<p>I'm applying regular decision to HMC and have been unable to find out whether or not applying for aid affects your chances of being accepted. Can anyone help me out?</p>
<p>From the following reply I got from HMC, applying for aid does seem to affect your chances of being accepted if you are an international.</p>
<p>"Our budget for international students is very limited, so we desire
to review applications for all international students at one time and
then to decide from among all the applicants which ones should be awarded the funds to attend HMC. As a result, we would not be willing to review your application to HMC as an Early Decision student."</p>
<p>Ok, this may be wrong, 'cause it's been a couple years since I did applications, I wasn't really paying attention to the financial aid stuff very much, my memory is bad, and the policies may have changed, but.... </p>
<p>As I recall, the application process is need-blind for US students. For international students, however, due to (as aaron56 mentioned) the limited funds for international students, the application review does take into account your financial need. However, if you are a truly outstanding candidate for this school, it may just so happen that you are selected to recieve the funds, despite the fact that you may be more costly to the school. I'll try to find some official information from the admissions office and get back on here...</p>
<p>Ok, here we go. Official information from the Harvey Mudd Admissions pages:</p>
<p>"Will my chances of gaining admission be affected if I apply as an international student seeking financial aid?"
"Yes. Since we will only admit international students who can provide their own financial resources or whom we decide to fund, chances of gaining admission improve if the international applicant does not apply for aid."</p>