<p>It's commonly thought that while many colleges and universities claim to not take financial need into account in admission, most do. </p>
<p>What specific schools (besides HYP) actually seem to practice this policy?</p>
<p>Try the colleges you like and see what difference it makes to you. In other words, if you are interested in a college, just apply, and if you need money to attend, just say so.</p>
<p>Well, the situation is that my family makes ~$125k a year, and I am an only child. Do the potential (small?) payouts of aid justify the (possible?) reduction in chances of admission I will experience at most schools if I apply for financial aid? </p>
<p>Has anyone been in a similar experience?</p>
<p>If you apply to schools outta the u.s., not applying for aid helps you a lot.</p>
<p>If you don't trust (Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and only trust HYP; I dunno what to tell you.</p>
<p>There is no way for CC users to know which schools are truly need blind; everyone has to rely on self-published information.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>$125K/year and you're an only child? good luck getting much.</p>
<p>When schools say they're need blind, and really aren't, you aren't going to be one of the students affected. More likely the lower income students will have a lower chance, but I don't think you're in that group.</p>
<p>I'd say to just trust schools that say they're need-blind. We have no way of knowing what is affecting your admission or if they are truly need-blind.</p>
<p>At $125k a year you don't need to worry about it anyway. Even for colleges that are need aware, they don't look at everyone applying for aid equally. It's the people who will need full rides to attend school who need to be worried. I doubt you'd get a need based grant, so all you're hoping for is a loan. If you're qualified, I don't think any college will reject you for that.</p>
<p>There's a big movement away from loans, which should help your case.</p>
<p>And, no, I disagree with those who say to the OP that ~$125k income makes FA difficult to obtain. College will run you $50k per year at a top private school! FA is offered for nearly all income levels.</p>
<p>Wait a minute. Are you all saying that a student could potentially be rejected from a college because they have a financial need, even though they would otherwise qualify to be admitted?</p>
<p>"Wait a minute. Are you all saying that a student could potentially be rejected from a college because they have a financial need, even though they would otherwise qualify to be admitted?"</p>
<p>Of course. Colleges/universities have an interest in protecting their yield (the number of admitted applicants who actually attend). If the financial information you provide to a school suggests that the aid offer they are willing to make you will not be sufficient for you to be able to attend, then they may not offer you admission.</p>
<p>Colleges can do what they like...and colleges with small endowments might be more likely to reject you for financial reasons.</p>
<p>You can't prove that they're discriminating against you, even if you want to.</p>
<p>Why not offer admission without meeting your need. Then it's up to the student and parent to decide on loans, etc. I don't understand.</p>
<p>It's called "come anyway" and some colleges consider it mean-spirited, immoral, dishonest, teasing (pick your favorite word) to offer admission when they know you can't afford it.</p>
<p>^I totally agree with you... but there's nothing we can do about it...</p>
<p>Tutus, they want to save money.</p>
<p>Say applicant A and B are equally qualified, but A's family is in the lower income bracket and B didn't even apply for financial aid because his/her family can afford to pay.</p>
<p>Some schools say they won't consider income in this situation, but others do (first one that comes to mind is Colgate- probably because I'm applying there and I'm wondering how much it's going to hurt my chances). A college that is not need-blind might pick applicant B simply so they won't have to fork out the money.</p>
<p>And there's also the reason NewEngSocSciMan said- they might know that they can't offer you enough money so you could afford to go, so they just reject you instead of letting you turn them down.</p>
<p>Colleges only have so much money for financial aid... unfortunately.</p>
<p>There is another perfectly legitimate and honest way to approach it. If you can afford the first year, but not all years, you can apply without asking for aid, but then, if admitted, ask for aid in subsequent years (and you must re-apply every year). Some schools guarantee to meet need (by their definition, of course, so there's a risk you and they won't agree) for all admitted/enrolled students.</p>
<p>Schools plan their aid several years out and in most cases, if you don't apply for aid your first year, you can't get aid for your second and subsequent years unless something dramatic has changed your family's financial picture.</p>
<p>I'm very concerned about this information and wondering if anyone has any advice for me. Here's our situation: Up to 3 years ago my husband was making about 200K per year. He decided to go into business for himself and we cashed in every last cent we had to put into the business and use for living expenses in the meantime. I'm talking about 401K, real estate holdings, all savings, maxing the home equity on our house, everything. The business has failed, we have filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, will probably lose our nice house. It's terrible. He has gotten a new job FINALLY making a little more than half of what he used to make. I have taken a part-time job. Aside from all the obvious "How could you be so stupid and irresponsible" comments, does anyone have any advice that could help my daughter, who is a senior in high school, waiting for regular decision from 10 great schools. Of course we have applied for financial aid and it looks like we're dirt poor. It never occurred to me that my daughter would be rejected because of this alone. Should I prepare her to be rejected because of a hideous mistake that her parents made? I am not making this up, by the way.</p>