<p>^
It’s matters, but you can’t say I’m not going to apply to this school and that school (even if they have the best program for my major) because I HEARD they don’t give good financial aid. Apply to some safeties, apply to some in-betweens and apply to some reaches and see what they offer you in April. There are waivers for tests and applications if you are in a real financial bind. Every student has a different situation and circumstances and you can’t base your chances (for getting accepted and/or getting a good fin aid package) based entirely on others results. I never said don’t factor in aid, I said don’t factor out colleges based on aid.</p>