<p>I've never understood this...
Do they just assume high if you don't check the FA box?</p>
<p>I think some ECs tend to be clues one way or another. A student who has her own horse and competes in horse shows all over the country is probably affluent. A student who works 20 hours a week during high school is probably not.
If you don't apply for financial aid, I'm not sure why it would matter to anyone.</p>
<p>-parent occupations
-school
-zip code</p>
<p>I don't think they'll go out of their way to find out if you're rich. Why would a need blind school care?</p>
<p>Somehow they come up with about the same percentage of full paying students every year. If they didn't, they'd be in big trouble. So your guess is as good as mine but they desperately need full paying customers.</p>
<p>Are you sure that's not just because the same proportion of affluent/poor students apply each year? Need blind schools tend to have huge endowments, don't they?</p>
<p>Anyway if you don't check the FA box are you even allowed to apply for financial aid?</p>
<p>Is any school's endowment big enough to meet their wants? Today I get an email about a $700 million budget cut at my son's ivy.</p>
<p>Same numbers every year? That would be a mighty big coincidence and highly improbable!</p>