<p>Waitlist is a luxury for the well-to-do. Waitlist acceptances don’t come with merit $, and many schools baldly state that they aren’t need-blind in whom they take from their waitlist. Moreover, even a full-pay family might balk at the prospect of losing deposits and non-refundable travel costs to the previously-committed school. </p>
<p>Deferral isn’t like that, because colleges don’t disadvantage RD acceptances versus EA/ED when it comes to financial aid. ED kids that were deferred to RD have more (not less) opportunity to compare financial aid than those accepted straight away in ED.</p>