@vonlost, if the school is need-sensitive, one may be denied regardless of whether one is qualified - no? As an example, Kenyon, after the submission of DD’s application, asked us to specifically confirm that need-based aid wasn’t being sought - no other school that DD’s applied to did that.
Yes, indeed, as well as at need-blind schools. The issue is: Apply if you like the school (meaning potentially affordable as well).
@vonlost, don’t want to go circular on you, but if its need-aware how do you know it its affordable? Not expecting an answer - I already have two over the starting line this year, so I am writing checks.
Run the Net Price Calculator, just as for need-blind schools (which may not be affordable).
Check its net price calculator, which should be done with any college where affordability is in question, regardless of any claims about meeting need, need blind/aware.
Yes, but if one is denied because of a perceived need, then it won’t matter - otherwise all schools would say they are need-blind.
What is perceived need? If you need aid, you check the box; it’s out in the open. What won’t matter? Most need-blind schools don’t meet full need anyway. Only a few schools have sufficient endowments to be need-blind and meet full need.
Yes, that’s what I was focus on - that small group that is need blind and meets full need. Obviously only a fit for a small slice of students as all are very selective.
Is requiring a family making $70,000 a year to take out $30,000 in loans “meeting full need?”
$0 is best and I know that there several schools that meet 100% of need below certain levels, which is aside from those schools that do so through Questbridge and Posse.
We do know that a student’s income potential could be multiples of $30k. That said, we also know that most state institutions provide $0 grant aid, and so there’s typically a sizable gap beyond a student’s $30k Federal Loan over 4 years.
There’s a good CC thread titled “NY College Recommendations For a Junior???” that speaks to a good mix of colleges that meet a substantial portion of need for a student from a lower income family.
Some colleges are need-aware (or “need sensitive”) but also promise to meet full need to all who are accepted. That is how they control their financial aid budget --they jut don’t admit some students on the margins.
And some of the need aware schools are only partially need aware. They admit the majority of the class need blind but consider need for the last 10-20% of the class. A student applying for aid isn’t at any disadvantage if they’re among the top 80-90% of the class but they may be if they’re in that last slice considered, particularly if they need very substantial aid. As calm said, that’s how they control their budget. They make sure their budget will allow them to cover full need for every student they admit.
Schools don’t all compute need the same way. In the “NY College Recommendations For a Junior???” thread schools the claim to cover full need came up with packages with EFCs that range from $3K to $14K (Thanks to @Dustyfeathers for all the research.)
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21135421#Comment_21135421
As a New Englander I find Northeastern’s meteoric rise amusing, although it makes sense to me. I grew up in the Boston area I can say that Northeastern used to be considered one step up from a vocational school, with its “strange and practical” co-op arrangement. These days families want to make sure their kids will come out of college employable and they’re slavering over co-ops and internships. Kids from the top prep schools are not just applying to, but choosing to attend, NE.
Two other Boston-area schools that have risen in reputation are Bentley and Babson. Bentley College (now Bentley University) used to be a school anyone could attend. You could want into admissions with a transcript full of Cs and be attending accounting class the next week. Now its admissions rate is 42%. Babson’s entrepreneurship programs are very, very hot.
Any other input on the original topic of “hot schools”?
I’ve found some of the observations thus far both interesting and surprising–e.g., the rising popularity of the University of South Carolina in the NYC metro area and the widespread popularity of Tulane.
NYU’s up 12% over last year. Over 75,000 applications. Despite what we say here about NYU’s lousy financial aid it’s still hot.
That’s a crazy number of applications!
Applications at Wellesley were up 17% for the class of 2021. The college received lots of free publicity with Hillary’s presidential campaign. Data for this year is not available yet.
This was in late 2016 but still relevant.
Regarding posting #214, part of the increase is due to the recent addition of the Abu Dhabi and Shanghai campuses - would be interesting to see breakout.
NYU Abu Dhabi welcomed it first students in September 2010 and NYU Shanghai in August 2013. That seems too distant to explain an increase in applications this year.