[Mick]

I don't think that students who apply to many colleges are wasting the time of the admissions officers, chiefly because (a) they are paying for the application, and that increased revenue has allowed the admissions office to hire sufficient admissions officers and (b) the students don't know if they're going to be accepted or not or where they are going to be accepted.  And it reminds me of a conversation I had with a college counselor at a local high school where there was a massive readjustment in acceptances -- downward -- at selective and highly selective schools.  Those counselors had to tell 20% of their student body that they weren't getting into target schools.  Think those kids wish they had made more applications?  I'm guessing the answer is "yes."

And separately, it isn't all that easy to apply to lots of schools with a common application, outside of the UCs.  On the UCs, it is a checked box and another application check.  But most selective or stronger private schools have their own supplements which are functionally a separate application.  Stanford's had three essay prompts last I checked, Princeton's and Harvard's were both lengthy.

Finally, I'll mention that the Ivies keep very close tabs on who is applying where.  Both of my sons had started applications at two Ivies, had applied early action and were accepted at their first choice.  Later that day, each son received calls from the admissions office at the other Ivy asking if they had been offered, and if so, had they accepted.  Both sons said they were committed, saving themselves and the other admissions office time.  Which is how it should work, IMHO.

[Mick]

I don't think that students who apply to many colleges are wasting the time of the admissions officers, chiefly because (a) they are paying for the application, and that increased revenue has allowed the admissions office to hire sufficient admissions officers and (b) the students don't know if they're going to be accepted or not or where they are going to be accepted.  And it reminds me of a conversation I had with a college counselor at a local high school where there was a massive readjustment in acceptances -- downward -- at selective and highly selective schools.  Those counselors had to tell 20% of their student body that they weren't getting into target schools.  Think those kids wish they had made more applications?  I'm guessing the answer is "yes."

And separately, it isn't all that easy to apply to lots of schools with a common application, outside of the UCs.  On the UCs, it is a checked box and another application check.  But most selective or stronger private schools have their own supplements which are functionally a separate application.  Stanford's had three essay prompts last I checked, Princeton's and Harvard's were both lengthy.

Finally, I'll mention that the Ivies keep very close tabs on who is applying where.  Both of my sons had started applications at two Ivies, had applied early action and were accepted at their first choice.  Later that day, each son received calls from the admissions office at the other Ivy asking if they had been offered, and if so, had they accepted.  Both sons said they were committed, saving themselves and the other admissions office time.  Which is how it should work, IMHO.