<p>How much does Brown's admissions policy help you if you do not apply for financial aid? If you're at a college with the same level of academics, will both of these factors put you near the top of the list?</p>
<p>bump 
:)</p>
<p>Bumping after an hour is excessive, a 24 hr interval between bumps is reasonable.</p>
<p>The best data on your first question is in the link I gave on the first page of the Official Brown thread.</p>
<p>The answer to your second question depends on what you did while at HS & college.</p>
<p>No one really knows, but I’ve heard that over the past several years, Brown has raised a lot more money for transfer students. Thus, the advantage enjoyed by students who didn’t apply for financial aid may have declined.</p>
<p>Also, not applying for financial aid and being “at a college with the same level of academics” won’t be nearly enough to make you a competitive candidate. Brown received about 2000 applicants this year and – if the trends hold – will likely accept less than 200, or 10%. To get in, your application needs to stand out in many ways – grades, extracurriculars, essays, recommendations, etc.</p>
<p>(Disclosure: I am actually hoping that the need-aware advantage is much larger than I believe it is, as it’s probably the only way I’m getting in!)</p>