<p>A friend wrote about her service trips (to Costa Rica none the less!) and is now at Berkeley majoring in EECS. Besides, at the vast majority of institutions, wealth is a good thing. It means you’re more likely both to get admitted and pay for the school. There’s a reason why “need blind” colleges consistently have an absurdly high percentage of 1%ers. Even if they don’t look at financial need, they still look at other “clues” regarding an applicant’s ability to pay, even if it’s unintentional.</p>