<p>unless you are willing to commit to Rice regardless of finances, DO NOT apply ED. “Gaming the system” is not worth it and especially in today’s economy, there’s nothing worse than wondering “what if?” as you repay loans. I applied RD and actually got merit aid from Rice (I think it was intended to lure me away from the Ivies, which it did) so it turned out better for me in the end than if I’d applied ED.</p>