Is this a good final list?

BooBooBear
Sat, 05 Aug 2017 21:24:57 +0000

I view the process more from a bottom-up perspective–pick a safety you like/love, pick a second backup safety (especially if there is any desire or concern about merit aid), then just throw darts all you want for any remaining applications you choose to make. If your safety(ies) are truly safe and you would be happy there, then all of that “balance your matches and reaches, then divide by the square root of your SAT score” advice is not that relevant.

My S19 has a resume similar to yours and seems to really love a school that would be considered a match (a solid one). My primary goal now is to make sure he has a safety school or two in addition that he would be happy with, and then ease up on the pressure for adding more matches and more reaches, etc. My guess is that he will end up with two safeties, a couple of matches (including the school he seems to be focusing on), and a couple of reaches (schools similar to his match but more selective). I really doubt he will create a list longer than a half-dozen or so when it is all said and done. In addition, the strategy will be to apply EA to his preferred match and his two safeties (merit aid usually requires early application anyway), with maybe an ED to his first choice reach, then sit back and see whether he will need to apply to any RD schools.