<p>While reading through many colleges' websites, many claim that they are need-blind. However, I often see on different results forums that think that they might have been rejected due to their high amount of need while applying to a school that claimed to be need-blind. Yes, I am aware that there are could have been lots of other reasons for their rejection, but does financial need impact admissions even when the college claims that they are need-blind? For instance, I am planning on applying to Lehigh University which claims to be need-blind. However from the financial aid breakdown, it seems that they do "reserve" a few slots for people who are willing to pay full-ride or do not need any aid. I wouldn't say that I would need a full-ride scholarship to go but I am applying for aid. During my junior year, certain circumstances caused our family income to go down (which will be explained by my counselor rec) but will they read my counselor rec and would I be at a disadvantage when applying (grades are also a bit on the low side b/c of what happened junior year) because they would think that I need quite a bit of aid to attend? I apologize in advance for this rambly post. </p>
<p>If a college is need-blind, then my understanding is that the admissions office and financial aid office work entirely separately from each other and the admissions officers know next to nothing about the applicant’s financial situation. However, there are schools who are “need-blind” but only for domestic students and are need-aware for internationals, so perhaps that is the scenario you are referring to. </p>
<p>What evidence do you have that they “reserve” spots for people who can pay full price? It is a selective school, and tends to attract people from affluent backgrounds, so it should be assumed that a significant percentage of the student body can afford to attend there. </p>
<p>69% of incoming freshman receive some type of financial aid at Lehigh. </p>
<p>There is just nothing you can do about so I don’t know why you are concerned. If a school says they are need blind and you don’t want to trust what is there to do? You have to apply for aid, right? You aren’t thinking of not applying for aid and just getting loans and being full pay I hope? Or are you just going to skip applying? Just don’t worry about things you can’t control. Why fuss and fret about every little aspect of applying, just let it go. Lehigh and other costly colleges have tons of full pay kids, 'reserve a few spots; my ass.</p>
<p>On another thread you stated that your family income is 100K+, and your GPA is 3.3. That makes financial aid a little harder to get.</p>
<p>To answer your question on that thread, if you are graduating high school in June of 2015 and starting college in September of 2015, the financial aid decisions will be based upon your parents’ 2014 earnings/assets.</p>
<p>so if you want to get into the numbers, you can look at the common data set, section H. they report 95 percent of need met. At least half the students are full pay, it seems. But no one can really tell you if they do what they say. Certainly a HS applicants guess in these forums when they were rejected doesn’t mean too much. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.lehigh.edu/~oir/cds/lucds2013.htm”>http://www.lehigh.edu/~oir/cds/lucds2013.htm</a></p>
<p>Do you understand that the college calculates the need from your financial forms? According to section H, the average award is 30 or 35k but that means nothing for you individually. Did you run the Net Price Calculator to see an estimate of what Lehigh thinks you need would be yet? And I assume you are looking at other colleges too?</p>
<p>@BrownParent @KKmama Thanks for replying. I guess I’m just being overly paranoid about the small things but you’re right, it’s out of my control. We haven’t ran the NPC yet but we’re also planning on meeting a financial aid counselor at Lehigh soon. To answer your other question, yes, I am looking at other colleges too and I have 2 financial aid safeties (in-state). Thanks again for the help. </p>
<p>@Ranza123 Yes, that is the situation I was referring to. </p>
<p>Run the NPCs before meeting with the FA counselor. Go in to the meeting prepared.</p>