I know this has been discussed in the past, but I was curious to hear people’s thoughts on this (again).
Are the chances of being accepted slightly higher for a borderline candidate if there is no financial aid needed?
I know that schools claim to be need-blind, but they can’t pay for everyone… they are in business…
Thoughts anyone?
Thanks!
<p>yeahhhhhhhhh</p>
<p>It depends if the school is need-blind or not. Admissions Counselors at highly selective schools do not know about your ability to pay when they render a decision on your application if they are NEED-BLIND. </p>
<p>Schools that are NEED-AWARE - it seems- are more lenient with students who have the ability to make a full financial contribution to their institution.</p>
<p>It's sad, but that is the way the system works.</p>
<p>You will get a slight edge during the ED round, but other than that they are probably true to their word.</p>
<p>"I know that schools claim to be need-blind, but they can't pay for everyone... they are in business..."</p>
<p>Most who apply have parents who can, just like yours, afford to pay in full. Schools like Harvard have billions of dollars. Being low-income actually helps you because you're not just some kid who has parents who sign you up for volunteer activities, clubs, and sports you don't like, force you to take the toughest course load and make you get perfect grades, hire tutors for you, etc... Having parents with incomes of $100,000-$250,000 is like the average income of the parents of each IVY applicant (not sure, but it's quite evident) if not higher... SO really, you need to have parents with (according to NorthStarMOM) at least 10,000,000 to donate to the school before they'll give you a plus in admissions. Basically, you have to be filthy rich or low-income (usually around 40,000---give or take --depends on the school) to really have it be a plus. You can show you're low-income by getting a fee waiver and a job --- Jobs are good because if you work in a grocery store because you needed the job to save for your college education and/or help support your family, they'll really see that as a good thing.... So being an average applicant from NJ probably won't help you.</p>
<p>I was not really thinking of a schools such as Harvard with "billions of dollars" more like schools such as Dickinson, Lafayette, Drew, Ursinus... etc. I don't think they have the "billions" to give away...
Thanks</p>
<p>There is no question but that it can help make the difference for a student in many of the the top 25 or so LACs. Competition is so great that after their top picks, they get to choose between a lot of equally qualified students to make up the bulk of their class. In that area, where all other things are equal or otherwise balance, being a kid who can pay the full freight helps.</p>
<p>But I wouldn't go so far as to say it can make the difference for a "borderline" student. I don't think, for the most part, they have to make that sort of decision based on ability to pay. Probably those decisions are made on other criteria. </p>
<p>I think the ability to pay advantage comes in to play in their weighing and sifting out the qualified but not top of the class choices.</p>
<p>Yes, mhc48.. that's what I meant... qualified, but not the top. There are many cases where the "qualified" student will be passed by for unknown reasons... I've read so many times that an applicant had higher stats than a friend in their school, but was not accepted while the other, with lesser credentials, was admitted. You just sometimes never know.</p>
<p>My son has solid SAT scores for the schools he is applying to. His GPA, when weighted, is adequate but there was a decline in his junior year which he is addressing in a letter .. and his essays are wonderful... perhaps there, the fact that we are going to pay full freight might make the deal more solid.</p>
<p>Does anyone have a list of Need blind schools? I'm assuming the ivies and most other top-25 schools make the cut -- but does anyone know for sure?</p>
<p>Better check out each school's website or Admissions Office to be sure if it really is need blind, I know two top 25 offhand that are not need blind, though one at least is known to be rather generous with aid and many people assume it to be blind. Somewhere down in the mice type of a FAQ I found references to the fact that it might be taken into account. </p>
<p>In another top 25 school, I found an oblique reference to their desire/need to attract full paying students in the school's "five year plan", which I had downloaded checking for something else. My D had been waitlisted there. She followed up with a letter expressing her great interest in the school (though not going so far as to say, untruthfully, it was her top choice). She also mentioned that although she had been awarded merit aid at another school, her parents were willing to allow her to forgo the aid if she attended that school. Within two weeks she got a letter admitting her off the waitlist.</p>
<p>Anyway, doesn't the Common App have a check off for whether you will be applying for aid? If so, it would seem to me that any Ad Com would at least be aware that you intend to apply for some aid.</p>