Merit Aid & Early Decision

I think it’s clear that applying ED at American greatly increases your chances of admittance, especially if you are a high stats applicant. If you applied ED, how did AU assure you that your chances for merit aid would not be affected? It’s really the one hang up my DH has about ED. He’s sure that they will give DS reduced merit or no merit if he applies ED. I think DS’s stats put him at great risk for being put into the category of seeing AU as a “fallback” school and being denied RD. AU is DS’s first choice GTown does not offer merit, so we didn’t even look at it because the NPC said we would be full pay at $72,000. GW is his second choice, because he just felt more at “home” on the AU campus.

Hi. I’m a rising junior on campus. I applied regular decision to AU for the Class of 2019, and while my stats were by no means lackluster, they also weren’t out of this world. AU tries to get the best people they know wants to go to this school more than anything, which is why they love for you to show interest by coming to visit and speaking with an admissions representative. Personally, I feel the main reason I was accepted was because I showed my passion for my public health/pre-med major in my essay (which at AU is pretty rare for a student) so they knew I wasn’t just another regular poly-sci or IR major. Above all, I recommend that if your stats are high enough that you think it might be a problem, then you decide on a major that isn’t one of the school’s main focuses (cause you can always switch it when you get in), but if you know AU is your first choice then apply ED.