I think the fact that some kids are successful using this strategy leads to others doing the same. Just this week I read about two kids from one high school (in NJ if I’m recalling correctly) who will be attending Harvard this fall. According to the article, one of them only applied to Harvard, Yale and Princeton (or Stanford?) and was admitted to all three. I wish I saved the article and can’t find it now, but I immediately thought, wow that kid isn’t on CC! But it worked for him.