<p>I have always wondered as to how institutions like Harvard which are so publicly concerned with attaining socioeconomic diversity assess the financial situations of their applicants. Does anybody know how they evaluate a student's need in the admissions room (not the financial aid office)? Do they base it on the things you fill out on your application like family educational level, parents' occupation, etc. or do the admissions officers just look at your tax forms? Just curious about the ethics of it, especially if they do the latter.</p>