<p>“If it happens that ED consistently get lower by a few percentage, how would one even know?”</p>
<p>Before the ED deadline, and then again before the RD deadline, enter the same numbers on a school’s NPC.</p>
<p>The reality is that some schools do preferential financial aid packaging. I don’t think Vandy is one that does…but some do. This would mean that The balance of grant vs loan aid could be adjusted from student to student.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I’d agree with the economic loss language”</p>
<p>I worded it that way since, as an illustration, in 2007-08, Williams (the first google hit) spent $100,000 per student, list price was $45,000, and the average aid student paid $11,000. So “loss” per full price payer was $55,000, but we could call this “break even” considering endowment and donation income. The aided student additional “loss” was then $34,000. But, yes, it’s a language choice illustrating what schools will do to get their desired ED students.</p>
<p>“Before the ED deadline, and then again before the RD deadline, enter the same numbers on a school’s NPC.”</p>
<p>You would then again get the same number. You are missing my point, how would you know someone would get more actual aid or less aid if you apply ED vs RD? You won’t get a package unless you are accepted, and if you do, you get just one package. You have to analyze a lot of different packages with their corresponding financial information, and then maybe you see what they are doing.</p>
<p>If the school won’t tell you, you must rely on reputation, e.g., the reports of the experiences of others, perhaps on these boards.</p>