<p>I know merit aid is given by a school to entice a student to enroll. Is it therefore true that a college would be less likely to offer merit aid to an ED applicant since they know they are contractually bound to attend if accepted?</p>
<p>You kind of answered your own question as there would be no need to entice you and give you their best offer since you have already committed to coming.</p>
<p>I suspect thats why every book, article, internet site, etc., I've read has advised against ED. Simply put, the student promises to enroll if accepted, ignoring all other schools. Choosing to put this limit on oneself so early can be risky, and can lead to regrets.</p>
<p>yeah but it can also take off a ton of stress if you get in. imagine how awesome it would feel to be all set in decemeber while your friends are scrambling around/praying they get into the schools that wont accept/reject them til april.</p>
<p>and give up your ability to bargain and end up with thousands of dollars in debt.</p>
<p>Statistically, it does seem that it is somewhat easier to get into an elite school ED. All of the "How to get into the Ivy" books DO recommend it, but the Ivies don't give merit aid anyway.</p>
<p>EA is much better, you're accepted but you don't have to go. I'm pretty sure most Ivies are EA anyway.</p>
<p>Harvard and Yale are SCEA, which is Single Choice Early Action, which means you apply early, and they let you know early, and it is non-binding. However the SCEA limits you to applying to any other school EA.</p>
<p>The others: Penn, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell and Princeton are ED.</p>
<p>Audiophile, I think it depends on where you apply, but I wouldn't completely give up hope. I applied ED II to my first choice school and received a full ride merit scholarship. It definitelly depends on where you apply, but applying ED doesn't completely ruin your chances at merit money. Hope that helps.</p>
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<p>Read the school's ED policy. At Boston University, ED applicants have priority consideration for the half-tuition University Scholarship, which is stricly merit aid. S applied ED and got the scholarship. We would not have qualified for need-based aid.</p>
<p>PS-- look at washington and lee, davidson, and grinnell (I forget which others) for LACs that have good merit aid programs. Claremont-McKenna has $5000 award and Bowdoin offers $2000 to national merit finalists (although I think Bowdoin has other merit aid, as well). What type of school are you interested in attending? I didn't figure an ivy since you asked about merit aid. </p>
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