These measures do not require explicitly considering financial need in the admissions process. Many characteristics correlate to high income and wealth, so adjusting the weight of characteristics can be done to adjust the neediness of the admit class downward. For example:
- All academic criteria tend to correlate with higher income and wealth. Test scores and large numbers of AP courses in high school are probably stronger than others in this regard. Requiring SAT subject tests may screen out poorer students who may not realize in time that some schools require them (since their high school counselors may not be that aware of such requirements so that they can remind the students).
- Legacy applicants are not first generation by definition, and less likely than average to be from low income and wealth families.
- High achievement in many types of extracurriculars is expensive, such as travel to high level competitions, expensive equipment, etc..
- Requiring recommendations disfavors poorer students, since they are less likely to attend high schools with counselors and teachers who are aware of recommendation deadlines and can write good recommendations.
- Requiring interviews disfavors poorer students, who may not have the upper-middle to upper-class socialization that alumni interviewers may be accustomed to.
- Giving less regard to first generation status disproportionately disfavors poorer students.
- Giving less regard to work experience as an extracurricular achievement disfavors poorer students.