<p>“Some schools don’t offer merit aid - period” - Yep. That’s how it works… and sometimes those are the schools the top kids most favor. </p>
<p>OP - Yes, the whole process does age us. I was quite shocked to not sprout grey hairs during college app season 2 years ago for our youngest. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Colleges can’t raise GPA averages by knowingly admitting kids who can’t afford to attend, because (as DeskPotato points out) the reported averages are based on matriculating not admitted students. They’d only be lowering their yields and raising admit rates. Therefore, from a cynical ranking and maketing perspective, they’d be better off rejecting these applicants outright. </p>
<p>At need-aware schools that cannot cover 100% of determined need, some applicants are admitted without adequate aid. These students presumably are less sought-after than other admitted students (for any number of reasons, possibly regardless of GPA in some cases). The school may calculate that, even though many of these students will decide not to attend, others will make the effort to cover costs (with loans, gifts from grandparents, part-time jobs, etc.) because they won’t get better offers from equally or more desirable schools. If you find yourself in this situation with your first-choice school, be sure to make them aware of any better offers you’ve received from peer colleges. By raising the ante enough to enroll more kids like yours, they’ll not only be raising their own yield but also lowering their competitors’.</p>