Suppose I apply to a need aware college and I require 80% aid and another friend of mine also applies to the same college and he requires 30% aid. My question is, am I at a disadvantage as far as admissions is concerned? Do we both get placed under the same umbrella of “financial aid applicants”? I hope I make my point clear.
Need aware colleges will consider your ability to pay along with your application for admission.
There is NO WAY to know whether you and your friend will be in the same pile…because we don’t know your other application credentials or your friend’s. And those things are considered as well.
Also, you are an international student which adds another “layer” onto your financial aid picture…as well as admissions. Your application will be reviewed with other international students from your region. Some schools have very limited funds for financial aid for international students…and they don’t give as much aid as to U.S. citizens.
Consider also, that an acceptance without sufficient aid is like a rejection…because you cannot attend.
No thumper you didn’t understand my point. I know that asking for aid at a need aware college will hurt my chances.
What I want to know, is that whether the AMOUNT of aid I require is a factor too or not? Will I be at a greater disadvantage if I require 90% aid than 30% aid?
Yes, I completely understand.
The point of need aware schools is YOUR ability to pay will be considered when your application for admission is considered. YOUR amount of need is considered. It’s not just that you have financial need, but it’s also about how much. And if you and your “friend” are otherwise the same applicant…same range of SAT, same range of GPA…the person with the less need will have a better chance of acceptance at SOME need aware schools.
That is the point of need aware. Those schools balance acceptances with the amount of money they think they will need to give. This is called enrollment management. They don’t want to accept more students than they can really afford to fund.
@Barcelon17 Thank you so much for asking this question as I was just about to ask the very same question in about a few mins.
@thumper1 How much of a disadvantage do you think asking for about 80% aid will put me at? Can it change a possible acceptance into a denial? I have a feeling that I’m going to get denied by pretty much every college because of this. I’m an indian btw, so that doesn’t help either.
There is NO WAY for anyone here to predict your admissions outcomes…at any college for any reason.
You don’t get to ask for a certain %. You only get to submit the family info, and then the school decides what your family’s need is. The school may decide that your family’s need is 60% or 90%.
And if the school doesn’t guarantee to meet full need for all,acceoted international,students…you could get very insufficient need based aid.
But that isn’t your question…your question is,…if you require $50,000 a year in aid…and your friend requires $5000 in aid…could this affect your admissions at a need blind school?
The answer is yes…it could.
^^^
I think you mean at a need aware school.
Thanks for the correction…yes, I meant at a NEED AWARE school (caps for,the OP so he will see).
Could this difference in need affect admissions at a need aware school! YES!
I totally understand guys. Thank You So much. But suppose I don’t send in my CSS form till February (financial aid deadlines for most colleges), will the college/university start seeing my application or not?
I have applied to Dartmouth and have requested financial aid. Will they only see my application once I send them the CSS?
the admissions dept is separate from the aid dept. the school might look at your app, see that you’re an int’l, and wait to make a final decision once it knows how much aid you need. Or it may decide to admit you no matter how much aid you need.
Does D have a reputation of being very need aware for int’ls? I know that some schools are getting cautious about int’ls and FA because it’s harder to verify whether the income/assets info that the student’s family has provided is correct.
How does delaying sending your financial info. help? If you get an acceptance but don’t get sufficient aid, you can’t attend anyway.
@Barcelona17 did you apply early decision to Dartmouth?
The school is need aware for international students. They will not review your application for admission until they see your application for financial aid…unless you indicate that you do NOT plan to apply for financial,aid.
But if you apply saying you are not applying for aid…plan to pay the full $60,000 plus cost to attend.
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If you get an acceptance but don’t get sufficient aid, you can’t attend anyway.
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I think the student may have been hoping that his app would get reviewed and maybe accepted prior to sending his FA app in. However, Thumper indicates that his app won’t even get reviewed until after his FA info is in.
Which completely makes sense, if indeed Dartmouth is need aware for international applicants.
Right…need aware means that they consider your financial need during the admissions process …so one would think they would need to have your financial aid application so that the school can determine your actual need.
That is not going to happen. This is Dartmouth’s first year being need aware to international students. Unless Op states s/he is not applying for aid it is highly unlikely that the application will move forward as it will be considered incomplete without the financial aid information.
Dartmouth also specifically states
If OP did indeed apply ED s/he will most likely be either deferred or rejected if s/he stated that they needed aid and did not submit any paperwork.
I would also remind OP that Dartmouth lives and dies by their honor code. IF they remotely think that you are trying to game the system, they would rescind your admission with a quickness (as they reserve the right to rescind your admission for misrepresentation).
https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply/fine-print/post-acceptance-review
The OP apparently applied SCEA to Harvard and was deferred. So that would indicate eh or she did not apply to Dartmouth ED.
But my question to the OP…did you submit your Profile to Harvard…just in case they accepted you? I know they meet full need for all…but just wondering.
Harvard is still need blind and meets 100% demonstratored need for international students.
I would also advise op not to wait u until the last minute to submit paperwork. Since they are now need aware they may have a limited budget for international students. What you also don’t want to happen is getting rejected because they have exhausted the budget.