“I think the new PENN ED is for students where PENN is their #1 choice, by far. They have to take their chances with RD if they get rejected. Perhaps PENN is trying to rationalize its ED admission % (which I understand is very high) by making sure that only students that truly want PENN apply ED, and not students who are trying to use the ED lottery ticket, but really want to go somewhere else (like MIT) if they get accepted.”
Any ED at ANY school was always meant only for those for whom that school was their first choice and who would happily forsake all others for that school. If someone is going to be such a loser that they apply ED to a school they don’t love, that’s completely their problem and no pity tears here.