Personally, I think that 30 is simply too much work and too much money! But I would say that if you are applying to many schools that are reaches but not necessarily impossible (and hence expect a lot of rejections), it’s okay to err on this side of applying to too many (although not this many). If, however, you are applying to schools where you have a good probability of being accepted, narrow your list now! We were advised to apply to about 15, mostly because the list included selective SMALLER schools and it just wasn’t clear – although they were matches and near reaches – how well DC would fit their institutional needs. It is NOT a good thing to have extensive choice in April because you’ll have only a month to visit, and the schools will have only a few days for admitted students’ visits. I DO agree that you may need to apply to more schools if you’re looking for money, and the ones who are the most likely to provide it are the ones for whom you are at the top end of the applicant pool. They could accept you but provide insufficient financial support, in which case, they won’t complicate the decision-making. Does that help or not?