<p>There was an article in the Argus (or Wesleying - can’t recall) a while back about the writer’s hall mates having not applied for aid due to their fears over the need-aware policy.</p>
<p>Anyone else considering not applying for aid to be a more competitive applicant? The last thing I want is a rejection letter along with the nagging thought that they would’ve accepted me had I not applied for aid. I’m wondering how much it would benefit the applicant.</p>
<p>what are ‘writer’s hall mates’ ?</p>
<p>They’re referring to a post in the student-run blog, Wesleying. The blogger referred to his roommate in the piece. The OP is really asking a “chances” question, but in reverse; instead of asking what their chances are of being admitted, they’re asking what their chances are of being among the one in ten Wesleyan applicants who, if the Class of 2017 is any example, will have their applications read a second time, this time with ability to pay taken into consideration.</p>
<p>It probably would pay to read, The Gatekeepers, the book written about elite college admissions practices, using Wesleyan as the prime example. It’s nearly twelve years old, but it’s hard to imagine the initial decisions - the need-blind portion - has changed that much. Candidates are still sorted according to their ability to wow that first person who reads their file. If they can do that, they are well on their way to being admitted. The more ambivalent the initial reaction, the further down the pile that folder goes, the later on in the admission cycle the decision is made.</p>
<p>The author (writer) of the Wesleying piece does not reveal how his roommate is managing to pay for his education without any institutional aid from Wesleyan. Hopefully, he or she has a rich relative willing to front them the money because otherwise they would be limited in the type of bank loans available to them and the interest rates charged.</p>
<p>In terms of the last part of the OP’s question, it’s no different than any other chances thread. You have to perform an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. What are your stats? What are your hooks? In other words, what makes you think you would be among that last 10% of applicants the adcom decides on as opposed to the ones that get an immediate thumbs up?</p>
<p>And FWIW, I think you should always apply for financial aid, if your family needs it. The only thing worse than not being admitted to the college you love, is being admitted and not being able to afford it. But, that’s me. Some people have a higher tolerance for chaos in their lives.</p>