Skidmore is one of top choices right now, however I don’t know about financial aid. Are decisions based on need for aid or is it needs blind?
You have your terms all mixed up.
Need blind is an admissions term. This means that the school admissions folks do not know your financial need when reviewing your application for admission.
Meets full need is a financial aid term. This means that the school meets full need for all accepted students.
Anyway…regarding financial aid…need based financial aid is based on your financial need. Your financial need is determined by the information you provided on your FAFSA and Profile forms.
Took me two minutes using Google to find this on their website:
Is Skidmore College need-blind?
Skidmore encourages any student interested in applying for admission to do so regardless of his/her intention to seek financial aid. All candidates are evaluated on the strength of their academic and personal qualifications, without regard to their financial circumstances. The admissions committee makes every effort to meet the demonstrated need of as many admissible candidates as it can. Unfortunately, each year there are more qualified candidates in need of financial aid than the College’s resources can support. When all institutional grant resources have been committed, the admissions committee will offer admission to some candidates but place them on a financial aid waiting list. In the final round of the selection process, the committee may also find it necessary to waitlist or deny a small number of candidates on the basis of unmet financial need.
and:
What is the average financial aid package for a prospective first-year applicant?
The average 2013-14 first-year financial aid package was $38,600.
The range of the packages was $2,000 to $58,000.
44% of students received need-based grants.
56% received some form of financial aid.
48% were given the opportunity to work on campus.
So…it looks like Skdmore is need blind for admissions…but does NOT guarantee to meet full need for all students.
I would be very careful when looking at “averages”. Your need based financial aid package will be based on your financial need…not the averages.
Did you use the Net Price Calculator on the Skdmore website? What did it say?
Remember, if your parents are divorced, own their a business, are self employed, or own real estate other than their primary residence…the NPC will not be particularly accurate.
I don’t think so. Based on their description of how they work the admissions process (see below), it sounds like Skidmore is need aware at the end of the admissions process.
That’s a lot of words just to say “No.”
Skidmore is officially need aware, not need blind, which means your odds of acceptance are greater if you do not request financial aid.
Your odds of acceptance are a LITTLE better if you have no financial need. If you are not in the mix, you won’t get accepted just because you don’t need or apply for aid.
And I see what MiddKid means…and agree.
^ As stated by above posts. At an info session we attended three years the rep explained that they use the term “need sensitive.” Not that you won’t be accepted, but see MiddKidd’s quote.