why interview at top program if not one of your top choices?

so I thought I would throw this question out there.....I've been on a few interviews at some 'top' programs and have gotten the feeling that, as a non-rotator there is little chance I will be ranked if I do not make it perfectly clear that I am very very interested in that program. I am not going to lie and tell all the programs that I really want to go there, but then I find myself wondering why I even am going to interview at a top program in the first place if it is not likely to be one of my top few programs...Is this just me? Or do other people get this feeling?

Ya, I've been curious how many people match outside of their top 2 or 3 on their rank list. If you interview at 10+ places, there is a higher chance of matching, but does anyone really match at their 9th, 10th, 11th choice? Maybe the number of interviews you're invited to and/or go on is just a better surrogate for how competitive you are.

For someone who didn't match last year, I have a little perspective.

You don't interview at 10+ place in hopes of matching at your 10th or higher spot. The goal is to interview at as many places as possible to hopefully find that "best fit" program where they will rank you high and you will rank them high. The more places you interview at the better you learn what that "best fit" means to you, and the more likely you will find a program that matches those criteria.

I did not apply and interview at enough places last year to do this. I only felt I was a good fit at few programs last year although I would have been happy at any of the programs I interviewed at. Of those 3-4, a couple are extremely competitive programs, while those other couple didn't think I was a god fit for them.

What gave you the indication that you wouldn't be ranked highly?

Post-match communication.

How did you make sure you let those programs know you would be a good fit now?