<p>My parents are in the mid-high income bracket and it is very likely that if i applied for financial aid next year, I would get next to nothing. For this reason, my family is strongly considering foregoing FAFSA so that my application will not be hindered by my "need" status. However, some universities such as Carnegie Mellon offer merit-based scholarships specifically to families that do not qualify for need-based aid. In order to qualify for that scholorship, however, I must submit FAFSA to prove that my family income is too high for need-based aid. If i demonstrate "need" when applying to carnegie mellon can I apply to other schools without requesting financial aid, or will they all see that i filled out FAFSA?</p>
<p>If you think you can get merit based scholarships at Carnegie Mellon, then most schools in your range are probably need blind.</p>
<p>In any case, I believe you send FAFSAs just like you send SATs- only the recipients chosen would receive it.</p>
<p>You can pick and choose among different colleges when applying for aid, but as the first reply said, if you are competitive for very competitive colleges, you may as well apply everywhere.</p>