1 more reason why you may want to apply ED/EA.

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2009/january28/admission-012809.html

Record numbers apply for admission

Stanford University has received 30,349 undergraduate applications for admission to the Class of 2013, a 20 percent increase over last year's total and an all-time high.

Of the 30,349 applicants, 5,363 applied—and 689 gained admission—through the university's early admission program. The remaining 70 percent of those offered admission will be notified at the end of the regular cycle around April 1. The overall admission rate could hover around 7.5 percent for the incoming class.

Students admitted in both December and April will have until May 1 to decide whether to enroll at Stanford.