@warblersrule, I should have stated that east coast schools are “more in-demand,” not that they “receive more applications.” My point is that their acceptance rates are generally quite a bit lower than the best of the Midwestern LACs.
Look at the acceptance rates for all these schools. With the exception of Carleton (22.8%), most of the east coast schools are several percentage points lower than their Midwestern counterparts.
Williams 19.3%
Amherst 13.8%
Swarthmore 17%
Bowdoin 14.9%
Middlebury 17.2%
Haverford 24.7%
Grinnell (28%) has gotten more competitive in recent years, most likely due to their generous aid programs, but Macalester at 36% and Oberlin at 32.7% are significantly less competitive than say Bates or Colby.
In any event, it’s apparently moot as the OP is done submitting applications.