<p>My parents and I have saved a bunch of money for me to college. My parents basically haven't gone on a vacation for eight years and i had the same job working at a shop near my home for about two years and working five hours a day. We basically saved enough for me to go to college of basically of my choice if I get accepted and I do not need to worry about the money. I am wondering... if I am able to pay the whole sticker price for a college, will my chances increase?</p>
<p>Yes, as a full price customer, your chances increase.</p>
<p>It is hard to quantify exactly how much. But, every college and university in the United States has a pretty firm target number in mind for full-price customers each year.</p>
<p>Being able to pay full-sticker also opens up the possibility of early decision, which has some advantages.</p>
<p>This post reminds me of a question/thought I've had about so-called "need blind" admissions. I've read other posters who've suggested that there's no such thing. I, too, have wondered about this, as some info on the regular ap (eg, parents' occupations, etc.) could be tip-offs as to possible degree of financial need (altho this could sometimes be very misleading) I'm wondering if those who are likewise skeptical are thinking the same thing, or if they postulate a different manner in which the "need blind" schools are "seeing" finances during the admissions process.</p>
<p>Another thought: if a student simply did not apply for financial aid, would that fact be known to the admissions committee.</p>
<p>The application usually has a box to check to indicate whether the applicant is applying for financial aid.</p>
<p>At non-need blind schools, the check box for financial aid would make a small difference towards the end. My alma mater said that it only matters for a handful of students every year - out of over 15,000 applicants. </p>
<p>For need-blind schools, there are a lot of tip-offs - camps; expensive extracurriculars like skiing or sailing; lack of a summer or school year job; SAT scores; parent's education and jobs. Personally, I think that Williams places such a heavy emphasis on SAT scores for just this reason (scroll through Mini's old posts for stats). While those are not perfect indicators of an individual's ability to pay, they are probably fairly accurate over an admitted class.</p>
<p>ur chances increase. Your sacrifice to pay for college is a hook definitely. Remember, schools do not neccessarily want to give scholarships to every single acceptee. So able to pay the whole price is a definite plus.</p>
<p>Some mid-western LACs have come right out and said that they could no longer be need-blind for the whole class. Other colleges haven't been so forthright, but I am sure that many operate along those lines. So being able to pay full freight would definitely help you.</p>