What does need-blind mean?

I've come across the term 'need-blind' while researching colleges, but I'm not really sure what it means. How does the need-blind admissions process work, and which colleges are need-blind?

Need-blind is a term used to describe the college admissions policy where the applicant's financial need is not taken into consideration during the evaluation process. In other words, the college or university bases their admission decision solely on the academic and extracurricular qualifications of the student, without considering their ability to pay for tuition and other expenses. This policy aims to promote equal opportunity for applicants regardless of their financial status.

The opposite of need-blind is need-aware or need-sensitive, which means a college does consider an applicant's financial need as part of the admissions process. This can often result in a more diverse student body and support for students from lower-income backgrounds, but it also means that some students may be at a disadvantage if they require more financial aid.

Some well-known need-blind colleges and universities in the United States include:

1. Harvard University

2. Princeton University

3. Yale University

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

5. Stanford University

6. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

7. University of Pennsylvania

8. Vanderbilt University

9. Rice University

10. Duke University

Keep in mind that the list may change over time, and just because a school is need-blind for domestic applicants, it may or may not be need-blind for international students. Furthermore, being need-blind doesn't necessarily mean that a school meets 100% of a student's demonstrated financial need; it just means that the student's financial need isn't considered in the admissions decision.

That said, many need-blind schools do in fact meet 100% of demonstrated financial need in their aid packages. Make sure to confirm the financial aid policies of the schools you're interested in, as they can vary considerably.