<p>I recall there being a disclaimer when applying last year; this isn’t the official contract or anything, but it is listed on this site at the bottom:</p>
<p>[Application</a> Deadlines and Options: Office of Undergraduate Admission - Northwestern University](<a href=“http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/apply/application-deadlines-and-options.html#early%20decision]Application”>http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/apply/application-deadlines-and-options.html#early%20decision)</p>
<p>I’m also just recalling what multiple people have said here in the past, and were able to easily get out of the agreement. </p>
<p>We were fine with our financial aid that we got from ED, if that helps the OP at all. It wasn’t exactly what we wanted, but it was doable. But yes, if you are very worried about money, then RD will allow you to compare packages and help you pick what your family is able to handle, which is of course very important. For me, NU was literally one of two schools I applied to (I applied to UT-Austin so I could maybe have a backup, but I wasn’t exactly planning to attend), and I took the plunge because that year, ED was a big plus on an application. I’m not sure how much of a difference it makes now. Part of me does wish we had been able to compare multiple packages, but I probably would’ve still picked NU just because I was so in love with it.</p>