List with just one (great) safety and lots of reaches?

[AustenNut]

@mom4623

given that she has an affordable option where she is virtually guaranteed admission, and where she would be satisfied to attend, does it really make sense to fill out a list with schools she has no interest in?

I don’t think she, or anyone, needs to have a list filled out with schools she has no interest in. If a student has no interest in a school, then it seems like a wasted application.

That said, however, I agree with the above posters who talk about the importance of being able to make a choice. It’s a very different mental space when one has “chosen” a school rather than having the decision made for you because everything else was a rejection/waitlist. Additionally, there are so many examples of students who wanted one thing in the fall of their senior year and then want something very different come the spring. Allowing enough optionality in the college list to allow for that is also very beneficial.

@mom4623

One consideration is that we have a very tight budget, and we expect based on the NPCs that some of the more competitive schools would end up being less expensive than her dad’s school. That is not the case for some of the matches and safeties her counselor has suggested, which would be more than we can afford, unless they come through with a lot of merit.

This is sometimes why it can be hard to find extremely likely admits for a student, but that doesn’t mean the effort should not be made. If your family would like help brainstorming possibilities, you could start a Match me thread for your D, or you could share the budget, your state, and a bit about your D and what she’s interested in. I’m sure that there are folks here who would love to help brainstorm possibilities to research.