<p>ED helps because it tells the college that it is your top-choice.
Plus it also shows the amount of interest you have in the college.
But, I guess, for the Ivies, they know that a candidate they accept is most likely going to attend, so ED won't work in your favour unless you have super stats and the Ivies WANT you.
But for other colleges, say a little lower ranked liberal arts college, ED can help a lot, especially if you apply for financial aid, because they know that most of the candidates they accept through RD aren't going to attend, so they try to fill up most of their freshman class through the ED round.</p>
<p>For the colleges you listed though, its going to be as tough getting in ED as getting in RD, unless of course you have amazing stats (in which case you SHOULD NOT apply ED anywhere)</p>