Does not applying for Financial Aid really increase your chances for admi. at Ivies?

<p>Is it really true? I seem to come across this in lot of different thread but is their any real statistics to back this.</p>

<p>No. Not these days. Their deep pockets allow for need-blind admissions: meaning they will assemble the class regardless of Financial need. This at least is the stated policy. The resultant admitted classes may have certain trends of course but AFAIK, no one on the FA dept sits on any admissions discussion. Some ivies may not have this policy for Internat'l students however. I know that Y has need-blind admissions for internationals too.</p>

<p>Frankly a few million one year to the next isn't that much a big deal to them (consider Y's endowment growth from $4B fifteen years ago to it's current $11B or so)</p>

<p>A lot of smaller colleges (LAC) do not have need-blind admissions. And, with their enrollments increasing, i think being rich(er) gives you more of an advantage.</p>

<p>Not at Caltech.</p>

<p>I guess kids with no financial need do have better chances but not directly because they can pay their tuition bill, but rather because on average they have been exposed to other (better) opportunities over the course of their life than someone who would require a substantial amount of fin aid.</p>

<p>Any statistic trying to argue one point or another would be doomed to fail because students from the lower and lowed middle class compete with different credentials than students from the upper middle and upper class and are therefore not comparable.</p>

<p>Not at ivies, but at many private colleges.</p>

<p>Yes, the advantage at ivies comes earlier for kids who can afford top private schools, tutors, private college counselors and such.</p>

<p>Im guessing that because the Ivies these days.. especially HYP with their financial aid initiatives are striving for socioeconomic diversity, it doesn't increase your chances if you don't apply for financial aid, as you never know whether they are on the lookout for less affluent students or more wealthier students to create the diversity they are looking for. if you get in it might have been because you applied for financial aid, or because you didn't.</p>

<p>it better not.</p>

<p><em>angry at bias</em></p>