My D19 has applied EA to Parsons, for the BBA program in strategic design and management. We all (including her GC) consider it a safety for her given her scores and grades, and I’ve said so elsewhere on CC. The BBA is the most academic-focused program there (no portfolio required), and her academics are well above average for admitted students. But it’s also her top and only choice, a perfect fit for her desire to be a gallerist or curator. We’re not dismissing it as “just” a safety; we’re happy and lucky that she’s all but certain to get into the one school she’s decided she wants to attend, and that we can afford it. For public consumption, “safety” won’t come up when we talk about it.