<p>Last year my child applied to 6 of the more selective schools. Got into 3 (2 with FA offers) and was waitlisted at 3. Each school knew all the schools to which child was applying. One AO called the list “the usual suspects.” These schools don’t expect you to apply to only one, so having others will not hurt you. However, I have heard of something called the Tufts Effect. That it when you apply to a number of the most selective schools and then throw in a safety that doesn’t really line up with the rest of the list. The safety school will assume that you really would rather be at one of the more selective schools and will waitlist you in favor of a candidate who genuinely wants to come to that school. So while it might be a good idea to cast a broad net, be careful how you do it. And don’t apply to any school that you would not be happy to attend.</p>