Chance & Match me: MA resident, 3.86 GPA, 34 ACT superscore; env sci, economics, computer science, sociology, anthropology

How much can your parents pay a year for college for you? Would your parents’ income and assets keep you from getting much, if any, financial aid? Because if the answer to this is that they cannot contribute enough to close the gap, you can put in a thousand applications, but you will be going to UMass Amherst (a very good school).

You have a ton of reaches, none of which are likely to take you. You will get into Richmond, Syracuse, and UMass Amherst. Would you choose Richmond and Syracuse over UMass? If no, then don’t bother applying to them, cause you’re gonna get into UMass. For the rest of them, sure, throw in applications, but don’t hold your breath, although I do think that you might get into Northeastern and Boston College. You’ll only get into Tufts if you show tremendous interest, manage to convince them that they are your first choice, and since the way to do that is to apply ED, and you’re not, you’re gonna have trouble convincing them that you’ll enroll there if they accept you. Tufts is hyper-focused on yield.

If your family can afford the Net Price Calculator number for Dartmouth (and you’re absolutely sure you’re entering the family financials correctly), then I do think that you have a possible shot at Dartmouth ED, probably not at Brown, even ED.

You pay for each application, so it’s not as if the Common App is an all you can apply buffet, up to 20 schools, unless you’ve qualified for an app fee waiver. If you don’t, then you really should only apply to schools that you want to go to, that you have a shot at getting in. If you do qualify for a fee waiver, then your whole app game should be focused on the private schools that would be likely to give you so much fin aid that it would be cheaper for you to go to a private school than to UMass Amherst.