@bookwormsmom: I think the “15% of HH” guideline is questionable to say the least in almost all schools because it means to qualify for full pay, the HH income would need to be about $370K or higher assuming the total cost of BS is between 55-60K per year. For colleges, once the HH income hits about $200K, one’s chance of getting any need based aid is becoming slim to none. A few boarding schools are indeed sometimes more generous than the most generous colleges, but I think rarely would they stretch that far. As for the pre-M10 phone calls, I don’t think that is by any sense a standard process. Schools say they are need aware to mean your FA need may impact admission decisions.However, if your kid is highly qualified otherwise, most likely he will be put on the WL, and that’s when you can talk to them about potentially going the full pay route. Good luck!