Yes, they do preferential packaging. See this piece for reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/education/edlife/finaid-pappano-t.html?_r=0 (still relevant–that’s how they did it when I was admitted in 2002!) Now, as the above comment indicates, I believe BU’s deadline for consideration for merit aid is December 1. BUT BU doesn’t promise to meet need (ie: it’s not cut & dry with them), and because they DO do preferential packaging, you never know. It’s not uncommon for BU to decide they want you based on a variety of factors, and give you nebulous “grants”–as opposed to “merit scholarships”–to get you to go. That’s what happened with me. I can’t remember any longer if I applied before the merit scholarship deadline, but a large chunk of my aid package was a grant awarded for merit.