<p>Stanford, even more so than most colleges, tends to use EA to go hunting for URMs. It is also more concerned than most with its “yield,” i.e., the number of admittees who actually matriculate. So, if you come from a geographical area or school where Stanford has not had good results you will have a more difficult time getting an acceptance here as opposed to other of the HYPMS schools. Add to that the need to fill slots for a huge DI sports program and legacies and the whole process becomes highly unpredictable.</p>