Look, saying “not true” doesn’t add value, unless you can provide support for your position.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter to me – I post on this thread so subsequent readers can educate themselves and plan accordingly. If you disagree with my assessment, that’s fine – how you make application decisions is up to you, and obviously my point of view shouldn’t matter.
I would urge people, though, to read that NY Times article, it summarizes the landscape well, and accurately, in my opinion.
I guess also the issue of “need aware” comes into play really in 2 scenarios. One, where you need FA, and then the “meets full need” aspect becomes really important. The other scenario is where the applicant is borderline for a selective school, and is full pay. That is where knowing Bates, Oberlin, Macalester, Carleton, Skidmore etc etc etc take ability to pay as a factor in deciding to admit a kid, or not.
It’s exactly the situation described inthe article profiling Trinity College admissions (again, NY Times).