Interesting question that I don’t have any experience with (my kids all went EA rather than ED). Do you think that applying ED reduces your chances of getting any merit money?
Logic would say it should. What’s the point of giving a discount to a kid who is already required to enroll?
There’s not a ton of merit money in the top 25 ED schools and it is very competitive. But there is some – Emory, Vandy, WUSTL, Rice etc.
Probably doesn’t come up all that much. Since the ED boost is most helpful to applicants who are well qualified but not slam dunks to be admitted at such selective schools.