@Lindagaf I understand what you’re saying, and I am grateful that I have somewhere to go. I think @PurpleTitan summed up my situation best, in which my safety (UCSB) would be better than most matches from a cost perspective. My parents discussed with me that I would likely be staying in-state for financial reasons unless I made it into a tippy-top school, so there was no reason to find lots of matches. The only matches I applied to were ones where I thought I could qualify for merit aid (Emory, USC, Tulane).
@jym626 I applied for both, but I didn’t really know much about Oxford at the time. I just wanted to keep my options open.
@Postmodern I am so grateful to have a response that is not critical. Thank you for your kind words.