I am really set on going to JHU so I would like to apply ED, but I have a few concerns. The main thing is that my first SAT II sitting will be in November and a) I don’t know how well I will perform and b) I don’t know whether the scores will go in time for the ED deadline.
What are the benefits of applying ED? does it make any difference at all to your application?
I look at the stats and see that the acceptance rate is a lot higher for ED, but I was told that this is inflated due to atheletes and legacies 
So will it be worth applying to ED, as in is there actually a higher likely hood of getting in with ED?
If it matters, I am an international student ( asian) and I don’t need financial aid.
Thank you!
Thankfully it states on the JHU website that if you apply ED you don’t need to rush November test scores, which means you can view the score before it is sent to the school. I’m not sure how competitive your stats are to determine whether SAT II’s are necessary for you (is GPA and ACT/SAT above 50th percentile?), but all I can say is if you plan to take them then study hard and get the best score you can. If it’s a competitive score (750+) then I would definitely send it. https://apply.jhu.edu/apply/exams/
Of course ED increases chances of acceptance, it surely doesn’t decrease them since you’re making an agreement to attend this school above all others (and all schools value their matriculation rate, it’s a ranking metric for God’s sake!) That being said, every school has a misleading ED stat since every school will have (to some degree) legacies, well-qualified applicants, and athletes applying to their ED program. You will increase your odds of acceptance, but realize it’s not twice as easy to get in via ED vs RD as stats suggest (12.4% acceptance RD vs 28% acceptance ED). Furthermore, even if you are rejected for ED you are still considered in the RD cycle, which gives you a chance to strengthen your application with additional test scores and another semester of grades.
I completely regretted not applying ED when I found out I had been waitlisted RD last year. I wasn’t sure JHU would be financially possible and a lot depended on whether I received a sufficient amount of scholarship money or not. If money is not an issue, you are 100% set on Hopkins, and you feel like a competitive applicant, I say go for ED!