Re: #17
Remember, however, that all of the listed schools’ students skew heavily toward those from wealthier families. The 38-64% not receiving financial aid are probably from families with $200,000+ incomes (probably top 3% of the income distribution), while the bottom half of the income distribution (the ones receiving Pell grants) make up only 10-24% of the students.
However, need-awareness is probably the least of the reasons why the students skew heavily toward those from wealthier families. Students from wealthier families likely have parents and schools that provide them opportunities to excel, rather than roadblocks to achievement that are more commonly encountered as one goes lower in the income scale. So a talented student from a wealthier family is more likely to be in a position to apply to super-selective colleges and be a realistic candidate for admission than one from a less wealthy family.