Hey guys. So through this whole application process, I’ve found many schools tout the “Need Blind” title. I saw it so often I kind of took it for granted. When I googled Bryn Mawr Need Blind however, the first link was to an International FAQ page.
This is what it read:
Is Bryn Mawr need-blind?
No. Bryn Mawr College is “need sensitive.” This means that the amount of aid a student requests of the College may affect the admission decision. This is because Bryn Mawr has a limited pool of resources, yet is also committed to meeting full demonstrated need for all admitted students. Once admissibility is determined, funds are distributed until the financial aid budget has been depleted. If there are places remaining in the class, a student’s request for aid may determine if she is admitted or not.
So… broken down, what does this mean? That if I can hypothetically prove that I have the means to pay, it would up my admissions chances?
Thanks in advance!
If you apply for FA, the amount of need you have will be considered as part of your admissions decision. A student needing a lot of aid has reduced chances; higher stats might make them more willing to give you aid, though. Admissions will work with the FA office at the college; the FA office determines the need you have based on you FAFSA, CSS Profile, tax documents submitted, etc. A student who doesn’t even request FA is assumed to be capable of paying in full. You don’t have to “prove it” in that case – but don’t say you don’t need FA if you really do, as they aren’t going to just turn around and give it to you later.
This also means students coming off the waitlist who need FA may not get in.
I have kids with recent experience with Bryn Mawr; one who attended (and worked in the admissions office part-time) and one who applied/was accepted but chose another college in the end. Bryn Mawr is need-sensitive (NOT need-blind) …and if you do not apply for financial aid as an entering student, you will not be eligible for financial aid in any of later years of attendance either (even if your financial circumstances change). So your financial need (or lack thereof) is very much considered and factored into the admissions decisions, and you are unable to “game” it by somehow not applying for financial aid initially and then paying for your initial year of attendance without financial aid but then thinking you might get any financial aid in your later years of attendance. (But if you apply for financial aid from the outset, even if you don’t initially qualify to get any, then you still are eligible in future years to apply for financial aid and get it if you qualify for any in future years.) However, Bryn Mawr was fabulous in the experience of my daughter who attended it, so I would not let this dissuade you from applying; just know that if you have high financial need, that may reduce your chances of admission unless that is counterbalanced by whatever else you bring to Bryn Mawr insofar as the students they need/desire.
I wonder when this happened? From the website (not under international):
Bryn Mawr College is need-sensitive with respect to admission. 77% of students in the Class of 2020 received some form of financial aid, demonstrating Bryn Mawr’s substantial commitment. Once admissibility is determined, funds are distributed until the financial aid budget has been exhausted. If there are places remaining to be filled in the class, a student’s eligibility for aid may be taken into account.
I wouldn’t really worry. My child applied to several “need aware” colleges including Bryn Mawr, Smith, MHC and Williams. She was admitted to all of them and received excellent FA packages. From what I am told, this policy only affects you if you would have been a ‘marginal’ admit. My advice is to apply and see what happens.
It should be irrelevant to applicants if a school is need aware or need blind; meeting full need is the important thing. Would you rather attend a need-blind school that doesn’t meet full need, or a need-aware school that does? A school’s being need blind or aware doesn’t affect how much you like a school, but rather only the chance of admission. If you otherwise like the school and it’s a good match, apply!
I believe I have a hazy memory of having read somewhere in the past that the change to need-aware at certain colleges may have been partly caused by the aftermath of the Bernie Madoff scandal, where many colleges lost quite a lot of money through their endowment investments. I do also think, though, that if/when colleges are faced with the decision of whether to become need sensitive or to stop guaranteeing meeting 100 percent of need for admitted applicants, the kinder decision is to be need sensitive. Unfortunately, the economic reality must be that for those colleges, they just cannot presently financially afford to be both.