@IxnayBob my “one card” statement was referencing other highly ranked private schools like U Chicago, Duke, Penn, Vanderbilt etc. that offer a significant advantage for ED applicants. A 32 might not cut it at those schools either. As you point out, Yale does allow a student to apply to a state school, a school with rolling admissions, colleges outside the US etc. while applying SCEA at Yale. However, some kids are not interested in applying to or attending a state school–even one as great as Michigan. It is a gamble, if the student strikes out with his/her SCEA bid he/she may not get into some of his/her other choices RD or might be waitlisted everywhere else. The process is very stressful. It all worked out in the end for my D as you can see from my avatar.