<p>In Harvard’s case, where they state that they are need-blind and need-guaranteed even for internationals (which is true of only 3 or 4 schools nationally), and where they give significant need-based grants even to families making $150k+, you can really believe it. The point isn’t that they don’t know you’re needy – in fact, if you’re poor, you should write a diversity essay about that. The point is that they don’t care. I have no doubt that they’re estimating the financial aid budget throughout the process so that they can plan better, but it doesn’t control the decisions. They are just that rich.</p>