<p>For one of the fictional applicant stories in the book "A is for Admission", Michele Hernandez mentions something about how one girl's chances at Dartmouth would have been better if she was from a poorer family. Her achievements would have been more impressive had she not been from a wealthy background.</p>
<p>My question is how can they know whether a student is poor or rich while being need-blind for admissions?</p>
<p>Zip code, parents’ education and jobs, content of the essay or interview or recommendations…</p>
<p>Are humble job titles and lack of higher education in the family enough to infer that a student is working class?</p>
<p>While a student could conceivably be well off even though neither parent has gone to college, the student still would be a first generation college student and face more hurdles than would students who have college-educated parents. Being first gen college is a tip factor at top colleges, which are overflowing with applications from student from highly educated families.</p>
<p>Having parents in blue collar or pink collar jobs also would indicate typically that a student is working class. Top colleges get relatively few applications from students from such backgrounds, so such students are desired to add to those collleges’ diversity.</p>
<p>Extra curriculars are also a tip-off. Not too many poor fencing, polo, hockey or lacrosse players, for example.</p>
<p>^They have to be good at it, though.</p>
<p>^Eh?</p>
<p>But like others have said, there are several tipoffs. Some top private high schools (and even top publics in wealthy zipcodes) are also known for having better-off students. I imagine these schools allow top colleges to maintain their budget, since they are “guaranteed” that those kids will largely be full pay.</p>