Both Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology saw increases in their early applicant pools, a trend also seen at Yale and Dartmouth College, which remain the only two Ivy League schools to release such statistics so far. Stanford received 5,361 applications to its non-binding restrictive early action program, reflecting an 18 percent increase in early applications compared to last year, Stanford’s Director of Admissions Shawn Abbott told the News on Tuesday. Roughly 5,000 students applied to MIT under its non-binding early action policy, representing a 25 percent increase in early applications compared to last year, the MIT Tech reported Tuesday. About half of MIT’s increase in early applicants can be attributed to the more than 600 students who applied through QuestBridge, a program that helps match talented low-income students with top colleges, the Tech reported. Yale is also a QuestBridge member school.