How need blind is need blind

stmichael91
Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:57:43 +0000

MIT : There is also a perception (mostly wrong) that when it comes to borderline applicants colleges make their admissions decisions in light of who is going to cost them less (in other words, who can afford to pay for their own education). This is also not true.

Harvard: Admission to Harvard is need-blind, by which we mean that financial need is not an impediment to admission. International students have the same access to financial aid as United States citizens.

Petersons definition:
If a school practices “need-blind admissions,” it means that there is an invisible firewall of sorts between the admissions and financial aid offices, and the admissions officers are unaware of your financial circumstances when they evaluate your application. However, they may be able to infer whether or not you come from a family with a lot of money, or if you attend a high school full of wealthier or middle-class students — or one with mostly lower income or underrepresented minority students. However, regardless of what they may learn about you from your application, admissions officers at schools practicing need-blind admissions are charged with making their decisions based on many factors, none of which includes your financial need, or, perhaps better phrased, your ability to pay.

Hopefully this is true to all need-blind schools. HOPEFULLY.