I think some nuance to this subject and statement has to be applied. For convenience I will divide ED applicants into three groups:
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Athletes and other hooked applicants- absolutely over represented in ED round and accepted with pre reads at near 100%. Distort acceptance rate upward.
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Unhooked average (or even above average) excellent but not exceptional kids. These kids experience the same results they would during RD round but with the possibility of being deferred and getting a second review.
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Unhooked “perfect fit” kids. ED often attracts the top kids to call their shot and display the ultimate form of commitment. If EDing correctly these applicants will have customized their applications, be specific about why they have chosen the school and self selected based on “fit” and academic suitability. These kids often get selected at significantly higher percentages than the cumulative norm as the school seeks to lock them in and based on their superior applications.
Browns statement is simply an articulation of what all the top tier schools do during ED. They don’t lower standards but do accept a higher percentage of kids based on the quality of the early pool and the certainty of the yield it produces. For Brown or any of the other elites ED is an opportunity to frame with certainty typically about 50% of their incoming class. They use it to lock in what they perceive as the best fit and most qualified kids so if you are one of these kids and have chosen A school ED is a “best” shot.