Dear Prospective Hamilton Student,
 
I realize that the subject line of this email sounds like a marketing pitch, and the last thing you need is one more email filled with admission jargon that you don’t understand.

In fact, the point of this message is to demystify “need-blind admission” (a phrase that is no doubt up there with “holistic” on your greatest hits list of the most over-used and under-explained words to describe college admissions), and explain why it matters.

Need-blind admission means, quite simply, that your family’s ability to pay our tuition and fees will not be a factor the admission committee considers when reviewing your application. Schools that practice need-blind admission are deeply committed to providing access and opportunity to qualified students from all economic backgrounds.

As well, institutions that meet the full-demonstrated financial need are committed to ensuring that the education they provide is affordable for every admitted student. For these places, if your family can only pay a small portion of the advertised tuition, room, board, and fees—or maybe even none at all—the college helps you cover the rest with generous financial aid awards.

Many schools do one or the other, but there are roughly 3-4 dozen colleges and universities that do both, and Hamilton is proud to be among them.

As someone who was from the first-generation in my family to attend college, I could not have done so without significant financial aid. I know, first-hand, that financial aid can change lives. That’s why having one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country is high on the list of reasons why I love my job at Hamilton. Here is why it should matter to you:

• If your family is likely to qualify for need-based financial aid now or in the future, you will find our generous financial aid promise to be both reassuring and encouraging. Check out our cost estimators, and you may find that Hamilton is much more affordable for your family than you imagined.
   
• Regardless of whether or not you will receive financial aid, Hamilton’s need-blind admission stance means you will be at a place where your roommate, your teammates, and your classmates are all there because they earned admission, not simply because they could afford to pay our fees.  
   
• The education environment you are about to choose—where you learn and who you learn with and from—is incredibly important.  Being exposed to the different perspectives that make up Hamilton’s community will enrich your experience and help you fulfill Hamilton’s mission to prepare students for lives of meaning, purpose and active citizenship.

I am glad you are considering Hamilton, and hope to have the chance to review your application. But no matter what direction your college search takes you, I urge you to not underestimate the value of attending a college where equity and inclusion are of paramount importance, and where students from diverse viewpoints and life experiences are welcomed.

Sincerely yours,


Monica C. Inzer

Vice President for Enrollment Management