<p>All this talk about need blind and need aware makes me nervous. My D applied to seven schools. Our profiles efc is higher then the fafsa efc. Is that normal?</p>
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And, as Mini has pointed out in the past, if colleges were truly need blind, their financial aid budgets would swing wildly from year to year.
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<p>Actually, I believe that the real definition of "need blind" is that there is not a fixed cap on the financial aid budget. The board trustees has authorized the financial aid office to cover whatever financial aid is required. If there is fixed budget, then a school can't be "need blind".</p>
<p>Now, obviously even true need-blind schools do have a financial aid budget, even if the board has authorized spending more. And, as mini points out, the professionals in the admissions office do tend to "miraculously" live within the budget year after year after year.</p>
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Our profiles efc is higher then the fafsa efc.
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<p>Citrusbelt, what do you mean by this? To my knowledge, Profile doesn't generate a number like FAFSA does.</p>
<p>As long as you have at least one financial safety on the list, you shouldn't be nervous.</p>
<p>Citrusbelt, if you mean when you're doing an online estimate program for federal (FAFSA) v. institutional approach (CSS), most people have a higher number for the institutional approach, usually because home equity is counted or because when parents are divorced, income/assets of both are counted.</p>
<p>The efc from the profile was from an on line estimator since the actual profile won't give you a number. If they use the profile the way the estimator predicts it should be accurate since I did it with real numbers. I did the same estimator with the fafsa and the efc was the same as the actual fafsa efc, so I have no reason to doubt its accuracy. </p>
<p>Is the reason the profile doesn't give you an efc because the colleges use it in different ways?</p>
<p>^^^ Yes. Basically, the Profile is gathering information, which the colleges use in different ways.</p>
<p>Mythmom: I was referring to Mini's post #4 regarding Cappy Hill. She is a big proponent of need-blind financial aid. (You do know that she came from Williams, right?) I'm not sure why your son's package at Vassar was so poor. My son's package at Wesleyan was awful, actually, the worst of both his and his sister's packages, yet others say they got great aid at Wes. Vassar likely would have met Williams' package. Doesn't much matter; I know how happy your son is at Williams, so all's well that ends well in your case.</p>
<p>Hi twinmom. I understand now. She seems like just what Vassar needed.
I am sure going need-blind will be put them in the company they want to be in.</p>
<p>Yes, but all these schools are so wonderful, that of course I miss the "ones that got away."</p>
<p>Mythmom: Too bad you can only go to one school at a time!</p>
<p>Well, my kids don't feel this way. They are perfectly content. It's only me.</p>
<p>Oh, I know that! We parents want to go to all the schools ... especially the ones we never had an opportunity to attend (or even apply to) ourselves!</p>