If they would have been rejected in ED, why would you be looking at them in the RD round? Doesn’t that imply deferral? I can understand that colleges can be harsher in the early round, but doesn’t erring on the side of caution logically imply that they should defer the candidates on the cusp?
I absolutely think ED should be abolished because it is inherently unfair to some families - those that financially need to compare offers. But I understand it is not going away.