Valuable insights from Lynn O’Shaughnessy
a nationally recognized college expert.
Need blind
October 23, 2013
A Need-Blind Admission Controversy
For years, George Washington University has told families that it observed a need-blind admission policy. Students were accepted regardless of their ability to pay. GW’s student newspaper wrote an excellent article this week that revealed that the university’s stated need-blind admission policy was actually a need-aware practice. The university admitted that it put hundreds of students on its wait list...
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November 14, 2012
Need Aware vs. Need Blind Colleges
My last post focused on whether families should indicate on a college application whether they will seek financial aid. Here’s my position: if you need financial aid to attend college, you should apply for aid. In case you missed it, here is the post: Why Failing to Apply for Financial Aid Can Be a Mistake My post prompted a mom...
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December 1, 2011
Differences Between Need-Blind and Need-Aware Financial Aid Policies
This is the time of year when parents begin agonizing about whether they should apply for financial aid. They wonder if filling out the FAFSA and, if applicable, the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, will hurt their chances of getting admitted. If you think you’re going to require financial aid, you should always apply for assistance. For the majority of students, their...
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October 19, 2011
Do All Admission Reps Know What They’re Talking About?
Is your university need blind? I once saw a couple of enthusiastic young admission reps from a pair of Catholic universities back East try to answer that question at a college conference. The reps were specifically asked whether their schools might reject some applicants if they required a lot of financial assistance. Both admission reps vigorously assured the counselor who...
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February 11, 2011
What Should College Admission Officers Know?
I attended a mini college conference yesterday in San Diego that was sponsored by the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC). A couple of enthusiastic young admission reps from a pair of Catholic universities back East were the presenters at one of the sessions. I wanted to share one of the questions that the reps fielded. An audience member...
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December 29, 2010
The Dirty Little Secrets of College Admissions
Today I want to share a piece, which originally ran in the Washington Post, that was written by Dean P. Skarlis, who is president of The College Advisor of New York in Albany. I liked what Skarlis had to say so much about today’s college admission climate that I asked if I could share it with you. According to the...
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