<p>Just thinking . . . do you think those colleges that profess to be need-blind are really so? Do you think an applicant's chance of admission is greater if he/she isn't requesting financial aid?</p>
<p>Honest thoughts, please. Thanks.</p>
<p>No one knows for sure, case closed</p>
<p>I only know the way it works at MIT, but I would assume it's similar at other need-blind schools.</p>
<p>At MIT, the admissions office and the financial aid office work completely independently -- there's no discussion of applicants whatsoever prior to the time decisions are released. The financial aid office prepares a financial aid package for every student who qualifies for aid, without knowing whether he or she will be admitted, and the admissions office selects students without knowing whether they have applied for aid.</p>
<p>So at MIT, admission is completely independent of financial aid.</p>
<p>The average tuition at HYPM is over $45000/year. Based on their own estimates, the cost of EDUCATING one student is about $90000. Therefore, even with someone who foots the whole tab, the school is LOSING $45000 each year for every student. The cost is millions every year. On top of this, what is a few million more? Really? The endowments of H and Y and others are amazing. Yale's endowment went from $11B to $23B in the last FIVE YEARS.</p>
<p>Do you think Yale really practices NEED BLIND admissions as they've said since 1966? I do.</p>
<p>These schools operate in figures that are hard to imagine.</p>
<p>It depends as there are many different scenarios:</p>
<p>The overwhelming majority of schools in this country are need aware/need sensitive. This is especially true at the end of the admission cycle when choosing between 2 similiary qualified students. The students who needs less of the college's resources will get the tip.</p>
<p>When it comes to need blind schools, remember that a school is only need blind in the admissions process and every school that is need blind does not meet 100% of your demonstrated need in the FA process. There are only really a small handful as those that are need blind and meet 100% demonstrated need with little or no loans are just a few. These schools are the most comptetitive as far as gaining admissions. </p>
<p>Mollie hit the nail on the head; at the most selective colleges(which are both need blind and meet 100% of your demonstrated need) the admissions and financial aid operate separately for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, they are truly need blind. </p>
<p>Schools that distribute their own institutional funds often use the FAFSA in conjunction with the CSS profile or their own FA forms and request information from all parents (and stepparents) regardless of their marital status , divorce agreements or what parents want to pay.</p>
<p>Some schools are also need blind to citizens of Canada and Mexico (you must check the school's website as ymmv).</p>
<p>There are very very few schools that are need blind and meet 100% demonstrated need to international students. Again, these are amongst the most competitive as far as gaining admission. For international students, your ability to pay at most colleges/univeristies in the U.S. will be a factor in the admissions process.</p>
<p>noobcake is on target, no one knows for sure. There seem to be some games being played.</p>
<p>I am reasonably sure that there are need blind schools. Most of the larger schools do not bother to look at need. They also do not worry about meeting need when it comes to FA. If you look at their admissions staff, you can see that there is no time to process those apps and weigh in need. They take enough kids that they know that the rule of large numbers ensures a pretty steady yield without having to worry about being need aware or providing a large % of need. I also believe that those schools that give generous financial aid are need blind.</p>
<p>I believe the top Ivies are indeed need blind. Harvard is being pressured by the state of Massachusetts to spend more of their endowment or risk having it taxed. They substantially increased aid to "middle" class families with the new aid initiative (up to $170,000 income), and many families were delighted with their packages this spring and summer. Many who never received a dime before are now only paying 10% of their income. </p>
<p>Princeton is likewise extremely generous to demonstrated need. </p>
<p>Typically, only international students are weighed on their ability to pay in admissions, or so the CC discussions indicate.</p>
<p>There are also a few that offer need-blind and 100% demonstrated need for Internationals. Yale and Middlebury come to mind. I think there are a few more</p>