<p>I am in the middle of applying for college and am wondering if that because I won't have to ask for any financial aid I will have a little leg up in admissions.</p>
<p>It's easy to find out, and no one can answer for you. Check out the colleges. Need-blind colleges do NOT look at whether you need aid in admissions decisions. Need-aware colleges do. Obviously, you will receive no advantage in the former. The websites usually say.</p>
<p>Most colleges are need-blind at this point. But yeah, check specific colleges. You might find some that are need-aware, and at those, you have an advantage.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm the pessimist here, but I think most colleges are need-aware.</p>
<p>Isn't there a question on the CommonApp asking if you are applying for FinAid?? Is this considered need-blind then?</p>
<p>Many, many small liberal arts colleges--fine ones--are need aware. We've had reps coming through our college center over the past few weeks, and the majority have responded to this question that they ARE need-aware, but will also cover 100% of demonstrated need for those students who require it.</p>
<p>Check out this thread on Parents Forum </p>
<p>One question that was asked of Van Buskirk:</p>
<p>"A lot of parents believe if that if they apply for financial aid, the student's chances of getting in are reduced. Is that true?
I believe that is the case. I would further say that it depends on where the student is applying. It is really important for students to put themselves on the right playing field. By that, I mean putting themselves into a competition that makes sense for them. Find the place that matches up with your ability to perform. Find the place that values you for what you do well. That school will make sure you get what you need in order to complete your education. The bottom line is that a student's ability to be self-supporting financially is an important credential at many places."</p>
<p>Every school runs like a business. They want to use their financial aid to attract the kind of student body they want. If you are an Asian with high scores, you would have a better chance of getting in to small LACs. If you are a male, you would have a better chance of getting into schools with higher female/male ratio.</p>
<p>TheWerg is wrong: most colleges don't have the resources to be need blind. Actually VERY few colleges are need blind.</p>
<p>Just make sure you check if the college is need blind or not as suggested above. If they don't say it you cannot assume they are.</p>
<p>No it doesn't. It's all myth. Not for the tippy top colleges like Ivies.</p>
<p>OP doesn't want "need-blind". OP can meet his/her own need so this should be a benefit with most schools. Oreo, when applications ask if you will be needing financial aid, that is their way of wanting to be "need-aware". If you check "yes" and aren't a stellar student, they know they can't give you much. If they accept you, chances are you'd have to turn them down and this affects their acceptance rates. Am I being to harsh here??</p>
<p>I'm SURE it helps a little. Like someone said earlier, colleges are like businesses. They want money and they don't (like most people) want to lose money by cutting the tuition. I'm not saying they don't; I'm just saying they "mentally" wouldn't want to.</p>
<p>If you search the College Confidential site you will find a list of need blind schools. The list is very short, about twenty schools out of thousands in the U.S., and for the most part they are the wealthiest, most elite schools. Almost all schools consider whether you need aid as an admissions factor. For many schools, the issue of aid will only come into play on borderline cases, when they need to choose the last few admits from a large pile of equally ranked applicants. For other schools, the need for aid is a regular factor, like test scores and letters of recommendations.</p>
<p>What if you don't need aid but will be applying for merit scholarships - does that factor differently?</p>
<p>HighlandMom - I think the question is whether the merit scholarship is part of financial aid, if so, then it's no different. Most schools use merit scholarship to attract highly qualified students. As an example, Duke offers full scholarship to students that would normally go to HYPS, and not based on financial need at all.</p>
<p>Hi, I'm new to the forum. Can you direct me to this list of need blind schools? Also, what is the exact definition of a need blind school?</p>
<p>My son is a good student, may get National Merit, and will hopefully get some kind of merit scholarship. </p>
<p>We will need some aid, probably a good bit, although we doubt we will be seen as "needy", by the FAFSA definition of the word. </p>
<p>However, we don't want our request for need to lessen his chances of getting in a private college, especially one out of state. The local state college is a major party school, and while many kids go there for free straight from high school, because of the state scholarship program, they usually lose their scholarship money by the end of the first year due to not meeting the academic requirements.</p>
<p>I'm curious if the schools that we are looking at are on that need blind list.</p>
<p>Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>Don't be hi-jacking the thread.</p>
<p>Sorry, when I said most colleges, I meant most colleges CCers are prone to applying to. As in, super-rich Ivy League schools. Apologies.</p>