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Do outstanding student loans have any bearing on admissions chances? Some time ago, CNN did a story on an applicant who was denied admission to a graduate school, supposedly due to the amount of outstanding student loans. I'm wondering if I should be forthright about this. For example, Vanderbilt asks directly for the amount, but you're not required to submit an answer - so do I go ahead and answer it, or leave it blank?

Doubt it will matter unless you're in default on your loans. I'd go ahead and put it if they ask for it.

arklaw13 wrote:Doubt it will matter unless you're in default on your loans.

Nope. Actually, answering the question about default is required.

arklaw13 wrote:I'd go ahead and put it if they ask for it.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone else want to chime in?

theycallmefoes wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:Doubt it will matter unless you're in default on your loans.

Nope. Actually, answering the question about default is required.

arklaw13 wrote:I'd go ahead and put it if they ask for it.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone else want to chime in?

Sorry if I was unclear, what I meant was that I doubt your outstanding debt will matter unless you're in default, not that it wouldn't matter if you didn't answer the question.

arklaw13 wrote:

theycallmefoes wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:Doubt it will matter unless you're in default on your loans.

Nope. Actually, answering the question about default is required.

arklaw13 wrote:I'd go ahead and put it if they ask for it.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone else want to chime in?

Sorry if I was unclear, what I meant was that I doubt your outstanding debt will matter unless you're in default, not that it wouldn't matter if you didn't answer the question.

Ha. No, I understood. It was my response to you that was unclear.

Another question: Could leaving it blank hurt my chances?

theycallmefoes wrote:Another question: Could leaving it blank hurt my chances?

I think leaving it blank is slightly more likely to hurt you than just filling it in, assuming your number isn't obscene like 1.2 million in outstanding debt.