It’s way past the ED deadlines, but I would think Brown would stand out as the ‘low-stress’ school from your list. Definitely not Yale or Williams, and while Barnard may be seen as less cutthroat than Columbia, it’s still an NYC school, with NYC levels of stress. Of course it’s competitive. You are responsible for your own success, and you’ll be vying to stand out above the rest, just like your peers. I’m curious as to where you eventually applied ED, if your open to sharing? Also, I agree with calmom; when in doubt, apply RD. If you turn down an ED spot, the school you turn down will report that to other schools, and backing out of a legitimate and serious commitment never looks good.