<p>I agree that as long as you have a reliable surething safety – *that you would really like to attend *-- then absolutely cast as wide a net in the reach pool as you can manage. The selectivity rates at the individual schools may still be very low but, the one true truism is if you don’t apply you won’t get in.</p>
<p>I have no problem with lotsa reaches. I’m actually less enthusiastic about matches and multiple safeties. I’d rather spend the energy on aspirational choices (as long as … blah/blah/blah … safety).</p>
<p>Merit aid makes the search exponentially more complex. The reach/match/safety tiers that offer merit aid would be very different from the need based or no need at all based list. </p>
<p>We know a boy who had a double complication – international needing much need. He applied to some 20+ schools and the results were as you say widely inconsistent. Accepted at Yale, rejected at some other super-selectives, waitlisted at Williams. He attended Pomona, by the way.</p>