It's one thing to say "well, I applied here because given X, I thought I had probability Y chance of acceptance." It's another thing entirely to invoke the phrase "safety school" with all of its associated undertones in a process which demands intellectual maturity.
Proposing an answer to the question on the results board (with respect to the recent Rochester admits):
One possibility is that they are admitting by subfield. Another is simply that the adcom just started meeting! But who knows, I'm crossing my fingers still.
My girlfriend just took a job in Boston, where we live and I study now. I'm joining in on the sweat -- hoping to stay in Boston! If not, I'm going to have a lot of persuading to do...