How important is it to get into your early decision school for applicants who are looking at competitive colleges? This pst year, I’ve noticed that many top students aimed too high and got rejected early. In the RD round they didn’t get into any competitive schools.
The question really should be, are the odds of getting into a top school ED better than getting into a lesser school RD. You shouldn’t look at it that way, if you think your good enough to go to your top choice school (you at least have the middle 50% stats) apply ED. After that make sure you have safeties. Too many variables to answer the original question but I’m sure some will try.
I have the stats, but the schools I’m looking at are just unpredictable. For example, I have a 4.0 and 35 ACT with legacy at Northwestern, but their acceptance rate is 9%, which means that they have to deny many applicants who have the stats to get in.
@perspectivestude, I think the issue is that many reached too high, whether ED or RD - unless you have a hook, then you should expect to have to be in the top-25% to have a decent chance of acceptance, with a slight advantage during ED dependent on the school. If it’s a LAC, it’s likely that the ED round is full of recruited student-athletes and legacies, so the ED advantage for non-hooked applicants may be minimal.
Agree, regarding Northwestern as your chance during ED with your legacy status may double from 9% to 18%; doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a shot, but not a lock.
Well you answered your own question, too unpredictable. Many students will end up at there safety schools, but if I were you, I would apply ED to Northwestern assuming that is your number one choice, its really all you can do. Personally I think you have a pretty good shot if you spend some time on your essays.
P.S. I don’t know how my DD got into UChicago, or her friend into Harvard, or another friend into Stanford but they did, so they do take some people. 
If NU is really you topr choice and it is likely financially affordable to you, you should apply ED. The admission rate is uaully higher at ED.
An ED school is one you definitely want to attend because it’s a great fit and one you can definitely afford. If you def want to attend NU and can afford it, it would be great to apply ED. At least up to now, it has accepted a much higher % of applicants in the early round. It sounds like you would certainly be a competitive applicant. There are obviously no guarantees.
I think the issue you are raising traces to many students/families rating the “prestige” of a university extremely highly. Harvard and Stanford obviously have lots of “prestige.” So numerous high-stat students apply ED to them and a couple of dozen other “prestigious” schools. So these schools have to deny (just simple supply and demand) many excellent students, who often then have to face more challenging odds in RD. The truth is that there are many schools that provide similarly high-quality educations. Because their “prestige” is a little lower, they receive many fewer applications and are more accessible. They perhaps don’t provide the “wow factor” next spring and later on, but how well students succeed in their futures depends on so much more than that, like their hard work, commonsense, social skills, willingness to network, compassion, decency, respect, and many other similar qualities.
Thanks! @TTG