<p>I always wondered this. Suppose a college is 'need-blind' but as soon as you ask for a fee waiver of the application, they'll obviously know that you can't even afford a $100 application fee let alone 4 years of college? How do they stay 'need-blind' while offering fee waiver? Is it safe to ask for fee waiver?</p>
<p>The admissions staff considering your application is different from the group that authorizes your fee waiver. It’s safe.</p>
<p>Also, being need-blind means that their admissions decision is independent of whether you need aid, not that they won’t know if you need aid.</p>
<p>In any case, the top schools that say they are need-blind truly are. Others, eh.</p>
<p>But in any case, stop overthinking things. The bottom line is, either you get in or you don’t, and if you’ll need aid, you’ll need aid and not asking for a fee waiver won’t give you a leg up.</p>