AOs and financial aid office

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgot but doesn't common app ask if you (kid) needs aid? If you select no, don't reviewers know you don't and if you select yes, they know you need aid (one way to shape class)

No, because that button means nothing. All kinds of kids apply for aid who won't get aid. And maybe the student who presses the button will only get $10K/aid which in the colleges' eyes is as good as not needing aid.
No decisions are based on saying "yes" to applying for aid.

So - sounds like AOs do see how much each kid need as they shape the class? Even for "need-blind" schools like Ivys?

No, they don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have to start working now to have packages ready for the accepted kids. If they waiting until admissions was done, the packages wouldn’t be ready for months.

It takes minutes to generate a financial aid package, not months. The school's algorithms are already programmed, just like a Net Price Calculator. It's a form document that is simple to generate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How different is the process for QuestBridge applicants? Do they get different or special treatment? Whether they apply through the Match, or apply through the EA/ED/RD rounds (and just mention Questbridge as an award)?

What do you mean special treatment? If a student matches with a college through the early process, which is a sort of early decision, they get a Match Scholarship for the full cost of attendance. If they apply later (if they didn't match) and are accepted, they are offered the financial aid they are eligible for. (This will often be very generous, since most Questbridge partner universities, have generous financial aid, and the students' families tend to make $65K or less every year.)

For QB applicants, is there more communication between the AO readers and the fin aid office to make sure the kids get good aid? Or is the process the same (as any other applicant), which is this (this is my understanding, so I could be wrong): AO does the reading in their office, fin aid office does their aid packaging at the same time (and doesn't know anything else about the applicant - only their FAFSA/CSS info). At the end, if that kid is marked "Accept", then the decision is sent to the kid along with the aid package.

Does the QB kids get the same treatment? meaning when the fin aid office works on the aid package, do they know if the kid is QB? Especially if the kid is applying EA/ED/RD, and not through the match?

AOs know the applicants are coming through QB, and there are additional essays for for the QB process beyond the Common App personal statement, which the schools see. (No school-specific supplements at that stage, as the students list up to 15 schools they'd like to be matched with, then those schools decide if they want them. The highest ranked school on the list that accepts them, gets them.)

If the student is matched with a school, they get the QB Scholarship covering full attendance from the school.

If the student doesn't match on December 1 (QB Match Day), they can apply for free to QB schools through "QB Regular Decision" (in which case they also write supplementals, etc.) Their QB status remains on their applications. Presumably financial aid offices also know (though in any case they'll have lower income and therefore be eligible for significant financial aid).

[Anonymous]

I've heard that colleges "shape" the class just before releasing RD decisions (full pay vs financial aid, diversity, etc).

Do they "shape" the early round admits as well?