<p>I know that Duke keeps their financial aid department and admissions department separate. And are need-blind in the fact that they never look at if you are applying for FA. But what if I accidentally let them know myself.</p>
<p>In my application, I included special circumstances that imply that I am of low socio-economic status and my counselor probably mentioned in his evaluation. Does this hurt my chances? Since admission officers are only human, I am nervous that once once they know this information, they can't help but let it affect their decision.</p>
<p>Your common app clearly says “applying for financial aid”. The information is there. And yes, they can read between the lines as well. It’s a clear fact that most Americans (and others) no longer have the money/resources they once had. Duke will not make a decision based on your economic status, outside of the message you relay in your essays. They like “overcoming adversity”.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Personally, I think this would only help you. Duke is trying to increase its socio-economic diversity, and overcoming adversity looks good on the application.</p>
<p>The FA office gets a list of accepted students, and packages them for financial aid, AFTER admissions decisions have been made. Students that aren’t offered admission don’t have their financial aid applications evaluated.</p>