<p>No one answered my question on student forum, so I'll ask my question here.</p>
<p>I just discovered that I'm low income. However, what if colleges reviewed your application before you sent your financial aid app? How would they know that you're low income then? </p>
<p>I really think a low income status might boost my chance...</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Why do you think low income will boost your chances? Some schools are need-blind and are on the prowl for low income students (see Harvard, Stanford financial initiatives). Many schools are NOT need blind and needing a lot of financial aid could lower your chances. Depends on the school.</p>
<p>I have spoken to a lot of admission officers and trustees of schools. Yes, although not all schools are need blind, many of the better schools are need blind. Some now such as Stanford, Harvard, Princeton etc., will even give free tuition to students whose household income is below 40K-45K, depending on the school.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, they don't actively seek out need blind kids. This is why there is a higher pecentage of kids taken from private schools than from public schools with the same GPAs and SATs. The assumption is that private school kids have parents that can afford the tuition without aid.</p>
<p>I go to a private school, but I'm low income...I applied to competitive and less competitive schools. So I guess it does work in my favor?</p>
<p>Hideandseek:</p>
<p>Some schools do actively seek out low income students; being low-income per se will not, however, give an advantage in admission unless the has the qualifications needed for admission. There is some tip from being first-generation. </p>
<p>Chinaman has two children who went to private schools on full scholarships. The oldest one is attending an Ivy (Princeton?) on full scholarship. He was a stellar student in every way, with great ECs. If you check in the archives, you should be able to find some of his threads. So it is possible to be low income and attend a private school and be admitted to a top school. But the "stats" have to be there.</p>
<p>I don't remember an application asking if you are low incomed or rich. I think that comes out in Fafsa and CSS Profile. Everyone should fill out a Fafsa and if colleges require them a CSS Profile. Good luck.</p>
<p>It is interesting that, in spite of the public comments of adcoms, Harvard Presidents etc., that research with actual admissions data from elite universities shows no advantage in being low income.</p>
<p>I veiw this as one other myth put out by the PR side of admissions, along with "no advantage for early decision" "the legacy bump is insignificant" and so forth.</p>
<p>What little research that has been revealed strongly suggests, as newsmassdad implies, that there is a heavy bias toward higher incomes, regardless of stats. This plays itself in the need for students with particular ECs, sports (think of equestrianism if you need an example), legacies, developmental admits, kinds of recommendations available, a college's political needs, and worldly experience.</p>
<p>But the general doesn't necessarily speak to the particular! Don't think about it, unless you find yourself with the opportunity to choose different parents (and it's still better to love the ones you have! ;))</p>