<p>How about calling (anonymously) each college to ask? You may find out if answering helps or hurts your case. I can see how it could help at some schools. Applying to, e.g., Carleton, Oberlin, Reed and Swarthmore, would show that you feel strongly about the kind of school you want to attend, that your idea of “fit” is consistent, thus potentially increasing your chances of acceptance at each. But this would apply only at the tail end of the acceptance process, if you were right on the edge of accept/reject; other factors would weigh much more heavily.</p>