<p>brainsprain - That is why it is very important to choose your lines wisely. Do the research calculate your viability as a candidate and then choose. If indeed WashU is your first choice, then go ED - if you are not sure then again look at your viability - show interest - visit (if possible) and go RD. RD worked out very well in our case, since there was no obvious first choice. All things considered WashU ended up being the best choice. At the same time there is no “best” school for everyone. It is about best fit for each individual student. In our case WashU ended up being the best choice - that may or may not be the case for other people. Remember RD is not just about WL - the majority of succesful applicants are admited in the first round of RD. Two years ago WashU accepted nobody from the WL. Nobody is forced to stay on the WL - if that is not acceptable then choose another offer.</p>