Yes, absolutely the ED admit rate is a well-known scheme for pumping up Draw Rate (along with reducing uncertainty, boosting revenue and forcing students into an unfavorable negotiating position re. financial aid packages).
All the above LACs have ED rates that are far above their RD rates – as high as 3x for several of the good but not elite LACs. Kenyon College’s ED rate is 64%!
If you were to reconfigure Draw Rate for several of the above schools by taking the AVERAGE of RD and ED Admit Rates, you’d get something closer to this:
Draw Rate if Average of ED and RD is used as denominator:
Amherst = ca. 1.7
Williams = ca. 1.7
Swarthmore = ca. 1.8
Bowdoin = ca. 2.4
Bates = ca. 1.2
Hamilton = ca. 1.1
Haverford = ca. 1.1
Colgate = ca. 0.8
Oberlin = ca. 0.6
Most other good LACs will have a Draw Rate of ca. 1 if ED is factored in.
Other Private colleges’ Draw Rates if Average of ED and RD is used as denominator:
Tufts = ca. 1.9
Tulane = ca. 0.6
George Washington U. = ca. 0.7
USC does not do Early Decision. USC’s Draw Rate is still close to 4.
Harvey Mudd and Pomona would still have exceptionally high Draw Rates, even if ED were factored in per the above, of 3.2 and 4.2, respectively.