<p>I just read a blog (see link) that states that the order students list schools on the FAFSA could influence their admission chances or their aid award. Anyone know whether there's any fact/truth to this?</p>
<p>The</a> Big Mistake Students Make When Filling Out FAFSA</p>
<p>Here’s a thread on the same subject from a few months ago:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1570250-using-fafsa-against-students.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1570250-using-fafsa-against-students.html</a></p>
<p>People here can speculate whether it’s true or not but only the colleges know for sure.</p>
<p>The scholarship/financial aid advisor in the college office at my daughter’s high school said to list schools in alphabetical order, which is what I did.</p>
<p>Listed mine alphabetically by state, just because I only had to change one search box at a time that way.</p>
<p>The vast majority of colleges are need blind for admissions. This means that the admissions office NEVER sees the FAFSA. The financial aid office and the admissions office are not one in the same. Even for schools that are need aware, it is speculated that admissions knows the financial need, not that admissions sees the FAFSA.</p>
<p>But there are folks who strongly feel that this will affect their kiddo’s either admissions or aid prospects. If you feel that way, you can actually submit one FAFSA at a time…wait for it to be processed…delete, and submit to the next school. This WILL take a bit of time as it does take time for the FAFSA to be processed. OR list alphabetically.</p>
<p>I don’t want to speak for others…but a financial aid officer who posts here says her job is to craft aid packages. Stairs takes a lot of time. She does not have time, nor is she interested in where else students send their FAFSA forms. </p>
<p>Remember, some students submit FAFSA forms and then either don’t apply or withdraw applications. Yep…that happens too. Schools listed on the FAFSA are just that…schools listed on the FAFSA. And colleges KNOW most students are applying to more than one school, and if they need aid are apply for it at more than one school.</p>
<p>It could. For some state schools, you have to list a school for the processing. I don’t remember the state (CA?) and in that sort of situation, you may have to file multiple FAFSA to get processing on a number of state schools.</p>
<p>Also, some school that share personnel or have the same personnel in FIn aid and in Admissions, those making the decisions have access to the FAFSAs, Most fin aid offices do not. They can see you checked the little box that indicates you are applying for fin aid, but they will not have any idea what your FAFSA has on it, what schools you have on it, and how much aid you will be needing. The little X just indicates that if and when the student is accepted, the name has to be sent to FA for a package to be put together.</p>
<p>But there are some schools that do use the information. Augustana college has so said that it does or has. Muhlenberg shares the info. St Mary’s of MD used to have all the info in one place. But the vast, vast majority of college do not. Admissions and fin aid are two separate offices, often located apart without much get together. Often the relationship is a bit adversarial. </p>
<p>You can outright ask Admissions if they look at any of the financial aid info, such as FAFSA. If they hedge about the answer, then they do look at some of it. The schools I’ve known have said right out that they do not. I personally know some folks who work in Admissions, and they tell me that at their schools they absoltuely are need blind for admissions and don’t get a peek at the FAFSAs or any such info. FIn Aid generally crunches the numbers and are under the gun to do it. They don’t play around with things like where else is the person applying for aid, and what order did they list the schools on the FAFSA. For that matter if they are truly looking for something like order such schools probably are interested in where else you are applying, and that could have effect too. </p>
<p>There is a point of diminishing returns when you start worrying about these things. If there are some schools that you really have high interest and worry that these things will affect you, then file a solitary FAFSA for that school. Then, all they will have is the info for them and not know. </p>
<p>Another question, not a fin aid one, is whether when you use the common app these days, whether the admissions folks know what other schools you have included in your app list. Anyone know the answer to that one?</p>