<p>People tell me that you increase your chances of admission at the top schools if you aren't asking for financial aid. Is that true? I'm from a middle-class family in an affluent area, and I'm wondering if schools in the Hamilton/Macalester/W&M world would hold it against me if I need money? Anybody have any thoughts on this?</p>
<p>If you need money to attend, it will do you no good to get accepted without aid. Your chances of admittance are not significantly increased, and most of the schools you have listed are need blind meaning they do not consider your ability to pay when you apply.</p>
<p>If you need aid, apply for aid. Otherwise you run the risk of getting accepted to the school without any aid.</p>
<p>If your family is willing to pay the full freight for all four years…then don’t apply for aid, if you don’t want to. BUT truthfully, I don’t think your chances of admittance will increase substantially.</p>
<p>*I’m from a middle-class family in an affluent area, and I’m wondering if schools in the Hamilton/Macalester/W&M world would hold it against me if I need money? *</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Why would they hold it against a middle-class student who happens to live an affluent area?</p>
<p>Don’t you think that college admission officers know that middle (and sometimes low) income people live there as well? </p>
<p>Why would they care where you live?</p>
<p>Besides, the most selective schools are often need-blind anyway.</p>
<p>thanks for the feedback.</p>
<p>I was always wondering like OP whether the student who is NOT asking for FA will have an edge over the student asking for aid, given both students are at par in all aspects of admission process. Ofcourse, they say they are need blind! After all these selective institutions are not charities completely. They have to look at their coffers as well. Any comments appreciated to enlighten myself!</p>
<p>vbv8dad, </p>
<p>There have been discussions about this before here on cc. Some posters have pointed out that it is odd that if the schools are need-blind, they would continue to hit around the same percentage of students getting aid and spend about the same on total aid per year.</p>
<p>Apply to an assortment of colleges. That continues to be a wise move for a variety of reasons.</p>
<p>Not all schools that meet full need are need blind and some, like Colgate, specifically state this on their website. Hamilton has not always been need blind but has adopted that policy for this year:</p>
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<p>*There have been discussions about this before here on cc. Some posters have pointed out that it is odd that if the schools are need-blind, they would continue to hit around the same percentage of students getting aid and spend about the same on total aid per year. *</p>
<p>Well, it’s a concern that “need blind, full need” schools sometimes choose a certain number of kids from certain zip codes or certain high schools because they know that those kids are likely to be able to pay more money.</p>
<p>So, if that’s the case, then a middle class student from an affluent area might have an advantage…the school might assume that they’ll be a full or near-full pay.</p>
<p>Some colleges are only need blind until they run out of financial aid money. That often happens at the end of the regular admissions cycle. Many people give preference on their waiting list to full pay students.</p>
<p>If you think your credentials are on the margin of being accepted for a college, and if you don’t think you would be eligible for much financial aid anyway, then don’t apply for financial aid. However, if you need it, apply for financial aid ,and apply to many different colleges so you can compare aid.</p>