<p>Mathmom, the trouble with EA is that most LACs don’t offer it; of the schools my son is currently considering only one (UChicago, and that’s gotten much more selective, so it’s not as helpful as it once was) offers EA rather than ED. I agree, it’s hard on the kids to narrow their choices to one so early, but given the pressure at the reach schools, forgoing the advantage of ED is a tough choice to make, too. My son, like OP’s friend’s son, has high SATs and less-than-optimal GPA, so applying ED would probably enhance his chances at the schools on his list. </p>