is MIT really NEED-BLIND for International?

<p>On the website, it says the admission is need-blind to International student too, and they do give International students need-based financial aid, but I kind of doubt it....</p>

<p>Is the school really NEED-BLIND? or do you know what's the chance for an International student to get full-FA (or almost full)??</p>

<p>If they say they’re need blind, they’re need blind. They wouldn’t lie.</p>

<p>Why do you doubt it? The school is so danged selective that it takes only the top students from anywhere. And it’s endowed well enough to pay for them. </p>

<p>The catch is that the chance of a full need student getting accepted is very small, given the selectivity of the school and the type of kids who apply.</p>

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Yes, absolutely. The admissions office isn’t aware of the financial information you send to the financial aid office, and they do not use whether you need aid as a reason to admit you or not. </p>

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There’s no difference between the odds a domestic student will get full financial aid and the odds an international student will. The amount of aid you are awarded depends on your family’s income and assets.</p>

<p>So do you guys mean that the AOs don’t even know your financial requests when they make decisions?</p>

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<p>Yes, this is what they mean.</p>

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<p>To simplfy the FA you will receive, it is the difference between EFC(Estimated Family Contribution) and the costs associated with the institute. So, if your family can pay more, they will pay and receive less FA. However if your family can’t pay much, they will still pay but CLEARLY a lot less and receive high FA. If your family can’t pay anything, you may receive the full FA. However keep in mind that what you calculate as your EFC, may be different than what Financial Aids Office calculate as your EFC.</p>

<p>The line between the institutional and federal money is sometimes blurry but worry not. As a non U.S.-citizen or permanent resident, you will not be eligible for Federal aid. However your citizenship status, has no effect on the Institutonal aid.</p>

<p>Some schools say they are need-blind, but they still get to see whether or not you checked the box that says “I am applying for FA”.</p>

<p>At MIT, they truly do not know any information about your financial information (the application has nothing FA-related), so relax and focus your efforts on the essays.</p>

<p>Hi iceui2, that is exactly what I mean. Some schools are saying they are need-blind, but they still see if we apply for FA and that does affect the admission…</p>

<p>I do believe MIT won’t do that, but I’m just kinda afraid of this behavior…</p>

<p>Providing financial aid to int’ls and being need-blind in admission are two different things.</p>

<p>Most of the schools are need-blind in admission. However it doesn’t mean they will provide financial aid.</p>

<p>However thats not the case in MIT.
[Schools</a> Awarding International Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.internationalstudent.com/schools_awarding_aid/]Schools”>Schools Awarding International Financial Aid)
You can find schools that award financial aid to internationals. Unfortunatly the list is short and they are the most competitive schools not just in US, but the whole world.
I think Stanford also gives fin aid to int’l but its better if you check, I couldn’t find it on the above webpage.</p>

<p>@Phoestre: Thank you very much! But I kinda get confused that what do you mean of need-blind and providing FA are different?
If I applied FA and I got accepted, is there a possibly that the school doesn’t give me FA but give me an offer saying I got accepted?</p>

<p>Not need-blind institutions admit as usual but also take financial situation into consideration.
Need-blind institutions admit as usual but do NOT consider any financial situation in the admission proces. Need-blind means, the “Admissions Office” is blind to your financial situation while considering your application, but in all universities it may not mean, that the “Financial Aids Office” will be giving you FA.</p>

<p>Admission process and financial aid are different in that concept. I mean, a need blind institute may admit you and give you from none to full aid in accordance with their internal FA policies.
If you are primarily focusing on MIT, as I understand the FA is “Costs minus EFC”, so practically if you get in, you can afford to go.</p>

<p>I know students who
have modest SAT score,
haven’t taken any AP, IB or other courses,<br>
aren’t achievers in Olympiads, Intel, USAMO etc. competitions,
have done no extracurricular activities except a sport and some regular stuffs… </p>

<p>Some or most of mentioned things are due to financial and familial circumstances. </p>

<p>But they have immense potential and aptitude for science. (Eg. One has tutored high school kids in Science and math for three straight years and have finished college calculus on his own. But that is as far as they can go.)</p>

<p>But these guys don’t have a shot at MIT, coz they will be discarded due to a modest SAT score and again for modest or no extracurricular activities and lack of this and that… </p>

<p>So being need blind to poor students means least if no such student can afford to meet the bar they have set… ( at least I haven’t seen anyone do that ) …</p>

<p>I know students who
have modest SAT score,
haven’t taken any AP, IB or other courses,<br>
aren’t achievers in Olympiads, Intel, USAMO etc. competitions,
have done no extracurricular activities except a sport and some regular stuffs… </p>

<p>Some or most of mentioned things are due to financial and familial circumstances. </p>

<p>But they have immense potential and aptitude for science. (Eg. One has tutored high school kids in Science and math for three straight years and have finished college calculus on his own. But that is as far as they can go.)</p>

<p>But these guys don’t have a shot at MIT, coz they will be discarded due to a modest SAT score and again for modest or no extracurricular activities and lack of this and that… </p>

<p>So being need blind to poor students means least if no such student can afford to meet the bar they have set… ( at least I haven’t seen anyone do that ) …</p>

<p>your need of aid (or lack thereof) in no way factors into our admissions decisions. </p>

<p>seriously i don’t even know anyone who works in FinAid. our offices are completely separate.</p>