<p>I read in one of the threads that Rochester doesn't like it when an applicant applies to other schools too. I read that an admitted student to Rochester received less aids than he should have because he had applied to other schools. The student (or his parents) thought that Rochester had assumed that the student was applying to Rochester as a back up school. Does that really happen?</p>
<p>If I were to apply to Cornell and Rochester both, would that be a dumb move? </p>
<p>No school thinks that way. Every school - or nearly every school - looks at applicants and evaluates how they might choose. I spoke with an admissions director at another school about this once and learned about their ranking method. That did affect financial aid there. But believe me, their actual methodology was extremely private and the idea that some kid would know why a school decided x and not y is wrong. </p>
<p>I have no idea about how UR determines aid but it’s silly to think they discourage and punish applicants who apply elsewhere.</p>
<p>Maybe we should start a rumor that if you include the word “rabbit” in your essay you’ll get an extra $1000 in financial aid. People would believe that.</p>
<p>Schools only care if you apply ED to more than one. Otherwise, they assume that you’re applying to more than one school. Even if you’re applying only to one ED, they assume that you’ll apply elsewhere RD. They know that students need a backup plan.</p>
<p>It would be utterly foolish to apply to only 1 school–can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Even if you think a school is perfect and you have applied ED, you need to be preparing RD applications just in case. Just remember to withdraw the other apps once you get your ED acceptance.</p>
<p>Over the past 10 years there have likely been hundreds of students if not more who have applied RD to both Cornell and Rochester. My older d was one of them. She was accepted at Rochester with merit money and waitlisted at Cornell but ultimately chose Brandeis. Younger d attended Rochester and had friends who were accepted at both Rochester and Cornell and had selected Rochester. In fact the Rochester vs. Cornell discussion has popped up in the past. Also, many students at Rochester visit friends at Cornell a lot and the reverse, Cornell friends visit at Rochester also.</p>