If you get accepted to a university and make a deposit before receiving your financial award package, will it lower your chances of receiving any financial awards from the university because they no longer need to “swoo” you?
There is no point in making a deposit before you have your aid information. Until you have that information, you won’t know what your costs are going to be, and can’t make an informed decision.
You can deposit, and it won’t affect anything, other than you are unlikely to get the deposit back if the FA award isn’t enough. FA is done via the financial aid office. They don’t use financial aid to lure you. They give you FA based on demonstrated need.
You do not have to make a deposit before May 1.
Some colleges may try to incentivize you to do so by making housing first come first serve, but you don’t have to make a deposit.
Depending on the school check out housing. We made deposits at the top 3 because housing choices were important to S17. We got the deposit back on the ones we didn’t choose. If you are sure you can get acceptable housing without making a deposit just wait. It won’t bother the other schools. They won’t see it either way.