<p>When an admissions office indicates that it is need-blind, it is indicating that it ignores financial need in the admissions process. However, I think some still ask in the application if the student intends to apply for financial aid. Does anyone think there is still some advantage in admissions for an applicant to refrain from applying for financial aid?</p>
<p>Not if the school says it is need blind. At another private school, applying without asking for aid may help but don’t ask for aid later</p>
<p>Only a very very small handful of colleges say they are need blind in their admissions. These elite few are extremely proud of this fact and guard this policy with great passion. Their alumni are fiercely protective of this status as well. Not surprisingly, these schools tend to have very large endowments and even with the economic downturn, have all stated that they wouldn’t waver from their previous course.</p>
<p>I see no reason to doubt them at their word.</p>
<p>My alma mater has about 65-70% of matriculants receiving some sort of Fin Aid. Their overall accept rate is under 8% so if they wanted to save FA awards, they certainly could have accepted more non-FA students. They haven’t.</p>
<p>All we know is that there are financial aid budgets and somehow the colleges stay within them…</p>
<p>… good point Red. But for my alma mater, there seems to be a range… It is a matter of what comes first, eh? Egg or chicken.</p>
<p>We do also know there is creep…more and more colleges admitting to not being able to be need blind at the end of the season.</p>
<p>… given that my alma mater’s endowment shrank by six billion (that’s billion with a “B”), it does cause me some concern. But their admissions stands by the fact that they haven’t felt the pressure one way or the other. Now the rest of the campus… three rounds of staff cuts and many projects put on hold. That’s reality.</p>
<p>You can rest assure that HYP (and two or three other peer schools) are completely need-blind. For the rest, well, you just have to give them the benefit of the doubt. If they say they’re need-blind, what can you do other than believe them?</p>
<p>While there is more than a handful of colleges that state they are need blind ([Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia)) there are many other de facto colleges that are need blind - the public Us. Those schools will just gap the student - you can afford it or not.</p>
<p>One aspect to consider is the separation of the admissions and financial aid departments. D applied to 6 need-blind schools last year and was admitted to 3. At some of the schools admission and financial aid were two different departments, at others admissions & fin aid were one department. At one school a financial aid estimate was provided by the regional admissions person. While this school advertises that it is need blind, I can’t help but wonder if need subconsciously enters into the admissions decision since the same people are involved. (She was admitted to this school.) </p>
<p>If there is not a wall of separation between admissions and financial aid, you really have to take the school at its word, but I be surprised if any cheated. The bad publicity and possible law suits would deeply hurt any school that made a bogus need-blind claim.</p>