Just adding one more thing to this thread :
People who have been successful in a past cycle ( with only a handful of apps ) should always weigh in and share their experience, but I wouldn’t try to pass it off as a smart thing to do - with or without a viable school option at home.
Unless I’ve missed something and applying to BS for fun is a thing?
Make no mistake - it’s a rare and wonderful thing to get an acceptance letter after submitting only a handful of apps, but I think it’s a real disservice to give people a false sense for what they’re really up against.
Harder to take is when people giving the advice fail to mention how luck may have played a role in their happy outcome.
I’m sorry, but to me- it can sound a lot like a lottery winner telling everyone how to win the lottery.
We know the OP is totally fine with reapplying next year if this cycle goes south ( let’s all hope it doesn’t and we can all breathe a big sigh of relief M10 ), but I would still caution other people reading this to add more schools to their list ( if they need BS placement for next year ) while there’s still time.
FWIW - there are some really great schools that have a later app deadline and Skype ( for interviews ) is your friend.
Obviously, if it’s too much work, forget it and go with what you have ( fingers crossed ), but what I said on the Freakout thread still stands.
You can take it or leave it. 