Anonymous wrote:From the other thread:


For T50, its best to omit SSN and not complete FAFASA for these schools if you are full pay - it doesn't matter anywhere else in the T50:

UChicago
Rice
Vandy
ND
Georgetown
Emory
WashU

USC
NYU
BC
Tufts
BU
Lehigh
Wake

Where does this list come from? Curious, because almost all of these are explicitly need-blind for admission.

Need-aware privates in, or near, the top 50, depending on what ranking you are using:

WashU
Wake Forest
RPI
Villanova

Need-aware privates, going beyond Top 50:
U Miami
Pepperdine
GWU
WPI
American
Loyola Marymount
Stevens Inst Tech
Marquette
Gonzaga
BYU
Howard
U San Diego
Clark
RIT
Drexel
U San Francisco
U Denver
Fairfield U
Creighton
Loyola Chicago
Temple
Clarkson
The New School
Seattle U
Bentley
RISD
Loyola Maryland
U Portland
Whitworth

There are very few privates that are need-aware, i.e., not explicitly need-blind, in the Top 50.

Mystery: how a particular college can end up at the same/similar % of students on financial aid year after year. Maybe via the waitlist, as the WL is almost always need-aware, but those numbers of students are insignificant. I suspect algorithms of some sort are involved.

I suspect, but cannot confirm, that for some schools, being a potential big donor might be mildly helpful - as in, having publicly-recorded assets that are significant. Georgetown has implied this in the past. However, this is not the same thing as being full pay. Yet such kids with qualified stats are still rejected routinely, so it's hard to say whether this actually plays any role at all in admission decisions.

Also, about WL being need-aware, the chances of getting off the WL are quite slim even for full pay. It happens, sure, but that's a function of the particular admission season. Many top schools have been using the WL very little lately (with the exception of summer 2020). Accept a spot on a WL if offered, but then forget about that school. Maybe there will be a happy surprise, but probably not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown
Dartmouth
Vanderbilt
Georgetown
WashU

And the gold star = UChicago

Dartmouth is need blind for any applicant, including internationals and including the waitlist.
I don't know about the other universities.


Now, this is not to say that they don't preferentially take kids from wealthy prep schools or kids whose zip codes or parents' professions indicate wealth. But they are need blind.

All the Ivies are need blind. Brown too

From the other thread:


For T50, its best to omit SSN and not complete FAFASA for these schools if you are full pay - it doesn't matter anywhere else in the T50:

UChicago
Rice
Vandy
ND
Georgetown
Emory
WashU

USC
NYU
BC
Tufts
BU
Lehigh
Wake

Anonymous wrote:Is there no one that has compiled a list of schools that do not advertise themselves as need blind?

My good friend Google has. The search term is “list of colleges that are need aware”. You’re welcome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All colleges have to have enough full pay students to cover the merit students. They have to be choosy with who gets merit, so it’s easier if you are full
Pay.

That’s not true if they are living off the interest from a huge endowment.

Ugh you don’t understand endowments.

Is there no one that has compiled a list of schools that do not advertise themselves as need blind?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All colleges have to have enough full pay students to cover the merit students. They have to be choosy with who gets merit, so it’s easier if you are full
Pay.

Your post is confusing. Also, "full pay" kids also get merit awards; mine did.

I think the PP meant financial aid not merit aid in their post. And the post is not confusing if you can stand back and understand the economics. The full pay students essentially pay for the financial aid kids. Which is why in most need blind schools, you will still have 1/2 to 2/3 of the student body paying full price. It’s nice that your kid got a merit award, mine did too, but they chose to go to pass it up for another college.

Anonymous wrote:All colleges have to have enough full pay students to cover the merit students. They have to be choosy with who gets merit, so it’s easier if you are full
Pay.

That’s not true if they are living off the interest from a huge endowment.

Anonymous wrote:Brown
Dartmouth
Vanderbilt
Georgetown
WashU

I think both Dartmouth and brown are need blind.

Anonymous wrote:Brown, Georgetown, Cornell, Lehigh…there are a bunch. Basically it’s the same list of schools that ask middle income families for $70k a year when their counterparts come in closer to $40-50k.

Incorrect about Brown. More like 35/40k. And they are need blind.

Cornell is also need blind. Recent admit got good FA there.

Anonymous wrote:Brown
Dartmouth
Vanderbilt
Georgetown
WashU

Brown and Dartmouth are need blind

My MC kids got great FA at both of these schools

Brown, Georgetown, Cornell, Lehigh…there are a bunch. Basically it’s the same list of schools that ask middle income families for $70k a year when their counterparts come in closer to $40-50k.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

My full pay kid was waitlisted at a school where she was at the 75% for grades and test scores. Didn’t seem to help her at all.

Waitlist is where they really prefer the full-pay kids. Go look at the private school kids committing to T50s after May 1. So much waitlist movement for prep schools.

Part of being full pay is that you’re supposed to understand how the game is played.