<p>"1. Apply EA/ED if possible. Sometimes financial situations dont allow it, but if you truly feel you know where you want to be (or if it is a non binding EA option), then apply early. You find out before everyone else and have a better idea of where you stand on your college lists. Plus, the admissions rates for some schools (Columbia, Princeton, Penn) are practically tripled in this round."</p>
<p>ED is a good idea for the 5% of families in the country who can pay full freight. (Maybe you go to a rich school - nothing wrong with that.) There is no evidence that ED helps admissions rates for financial aid applicants one iota. It might, but it's counterintuitive.</p>