They pushed hard on my son to ED. Whether or not a ‘less qualified’ student can get in ED than RD I don’t know and I know there are athletes and others in these #s but they sure make it seem like ED is ‘easier’ and Ed Is the highest level of DI there is.
“For WashU, there is also a statistical advantage, as we see fewer students apply in Early Decision and see a higher acceptance rate. This makes it easier for students who are academically prepared and excited about the WashU community to stand out in the applicant pool. Last year, our acceptance rate in Early Decision (across EDI, EDII, and our QuestBridge round) was 26%, compared to our overall acceptance rate of 12%.”