<p>My daughter had some regrets about not applying SCEA to Stanford, where she was rejected as a RD applicant. They only accepted <6% RD, double that SCEA, and she was a very high stat (salutatorian, 2340 SAT) legacy. My sense is that if your stats are close to those of other applicants, you have a better shot at getting in if you apply SCEA or ED, when available. (The applicant pool is stronger for SCEA and ED applicants to top schools, so keep that in mind when making your decision.) </p>
<p>The early deadline and her uncertainty about a top choice is what led her to apply ED everywhere. This isn’t a bad choice, but if you do have a favorite school, definitely make sure they know it. (Personally, I’m skeptical of anyone who wants to get into “an Ivy.” They’re not all alike, except perhaps in prestige, and that’s not really worth pursuing for its own sake.)</p>