YES – You Need BOTH
FAFSA = Federal & most state aid
CSS Profile = Institutional aid from 400+ wealthy private colleges
Schools That Require CSS Profile 2026–27 (Top 50)
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
MIT
Duke
Columbia
UPenn
Dartmouth
Brown
Cornell
Caltech
Northwestern
UChicago
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
CSS Profile Opens
Oct 1, 2025
Early Decision Deadline
Nov 1–15, 2025
Regular Deadline
Jan–Feb 2026
Skip the CSS Profile → Lose $20K–$80K in private scholarships
→ Start CSS Profile Now (Official Site)