<p>Run the NPCs for the schools and you can get an idea as to what they will expect you to pay. It gives you some ball park figures. Just to make it clear, if there should be a huge difference between two like colleges in terms of fin aid that reflects a fundamental difference in methodology, it is doubtful the school offering less is going to come up with a huge amount of money. Where it can make a difference is in “deal breaker amounts”. Yes, it happens sometimes, but rarely. To count on negotiating huge amounts is unrealistic.</p>
<p>My guess is that CMC and Carlton would come up with similar amounts. However, if both were on the table at RD and it came down to a deal breaking increase in aid, you’d have to be up there on the want list of a school for it to ante up a whole amount. </p>
<p>When you apply ED and cannot afford the school due to an insufficient aid package, you are permitted to get out of the commitment. You have a limited time period to take or leave the acceptance offer that will have an estimated aid package with it. But what you can’t do with ED, is see what Carlton or other schools might give you. You have to make the decision in a vacuum. Basically, you apply ED if you know what your family will be able and willing to pay, and if the fin aid falls short, then you can’t afford that school. You can’t compare to get the best deal as you can with RD. It’s not so much about negotiating. Though it is possible, and some people have gotten packages increased, it is absolutely not something to count on. It more often than not does not work that way. If you think you’ll be sitting there wheeling and dealing with the upper hand with a bunch of variant offers to strike a great deal, you are likely to be sadly mistaken. It’s not the way it usually works. </p>