So from what I have been reading online, it appears that the basic notion is that if you are concerned about financial assistance when applying to a university through ED, you should not do ED.
I just wanted to confirm this with members on here? I would apply to UPenn ED if I didn’t have to risk getting crappy aid but I am also surprised that, for an Ivy League, they don’t provide that much (at least from what I have seen on forums).
Does the same apply to Brown ED?
That pertains to all ED decisions, regardless of the school.
Run the Net Price calculators for any school of interest. If the cost estimates are not affordable, then do not apply ED.
Sit with your parents and run the net price calculator. Then have a discussion so that you are all on board as to whether the school is an affordable option for your family. Then make the decision as a family if you are applying ED.
You might be able to figure out how much FA you can expect from using the NPC. If your situation is fairly straight forward - that your parents have salaried jobs, own a single house that they live in, that they have traditional assets like a 401k or IRAs - the NPC can usually give you a pretty good picture of what to expect. Even if they make $150k, the NPC still works.
It’s when one owns a business or has income that fluctuates, or they have business property, or millions in art work that they don’t want to have appraised when the NPC starts to be iffy. Some have been able to run the NPC at several different schools and figure out the Brown doesn’t work for EC while Princeton does (because they run 6 and 5 basically come out the same and Brown is way off). It’s not a guarantee, but it works. You can also ask the school for a review. Some are willing to go over the NPC with you, others aren’t.
Keep in mind that the NPC isn’t a guarantee.
I think the problem that many don’t anticipate is that the determination of what is “affordable” is not always a bright, clear area. There can be somewhat of a gap between comfort level (what parents want to pay) – and maximum stretch level – and it’s a lot easier to figure that part out when there are multiple options to compare. And that’s the part you lose with ED – you can be looking at a figure that is much more than your parents want to pay, but not impossible-- and it is a take it or leave it situation.
I think a good starting point is to figure out whether your parents can manage full pay at an in-state public, and whether you are happy with your in-state public as a fallback option. If so, then you will have at least one reliable number for comparison.