<p>By the way, to shed some light on the OP’s original concern about negotiating a better financial aid package, I can share experiences…</p>
<p>From my family’s experience with Carleton’s financial aid, they were more than reasonable. They met my family’s EFC. We complained that the package was too low without giving any good reason why it was too low. They actually raised the package slightly after that in terms of grants and work study. I remember when I arrived at Carleton, I said hello to an admissions official I worked with, and she subtly complained about this, but I was too oblivious at the time for it to dawn on me what she was talking about. They did raise my aid package for no good reason, so I can only say the experience was positive.</p>
<p>Another relevant experience I’ve had is applying for a need/merit based fellowship at the start of my PhD program at U. Michigan. Usually, a person who worked and then came back to school would not have been eligible. For example, you can’t quit a job and say “now I have need”. I had lost my job in the great recession (2008) and was able to show I was on unemployment benefits. This made me eligible…if I ever get a chance, I’ll thank my former employer for firing me :P. The point is for the OP, showing a layoff letter or unemployment benefits as the cause of the family’s decrease in income is huge when dealing with need-based financial aid in almost any situation (grad, undergrad, different institutions).</p>
<p>I’d like to hear from the OP about what eventually happens.</p>
<p>As for Carleton being need-aware…</p>
<p>I think it is more like 85% need blind, but it is hard to find an official statement on it. I’d be very happy if it were 95% need blind. Google points to a previous College confidential conversation about it…</p>
<p><a href=“Carleton Admissions - Need Blind of Need Aware? - #16 by blabbers - Carleton College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/1227599-carleton-admissions-need-blind-of-need-aware-p2.html</a></p>
<p>I was able to find articles about it quoting 15% pertaining to Carleton… </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2011/03/college-admissions-in-hard-economic-times/”>College admissions in hard economic times - The Cavalier Daily - University of Virginia's Student Newspaper;
<p>Carleton does not have the endowment that these other institutions do that are need blind. Grinnell and Amherst may give 25 - 40% more aid (amount of money not percentage students with EFC met), but they both have over twice the endowment as Carleton.</p>
<p>Carleton basically started a building new buildings after 15-20 years almost exactly when the changed the admissions policy to need aware in 1993. Without the new buildings, it is very difficult to see Carleton as being competitive.</p>
<p><a href=“http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/property/historical/”>http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/property/historical/</a></p>
<p>Hopefully, sometime in the future, Carleton will be need-blind again.</p>