Question: I'm an international applicant admitted to Dartmouth, and I withdrew my aid application about 10 days before the decisions. If I mail the college asking for aid now, is there a chance that my admission could be reconsidered?

Dartmouth expects students who are seeking aid to apply for it (and to demonstrate financial need) at the time that they are applying for admission. Like the majority of institutions, Dartmouth is “need aware" for international students, meaning that a candidate's financial requirements are considered when the application is evaluated. Therefore, students like you, who applied as “no need" would be viewed through a different lens than those with financial need. Thus, when a student is admitted as “no need" to a “need aware" institution and then seeks aid after an acceptance, he or she should have a very good explanation of brand-new financial circumstances.

You will not lose your place at Dartmouth by simply asking for money, but you're probably not going to get it either unless you provide clear-cut examples of change (e.g., a parent died, became seriously ill or lost a job) or you have some other big reason to justify this late request. However, the fact that you initially did apply for financial aid and then withdrew your aid application just before you were notified of your acceptance might work in your favor. Given this timeline, the chances are decent that you had already been admitted despite your financial need. That's something you'll have to discuss with Dartmouth. It's worth a try. But do keep in mind that, if you tell Dartmouth, “I definitely can't enroll if you don't give me some money," then they may tell you that you won't be enrolling!