Not sure if this was the case for OP, but it isn’t unusual for the students who see themselves as shoo-in for Tufts or USC to recycle essays used for Harvard or Stanford that clearly describe the experience they are seeking as one that would be available at Harvard or Stanford but not at USC or Tufts. And the AOs identify them as kids who haven’t done their research and won’t be a great fit, not as kids who won’t say yes if accepted.
Yield protection suggests that schools want the highest % of students they admit. What really matters is that the incoming class has the desired profile. A kid who is a great fit is unlikely to be denied because they are “over-qualified”.