Hi! I am an International applicant from Italy: I am applying to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Penn, Columbia, Northwestern, Fordham, NYU, Emerson, Boston University, LMU, DePaul, MMC.
I have requested/will request a fee waiver to all the schools I am applying to. However, right now I have the fear that requesting a fee waiver can be a little harmful to my chances of admission: as a First-gen college student, I know nothing about this.
I have two main concerns. I don’t want colleges (especially the Ivies) to think that they’re not my first choice or that I’m not really interested in them. And I don’t want them to think that I will not be able to afford college either (while I will be able instead). What do you think?
Not all of them are need -blind for internationals, which the OP is. Needing aid at a need aware school reduces admissions chances.
It somehow didn’t register with me that the OP was an international student (despite it being mentioned in the very first sentence). Thanks for the correction, Skieurope; I’ve deleted my post.