<p>How many schools one applied to depends on the type of school they want to go to. If one for example is hoping to go to the University of Virginia and knows if they don't get in that they will go to University of Florida near where they live, and that getting accepted to University of Florida is likely, then even five schools may be too many. If one wants to go to lets say University of Miami and applies to two schools at that level, two in the middle for them and one safety, then five schools is enough. If one is trying to go to a school like Harvard, Yale or Princeton five schools is not enough. One has to have 10-12 schools. The reason is this. Often there is no rhyme or reason why one school takes one and not another. One may get into Harvard and not Columbia. Yale but not University of Pennsylvania, Princeton but not Cornell. There are over 20,000 applicants in these applicant pools and the odds of getting into even one of the top schools in the country even for the most qualified and compelling applicants is very small. I am not talking about 10-12 schools for students where Harvard and Yale are a true reach. ie. they are throwing the applications in just to see if by chance they can get into one. I am talking about applicants where HYP are not really reaches for them in so much that they have the grades, scores, compelling extra curriculars, awards, achievements, but they are reaches because there are just so many applicants who also are competitive. I know of many who were compelling candidates to these schools but applied to two like their guidance counselors recommended. Well, what happened is that they did not get into either of them and wound up going to a school on their middle list always hoping they have applied to more and had a chance at some other schools. At the competitive high schools guidance counselors understand this and encourage their students to apply to many top schools to try to get into one. Of course the student has to be excited about every school they apply to. There is no reason to apply to schools just because they are ivy league or considered the most prestigious if you dont like them or think you will be happy there.
So, students who want to go to Harvard, Yale or Princeton or Stanford, MIT for example typically apply to a lot of schools unless they are lucky enough to get in early. Yes some who get in early keep a number of applications in just for bragging rights and that is not right, but generaly only keep those applications in that they might go to even over their early choice.
If one wants to go to a school like the caliber of Harvard, Yale or Princeton, then they need to have a number of schools on their list. Their list would probably in addition to a number of schools like this, also include very competitive and very selective schools like Washington University in St. Louis, Duke ect, which the student would probably be also excited about going to if they did not get into their top tier choices, and also schools like University of Chicago, Nothwestern ect that are still very competitive and perhaps where they have more of a chance getting accepted and at least two safety schools. Thus, the list comes to abot 10-12.
Now some would say why do they need to go to such a prestigious school. The thing is that many students who work incredibly hard during high school and have performed at very high levels, and have unbelievable accomplishments want the same opportunities as those born into privilege or given an easier edge who have not had to work so hard. We all know of development admits and legacies who gave a lot of money to these schools who get in with lesser qualifications, or recruited athletes who had lower SAT scores and grades. For them perhaps a few choices are enough. But for the student who is compelling but not connected, why should they not have an opportunity to go to a school of this caliber if they want to? In order to be able to do so, they have to have a long list so that they can get into one or two of the top schools on their list</p>
<p>Again it's a very different picture if you're international. I've applied to 14, I know each of my colleges perfectly, fallen in love with about 12 of them, and applied to the other 2 because it's impossible to predict if I'll get into any of them. I understand how to somebody else it may appear that I'm crazy or simple egotistical, but the fact is that International applications and admissions are so unpredictable that it was only by applying to so many that the law of averages would apply. There is every possibility that I'll be accepted to 10 of them and them look stupid, but there's also the possibility that I'll be accepted only to the 14th university I applied to, and then it'll seem like a reasonable or indeed wise strategy. </p>
<p>The simple solution is: If you know you'll be applying to many colleges, start early, research a lot, and start writing essays 3 months ahead of the deadline. That way you can manage to personalize your application to each college. </p>
<p>Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>13 schools.
i def recommend starting WAYYYY early.</p>
<p>No one should judge anyone else for the amount of colleges they applied to really? What is it to you? your not the adcom looking through them so whatever. Maybe people feel better that way, either way everyone is different.</p>
<p>Could i get into ohio state, arizona state, arizona, or other schools to that nature? with a 3.1 gpa
??? im a sophomore and i no its still really early but still
right now im a bout a 2.8 but im going to get it up to around a 3.1
I will have 3 varsity letters (basketball and track)
Probably 2 or 3 ap classes and did 2 honors classes freshman year and 1 sophomore year
will have about 250 community service hours by end of high school
male caucasion jew from ny</p>
<p>56 schools....</p>
<p>(yeah... blame the stress and all the kids at skool saying "OMG your gonna get accepted at so many different places! omg!"</p>
<p>56 schools, are u serious??????? I can't even imagine how long it would take to write those essays.</p>
<p>Ditto collegebound5;</p>
<p>It is really very difficult to limit the application process to just 5 schools in case of applying to top schools.</p>
<p>I would personally will apply to the following 21 schools and would choose in the order of preference
HYPMS (5)
CalTech
Rest of Ivies (5)
Duke, JHU, U Chicago, WU at St Louis, Northwestern (5)
CMU, UCB (2)
USC,UCLA, UCSD (3)
I may endup applying to other UC's if I don't get good SAT1 scores.</p>
<p>Grand total of 6
Three amazing-oh-my-god-I-will-never-be-accepted schools, two OMG-I-hope-I-have-a-chance schools, and one omg-I-really-hope-I-get-accepted schools</p>
<p>56 schools? I can't imagine how much you would pay in application fees if you didn't use any fee waivers... And postage... And ink. :D</p>
<p>7 schools</p>
<p>i was only really interested in knowing from Geneseo and Skidmore. and did the other mostly on a whim. </p>
<p>so, 7. those who applied to 20+ are clearly crazy. i mean that in a joking way. but seriously. that just sounds like you rushed at the end and couldnt figure out where you'd like to be. therefore you chose everywhere. </p>
<p>Wells, free app (accepted w/merit)
Sacred Heart (merit & honors)
Geneseo (accepted)
Binghamton- still waiting
New Paltz- waiting
Marist- waiting
Skidmore- won't know until april 1st. but since there are financial concerns...i'll probably end up at geneseo.</p>
<p>Wow! IMO, some of you are nuts. You should do research on the schools that you think you want to go to before you apply. No wonder it is difficult to get into colleges when so many people apply to schools that they know that they will most likely not attend. You should stick to the formula of a few reaches, a few most likely's and a few safeties. 7- 10 schools at most. Make sure they are all schools you really would be happy attending. By applying to so many schools like this, you a hurting the chances for some kids to get into schools that they really would like to attend but you really don't care if you go or not. You should make sure to check the school requirements and cost (expecially for OOS) before you apply. I realize many of you apply to see how much $$ you can get before you make your decision and that is understandable. Think how much money schools are making by so many erroneous applications from people who won't attend even if they get accepted. Some apply just to see if they will get in regardles of their attendace plans. Anyway, this is just my opinion. Good luck to all of you!</p>
<p>Ok 21 I can understand in IvyAims position but 56 !!!!</p>
<p>God how long were you working on your apps !!</p>
<p>God</p>
<p>GOD !!
haha which schools were they ! Did you just look at USNEWS and apply to the first 56 ? Just a ?
Definetly post the schools !</p>
<p>HOW MUCH DID IT COST ! whahaha.. you made my day
big props</p>
<p>my applied to 10. 2 state schools.</p>