t meet 100% need couldn’t afford to meet 100% of need regardless–so at least they can say that they’re “need-blind.”</p>
<p>Admittedly, I have no idea what the approach should be other than it does seem it would be appealing to admit a bunch of full-pay early decision so that you have some dollars locked in thus being able to leverage your limited budget better. If that makes sense (a big if), perhaps I would defer many early-decision/early action needy students. My thought being that I’d rather look at at a ‘fuller’ pool of needy candidates to make the best decision for the entire entering class. Does that make sense?</p>
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<p>Most schools use the CA, which provides for the needs of both need-blind and need-aware schools, thus the FA box.</p>
<p>I’m not saying tht need blind schools don’t use factors on the application to assess likely need, just that the fact that there’s a check box on the CA does not in itself mean that FA is taken into account at need blind schools.</p>
<p>I work at a need blind campus. While it may seem hard to believe we are need blind. Why is it so hard to believe. FA and admissions do not interact during the admissions process. Once a student is accepted all relevant info is sent over to the FA office who then determine need level.The alumni are the ones supporting our generous FA program (yeah!). By the way I meet several alumni that had made major gifts in support of the FA program. Both were from low income families received FA and felt that their college experience played a major role in their success after graduation.</p>
<p>In this economy the majority of schools in reality are “need aware”. Two equally qualified students…the one that can pay the 50k goes.</p>
<p>It really depends on the school, but for most colleges I would say it’s not a primary factor. I think it becomes more of a factor when looking at waitlisted applicants or borderline applicants. I remember at one of the info sessions I was at at a reasonably good school (Patriot League) the admissions rep admitted that if he had two pretty much equal applicants on the waitlist he would take the one who needed less aid. This was like if it was the absolute last kid they could take though. By and large I would say most colleges are “need blind” or at least need “legally blind”.</p>
<p>appdad:</p>
<p>I for one, am willing to accept at face value that colleges that claim to be need-blind truly believe that they are. But it is impossible for a highly selective college to be need-blind. Test scores are income-related. GPA is income-related. Taking lotsa AP/IB courses is income-related. ECs are income-related. Well-written essays can be income-related. Etc. Etc. The point is that EVERY admission criteria used by highly selective colleges is correlated with higher income families. </p>
<p>Like some colleges, Williams College freely admits that they give admission tips to low income kids (“low ec”)…while definitely admirable, how can they accomplish that and still be need-blind? My public state Uni also gives tips to low income kids but claims to be need-blind – impossible to do both!</p>
<p>Again, it can’t just be circumstance that the % of kids on finaid NEVER varies at a particular college. Look at the common data sets over time of many private colleges and you’ll find the % receiving need-based aid does not change year after year after year. How could that happen if admissions was truly need-blind.</p>
<p>^^^ Of schools that meet 100% of need, the need-aware schools can be considered need-blind until the aid budget is depleted. So of the two equally qualified students, they both get in until the money runs out.</p>
<p>Will the fact that my parents have paid my brother’s tuition at Dartmouth on time and in full every time help my chances at all? Or the fact that he is also doing very well?</p>
<p>no .</p>