<p>I hear what you’re all saying…nonetheless, my friends whose kids applied to competitive, D2, need aware/meets full-need schools all were required to fill out the CSS, even though it was clear they would not receive FA. It doesn’t say that they need to on the website, but they did. They did not know why. I notice that at least at one of those schools, the CSS is due before the decision and so surmise that it has to do with admissions decisions.</p>
<p>There aren’t many of these schools–more schools claim to need blind, but don’t guarantee that they will meet full need (or in the case of Ivies, are both need blind AND meet full need) in which case it wouldn’t matter whether the parent fills out the fa applications or not–but it makes perfect sense that need aware/meet full need schools would want evidence of a family’s need or lack of need–both because it will be easier for a full-pay student to get admitted and because they guarantee to meet full need. Requiring that parents fill out the CSS seems to me a safeguard that parent will not try to go full pay for better admissions , then apply for FA down the road.</p>