Does Cornell accept students who indicate that they need finaid and then not give aid? What about Columbia and UPenn?
Cornell University provides need‐based financial aid on a limited basis to a selected number of admitted international students who have applied for financial aid.
Ivy fin aids are all need-based, but how they judge your need varies. For example, for the same application, some schools may decide you should pay $10k a year, while others may decide you can pay 20k.
Yes you can get admitted to Cornell without any aid
Penn and Columbia are more generous