<p>WashU, Tufts, and Colgate are all not need blind and I plan to apply to all asking for finiancial aid....how much is this going to kill my chances? should I even bother applying anymore?</p>
<p>Of course you should. They may not be need-blind like Harvard or MIT, but they are need-sensitive when it comes to admissions. Once you're accepted, however, they DO guarantee to meet your full financial need.</p>
<p>Furthermore, if you research in advance, some loans are very straight-forward (no hidden fees, pay only after you graduate, etc).</p>
<p>okay, but will my chances be greatly reduced at these schools?</p>
<p>Greatly reduced? Probably not. Half of kids who apply for financial aid aren't determined to be eligible, so I don't think it'd be that big of a deal.</p>
<p>Need aware simply means that borderline characters are considered against each other and the amount of money required, and how much they have left in their budget. If you're not borderline, "need aware" is irrelevant.</p>
<p>what do you mean by "borderline"?</p>
<p>If you're at the bottom of the "maybe" pile. If they have one spot left, and two students who are "maybe" for that spot, they'll take the one that requires the lesser aid.</p>
<p>About 60% of students at those schools are in the top 2% of wealth in the Country.</p>