Which GPA would colleges prefer?

Applying to College
1

Student 1: 2300 SAT, 4.0 GPA, checked “Demanding” schedule

Student 2: 2300 SAT, 3.9 GPA, checked “Very Demanding” schedule

Student 3: 2300 SAT, 3.8 GPA, checked “most demanding” schedule

Also, is there a clear preference for one over the other? Explain reasonings why

thanks

2

Ceteris paribus
Student 3: 2300 SAT, 3.8 GPA, checked “most demanding” schedule
Most prepared for college.
However, it’s never this simple. Everybody has unique activities and things that they do that might warrant not taking the “most demanding” schedule. They also might have just taken classes they like and not because of their difficulty, which is completely alright and actually better, as it would reflect more in their recs and possibly their essays.

3

90% of colleges would wet their pants if any of the three applied