<p>I am feeling conflicted about whether or not I should apply for financial aid. Strictly speaking, it would excellent if I received it, but not TOTALLY necessary. If Bowdoin really is need blind, then I will apply for financial aid. But the cynic in me, combined with some things I have read elsewhere on this site can’t help but wonder at Bowdoin’s noncommittal attitude towards their need blind status.</p>
<p>Will applying for aid hurt my application?</p>
<p>(Sorry if that sounds awful/overly cynical, I just want to be sure. I really like Bowdoin and I would rather get in if at all possible.)</p>
<p>they are completely need blind for regular decision. two different offices. it will not influence whether they admit you or not. the times at which financial aid is considered, i think, (or at least it was the case last year or two years ago) are for students selected from the wait list. i suppose at that point you could rescind your application for aid if you were worried about your chances from the wait list. but for admittance in april aid applications are not considered.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is need-blind, just as all other colleges are need-blind. They evaluate based on your application and not your family’s tax returns. However, like all other colleges, they can kind of guess your financial status based on the occupations of your parents, where you live (wealthy suburb or inner city), and where you go to school (elite boarding school or below average public school). But they do their best to separate financial matters from application matters.</p>
<p>Bowdoin and many other schools are need-blind. Other schools (Colgate and Bucknell come to mind) are “need-aware,” meaning the need for financial aid and the amount of need are factors in the admissions process. Bowdoin and most other need-blind schools I am familiar with are need-blind with regard to the applications of ED and RD students. Need may be considered for international, transfer and waitlisted applicants. This is common. </p>
<p>If you are skeptical about whether Bowdoin really does keep need out of the admissions decisionmaking process and if, as you say, you don’t “totally need” aid, I’d suggest not applying for aid if the financial aid calculators (use College Board’s Insitutional Methodology calculator) say you won’t qualify for aid or qualify for so little that it’s not worth the risk you’re concerned about. You, or your parents, definitely should use the FA calculator before applying for FA anyway.</p>
<p>quomodo I meant, “Bowdoin is need-blind, just as all other colleges are need-blind,” in that it is just like other schools that ARE need-blind, as in they can predict your financial status.</p>
<p>Here’s a question for you - would you want to attend a college which claims to be ‘need blind’ but which actually isn’t? What does that say about the values/principles that the college holds?</p>
<p>Vossron - I don’t think you need to “know” for my point to hold true.</p>
<p>Presumably, if someone is worried about a college being ‘need blind’ then they are worried they won’t get in because of need. What I’m saying is, if you don’t get into college X, and you suspect it’s because they’re lying about their need blind policy, then did you really want to go there anyway?</p>
<p>Then you can’t apply to any school that says it’s need-blind. Since you have no reason to suspect that X is lying, then you must also suspect that all such schools lie, so you won’t want to go anywhere except a need-aware school.</p>
<p>Ask yourself why you suspect that any school lies. Why do you suspect that people lie to you?</p>
<p>Do you think you will qualify for aid? If your parents can afford to be full-pays at Bowdoin then you probably won’t you’ll qualify for any. Filling out the forms is arduous, if you won’t qualify anyway then I would save yourself the effort.</p>
<p>Really. My daughter received a very generous amount of financial aid from Bowdoin. It obviously didn’t adversely affect her chances of getting in.</p>
<p>Good luck to you. Bowdoin is an terrific place.</p>
<p>^Not necessarily; she could’ve just been a stellar applicant. Need-aware means that the school considers how much financial aid a student needs–not that the school only admits rich kids.</p>
<p>That being said, I still have no reason to believe Bowdoin lies.</p>
<p>
Can predict your financial status? What?
You don’t make any sense…</p>
<p>Agree entirely with BowdoinParent. I received a generous package in ED. I feel like admissions examined my academic and extracurricular profile as a whole and my need had no impact. I am very happy and fortunate to attend such a school of my dreams. If you think Bowdoin is a fit for you and you have the academics and/or talent to attend I suggest you not fear applying for financial aid. There is no bias. I wish the best of luck to all sincere and qualified applicants. Hope to see you next year!</p>