Frankly, I don’t even know where this idea comes from, that colleges routinely use the clearinghouse in reviewing UG applicants. It’s a data bureau that holds info for many purposes, including verifying the college degree for post degree jobs, when an offer is being set. (That final verification many of us have been put through.) I know it’s said, all the time, on CC. But I can’t imagine the time being availble, not to mention getting past privacy laws. You think they blanket send app details to a 3rd party? It was part of the job app for us to authroize that, iirc. Not on the Common App.
But that’s not my point. OP did have an original idea (other thread now partly merged) to do a gap “abroad,” then either attend X with no notice of what he did during the gap (hide the other college experience,)or can his enrollment at X to go find a better Z school. Sheesh. On that other thread, I believe he later agreed with posters who said to be above board, make a clean decision, whatever that is. Now, back to this fog?
Imo, kids do not always have a better idea of “fit.” Most of us have been on CC long enough to know they come up with odd reasons and prestige lists. The smarter ones have been rationally exploring, rationally culling/deciding, for a couple of years, at least. Before applying. But that’s far from universal. They make all sorts of odd claims.
It’s fine for parents to let the kid make the ultimate decision, when the parents can afford the various choices and have no overarching concerns. “All things being equal.” But we also know how many times the kids are emotional or talking of “dream schools.” Or flat out applying to a big list of surprisingly different colleges. I guess the kids think they’ll do the harder thinking later. Then you get what OP’s dealing with.
Like many parents, we did the culling before the final target list. Then had to state the final costs needed to be affordable. When the choices rolled in, we weren’t questioning the colleges that they’d applied to.