<p>Hello there.
I'm thinking of applying ED to Northwestern. I visited the campus this summer and I'm pretty sure I will find myself happy and I guess "accepted" at this school.
Not that I am being arrogant and saying I will get accepted, but if by a slim chance I do, and I don't like the financial aid offer they are giving me, will I be allowed to withdraw my acceptance? I am definitely going to apply for financial aid, although another user told me that even if I don't like what they are giving me, I will not be allowed to withdraw.</p>
<p>They will let you out of your financial aid commitment if they are not meeting your financial need. However, it is up to you to prove that your family cannot afford for you to attend the school. I don’t ‘think’ that this means you can withdraw merely because you receive a better package from somewhere else. The school that has accepted you has the right to notify other schools that you have accepted an ED offer, and since your guidance counselor signs off on the ED form, s/he may have an obligation to do the same.</p>
<p>Many schools do let one or two students rescind ED each year, but it’s rare. The message they’re trying to send is that you are committed except in an extreme situation. Basically, you’re not supposed to ‘package shop’. However, I would recommend that you discuss the matter directly with your guidance counselor before you make any ED decision.</p>
<p>OP, you can indeed turn down an ED offer if you are unhappy with the FA offer. There is no need to “prove” anything. It doesn’t have to be an extreme situation. Nor does the ED school have to give you permission to turn down the admission offer. It’s entirely your decision. If you turn down the admissions offer, the ED school will not notify other Common App colleges that you accepted an ED offer, as you didn’t accept it. </p>
<p>Sounds foolproof, right? The downside is that you have nothing to compare with your ED offer. Your ED school may give you an offer that doesn’t look great, so you turn them down. Then during RD, you find out in retrospect that the ED offer was the best of the bunch. You can’t go to the ED school and say that you now want to accept the offer.</p>
<p>Do some research on the Northwestern forum and find out if you’ll really have an edge applying ED.</p>