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<p>Unfortunately, this is a bad combo of circumstances. You really need to maximize your aid package, and the only way to do that is to compare RD offers. If you apply ED, you may get enough aid to make the school affordable…but you might not. Money stress is much, much worse than admissions and pinning down a team stress. </p>
<p>Check out the Financial Aid policies at the schools on your list. Run some Net Price Calculators, to see how much aid they might offer. See if there are going to be big loans. Look at the forums for the schools here on CC, and see if these schools are offering generous or stingy FA packages. You can rule out some schools right off the bat this way.</p>