<p>Why do the colleges require all the financial aid forms, including W2's and tax returns before they make admission decisions ? My child hasn't recieved a letter of acceptance, yet I'm sending many colleges all this personal information. This seems like lots of unnecessary paperwork...and make me question need blind admissions. Any idea why they do this ? Why not just weed out the rejections first and then require the financial information only for those admitted?</p>
<p>I'm wondering the same myself, although this happened with only one school. Got the acceptance yesterday, though.</p>
<p>Depending on where your child is applying for example the Ivies, elite LACs, or many schools that are need blind in their aidmissions policies the admission and financial aid offices are in 2 separate offices. </p>
<p>The process is once a student is admitted, their name goes to the financial aid office and a package is put together. If the school has all of the information that it needs, then they can just craft a package for your child. At many schools, the financial aid and the admissions decisions are made at the same time (or a few days later). Once they finish processing incoming freshman, financial aid offices still need to process packages for returning students. So if you have submitted everything the school asks for, in the end, should your child be admitted, it will make the process run much smoother.</p>
<p>Remember, that even at schools with really deep pockets, there is still a budget for financial aid. If all of the necessary paperwork for your child is not in, the process still goes on and you can risk not getting the amount of money you would have gotten had you been processed when there was more money.</p>
<p>Two reasons why you submit all this info before you know whether your child is accepted:</p>
<ol>
<li>At need-blind schools, there is a timing issue. In order for these schools to provide you with an aid package at the same time you get the acceptance, and before the May 1st deadline by which you respond, they must get the info before they even know for sure whether your child is accepted. I suppose it would be possible to move the entire application process earlier (have an earlier application process, followed by an acceptance or denail decisoin on the admission, followed by a financial aid application process and offer, followed by a time period for families to decide), but I don't know whether that would be in the best interest of families. </li>
<li>At non need-blind schools, they need to know your financial aid info because that factors into the admission decision.</li>
</ol>