<p>I agree with that, but with the number of ED rejects increasing rapidly, the number of additional applications they throw in rises even more rapidly, from 1 (if they got in), to anywhere from 2 to 15 or more. This is why it is NOT more difficult to get into an Ivy (provided you don't choose which one) even though the number of applications has grown. What matters is the number of qualified individuals applying cross-Ivy, not the number of applications.</p>