<p>Schools that meet full need do so in varying fashions. The schools that use the CSS PROFILE or their own form (as Princeton does) also use their OWN formulas to determine the family contribution they expect.</p>
<p>Re: engineering…if your son is a competitive admit for MIT or Harvard or most of those schools that meet full need, you might also find he is a VERY competitive candidate for generous merit awards at other places.The important thing about engineering is to attend an ABET accredited school.</p>
<p>P.S. Regarding those schools where the step parent info is NOT used…they have single digit acceptance rates, as do at least 10 schools on that list. The first hurdle is to get accepted. Better than 90% of applicants don’t.</p>