To me, the bottom line on an ED choice is that you need to be done with all the hand-wringing and have one clear preference. Instead it has become, for many, a way to game their admission chances. One problem with that is that you can never know, really, how much ED will even boost your chances. Worse, if you’re admitted, you won’t be able to compare aid offers. So if you don’t have a clear favorite, then don’t apply ED. If you just want a bird in the hand early in the process, find a non-binding EA school you like.