My list is around 24… fees shouldn’t be a problem, 4 are not on the common app. I’m wondering if I should shrink it down.
Not many OOS schools, a decent mix of schools with levels of selectivity. I like all the schools on my list and I don’t want to regret not giving a shot at somewhere that I think I could see myself at. In-state is not out of the question, however, I’d really prefer not staying within my state
Check out the following thread:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/ask-dean-topics/2109192-is-a-24-college-list-unreasonable.html#latest
Not at all. Apply to all your favorites. There’s no artificial limit.
The question is, why do you feel like you need to apply to that many? Throwing out that many apps suggests to me that you haven’t done a sufficient job vetting your options.
I would not go over 10. This way your applications will still be competitive but you have plenty of options.
If you have trouble narrowing down your list, divide schools into groups based on their acceptance rates. Then rank them in their respective groups based on the ones you like more. Say you have 5 groups. Pick the top 2 in each group and apply to those schools. This is how I narrowed my list.
Example:
MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Brown,UChicago
If I were ranking based on how much I like the schools I would do:
- Princeton
- Stanford
- MIT
- UChicago
- Brown
So in my case, I would apply to only Princeton and Stanford.
Do this for each group and get down to 10 colleges.Best of luck in your college endeavors!
I think it should be quality over quantity and anything over 10-12 is too many for almost student to do a great job with the supplemental essays.
Look. in the mirror and be honest with yourself about if you really can see yourself attending all of the schools on your list
Are any of the 24 colleges safeties that you will certainly be admitted to (and to your major if applicable), you will certainly be able to afford, and you will be pleased to attend?
As a practical matter, that many unique applications (which includes Common Application schools that have unique supplements or additional essays) may be rather hard to manage. Now, if many of them are in a state university system with its own shared application and no campus-unique supplements or additional essays, the number of unique applications would be fewer. But you gave no indication that this is the case.
If up to me, my list would be shrunk by at least 5. My parents are forcing me to apply to certain top schools they believe are “great” and it’s pretty much futile to convince them otherwise, I’ve tried. If I end up not applying, they will probably continue bringing this up forever so I’m doing it for them.
@eyemgh answered your question above… I wish I didn’t have to apply to so many but I need to apply to a couple of matches and ones for my parents
@chief134 good idea, I’ll do that for now… thanks 
@AlmostThere2018 I agree, if you want to read my comment above, I wish I didn’t have to apply to so many but I don’t feel like I have a choice, also, I can always recycle supplements too right?
Depends on the supplements. My daughter had to write 19 essays for 8 schools. None were recyclable. IMO, 24 is way too many.
Look at your list and get down to 15. Decide why you took those schools off. Then look at those 15 schools. Can you afford to go to them? Can you get into them? Are they good fits for you? Make sure to have true safeties that you would enjoy going to. Reduce from there if you need to. If your parents want you to apply to some schools then that’s on them.
My sons list was 38 schools that we both came up with. He wanted to only apply to 5. That came down to like 12… But those had reaches, matches and safeties. The end result. He got into the schools he wanted to and the last 3 would not of changed regardless.
It sounds like YOU know the list should be shorter, but your parents are forcing a longer list. Since you know that’s your reality, and based on what I’m reading, you’re powerless to change it, why open the thread and ask a question you already have the answer to?
First, you either have a reasonable chance or not, based on what they look for, not just your wants or your parents’. That’s more than stats. You should have vetted for this. Top colleges like to see you’re the sort who isn’t crapshooting or just looking at stats and titles. You need to show more than that and “Why Us.” (Even if they don’t ask directly.)
Second, if you know where you’d match what they look for, what’s the need for adding handfuls of colleges? if you have safeties and some matches, just a few reaches can be fun.
This isn’t about you blindfolded, throwing your own darts. The app and any supps need to show the right stuff.
My daughter applied to nine and she thought that was a lot. I think 24 is way too many, but good luck!!
Ok, this similar question is asked about med school apps and I think the same answer applies…
If all of those schools require thoughtful essays, then likely you’ll be so burdened that few, if any, will get quality essays.
If you can reuse essays with tweaks (be careful that a wrong school name is not submitted!) , then fine.
If some don’t require essays, then fine.
But try to eliminate a few that will require time consuming and rather unique essays that you won’t really have time to devout to…and will likely mean short-changing the time devoted to other essays.
Sometimes less is more…
Remove all the schools you wouldn’t be happy to attend. That will shorten your list.
Number of colleges to apply to is a personal decision. My personal opinion is that 10-12 is a good maximum. 24 is a lot. There is going to be more work to be done for all those schools you get accepted to. Travel, visits, more extensive research, accepted student days, etc. You would not want to put all that effort into more than 5-6 schools or so. If I were you, I would take another look at your list and strategically eliminate schools to cut your list in half.
The most important place on your list is your true safety. That is a place where you are absolutely guaranteed admission because you have the stats that guarantee admission, that you can afford without any aid other than federal (FAFSA) aid and/or state and/or institutional aid your stats guaranteed you, that offers your likely major(s), and that you would be happy to attend if all else goes wrong in the admission cycle.
Find that place (better yet, find two so you would have a choice), then build your list upwards. Eliminate any place that you would not choose over this true safety. This will likely help you cut a bunch out of your list.