I think the Georgia situation reflects a specific dynamic. A lot of students, including many high-stat ones, apply to one top private choice ED and then apply EA to a bunch of the most highly ranked (Top 10) public universities like Michigan, UNC, UVA, Wisconsin, Georgia, Georgia Tech (sometimes CA schools too, though they don’t have EA/ED but early deadlines). This approach maximizes the benefits of applying early. As a result, many of these schools have seen an enormous spike in EA applications over the last decade. I know UVA has lots more EA applications now. William and Mary is something of an exception as an ED public university, which makes sense since it is more of an LAC/midsize national university. Yes, in general southern schools are “hot” in a popularity sort of way. And I have to say, I do think it’s nice to think about going to a school where the weather is nice most of the academic year. Much easier to get out of bed and go to class on a February morning at Tuscaloosa than in Burlington, VT. (I’ll add, Burlington is one of my favorite towns, but COLD.)