Our D23 son was admitted to Middlebury as a Feb ED1 a few weeks ago. He actually selected Feb as his preference as he wanted a gap semester. Middlebury looks for “Febby” kids to ideally fill those spots, and he definitely has Febby qualities such as willing to take risks, lead others, and basically just not follow the usual path. I personally think the combination of his ‘Feb qualities’ + his preference to be a Feb was a big plus to his application and one of the reasons he was accepted.
If your application screams ‘Febby’ to Middlebury, and you are willing to be a Feb, I think it helps - possibility a lot. If your application doesn’t scream ‘Feb’, I’m not sure it moves the needle much as I don’t think they want to put students they don’t think will thrive as a Feb into those spots.
Here is a quote from a NYTimes article about Feb qualities: ‘At Middlebury College, where one-sixth of the class arrives for the first time in February, Greg Buckles, dean of admissions, said, “We kind of cast about for these ‘Febby’ qualities,” like risk-taking, entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to lead.’
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/education/more-college-applicants-dont-get-in-until-winter.html