Are schools really need blind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP.. The school websites indicate that they are need blind.

Who? Where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP.. The school websites indicate that they are need blind.

OP, I think you are confused about what need blind means. They don’t consider ability to pay when offering admissions, but that doesn’t mean they will give you aid to attend. You understand that right? They may give you aid, but they may not. Admissions for lower income kids isn’t a promise of free or reduced tuition.

[Anonymous]

Being need aware is smart for everyone unless the school has massive resources for unlimited FA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP.. The school websites indicate that they are need blind.

OP, I think you are confused about what need blind means. They don’t consider ability to pay when offering admissions, but that doesn’t mean they will give you aid to attend. You understand that right? They may give you aid, but they may not. Admissions for lower income kids isn’t a promise of free or reduced tuition.

On the contrary, I don’t think you understand the meaning of “need blind” admissions. As others have mentioned, most schools - even many top universities - have to admit a certain proportion of full-pay students to assure their financial viability. What happens in practice is that there are needy and non-needy applicant pools, with lower admission standards for the latter.

[Anonymous]

I think STA is "need blind" but they're the only one in the DMV who is.

[Anonymous]

This is on one independent school’s website:

Admissions decisions are made by a committee of educators and administrators with no knowledge of whether a family has applied for financial aid. Financial aid grants are determined by a separate committee and aid is granted after the admissions committee determines which students are invited to enroll.

[Anonymous]

I think they are not really need blind just focused on their need for more money as opposed to students need for a quality education.

[Anonymous]

Some are need-blind in the sense that FA does not impact admissions. This means you can be accepted, but they make no guarantee that they will offer any FA. Some will only accept if they feel they can meet the full financial need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some are need-blind in the sense that FA does not impact admissions. This means you can be accepted, but they make no guarantee that they will offer any FA. Some will only accept if they feel they can meet the full financial need.

This. It's almost worse because they accept you knowing that there is no way you can afford it

[Anonymous]

We have 3 kids and are full pay, my kids are ok students but I'm sure it helped our chances that schools knew we could send them $150k every year for many years. We know applicants who needed FA who didn't get in to the same schools, or got in but were offered so little aid they couldn't attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is on one independent school’s website:

Admissions decisions are made by a committee of educators and administrators with no knowledge of whether a family has applied for financial aid. Financial aid grants are determined by a separate committee and aid is granted after the admissions committee determines which students are invited to enroll.

This is Landon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP.. The school websites indicate that they are need blind.

OP, I think you are confused about what need blind means. They don’t consider ability to pay when offering admissions, but that doesn’t mean they will give you aid to attend. You understand that right? They may give you aid, but they may not. Admissions for lower income kids isn’t a promise of free or reduced tuition.

On the contrary, I don’t think you understand the meaning of “need blind” admissions. As others have mentioned, most schools - even many top universities - have to admit a certain proportion of full-pay students to assure their financial viability. What happens in practice is that there are needy and non-needy applicant pools, with lower admission standards for the latter.

Hi! We are in the Independent and private schools thread. So…we aren’t talking about colleges and universities (there is a separate thread for that). Is that where you meant to put this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are need-blind in the sense that FA does not impact admissions. This means you can be accepted, but they make no guarantee that they will offer any FA. Some will only accept if they feel they can meet the full financial need.

This. It's almost worse because they accept you knowing that there is no way you can afford it

Agreed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are need-blind in the sense that FA does not impact admissions. This means you can be accepted, but they make no guarantee that they will offer any FA. Some will only accept if they feel they can meet the full financial need.

This. It's almost worse because they accept you knowing that there is no way you can afford it

Agreed

Makes no sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe. If they are, how do they determine who to admit and balance resources ?

High ranking schools with large endowments have to give generous aid to keep their nonprofit exemptions and they have more full pay wanting to pay then they need so they don't have to worry about tracking your donut hole income. They do care if your parents are uber wealthy willing to donate millions.

Low ranking schools with small endowments do care about full pay.