He was a real mensch. Did not go to a TT college because his family didn't have the money (it was the back end of the depression and they were not rich to begin with) but was quite successful. His dream was for me to go to Harvard as that was his vision of "making it." I didn't go there but I did perfectly fine and he was kvelling at my graduation from a different elite school. And yes, I am going heavy on the yiddish in his honor. Z''L |
Less than 5% of the 4000+ US colleges claim to be need-blind. So of course there is a large industry of enrollment management services for the other 3950 colleges out there. And the multi-billion dollar endowments of the few need-blind schools makes the idea of their going "bankrupt" over a few extra financial aid admitees is laughable. |
DP. Need blind schools use enrollment management consultants and yield algorithms. Budgets are a thing, even at need blind schools. Amazingly, they hit about the same % full-day year after year. |
The claim was about effect on admissions decisions. Lets see that, specifically. |
Not every school that claims to be need blind has a massive endowment. I will happily concede that the “need blind” schools that appear to be struggling the most with their budgets, such as Chicago and USC, also appear to be the “need blind” schools who are most committed to favoring full-pay students in admissions. |
Not in admissions. Not at need blind schools. You do realize that the overwhelming majority of students at top schools are from affluent families because it is very, very difficult for a low income kid to qualify for those schools, right? Please tell me you understand this, and understand what a self selecting sample is? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-selection_bias Between that and their disproportionate endowments, top schools don't need those algorithms in the admissions process. So they have no need to do the process you suggest, and certainly no need to keep it a secret, which would be impossible. Need blind schools are need blind in admissions. End period, until evidence is shown otherwise. There are few exceptions (waitlist at some, international at others, etc). |
It depends on the school. Read their financial aid policy carefully. |
| The process is referred to as the "shaping of the class." See, e.g., Jeff Selingo's Who Gets In and Why. |
Hi, this is false. Please look at the litigation in Henry v. Brown University. And need-blind schools just point-blank aren't need-blind much of the time anyway. That also came out in that litigation. |
Why would the Dartmouth AO Lee Coffin talk about designations on the app in review (NN = needs need)…. Why? |
DP. I vaguely recall that Dartmouth may also do its mathematical modeling in house, as discussed in that same Dartmouth admissions podcast, but I can't pinpoint when that was. |
I have also been told by other parents on the advancement committee at my alma matter that, while it is a need-blind institution, it is need blind on the "first pass," that is, during the reading of the app, but perhaps not at later stages. This seems to fit with the back end "shaping" of the class discussed by Selingo. |
| Just check "no" to the item that asks if you are applying for aid. |
💯 This is why all the full pay admits get in before others in RD, but not early at certain T10. |
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There’s some bad and naive guidance here that may have been true 5 years ago but isn’t how things are working now.
Every former AO will tell you full pay matters a lot now. Even for T20. The world is different. |