<p>I don’t claim that this is necessarily correct, but if you’re seriously looking in the Princeton-Amherst level you may want to consider more than 4-5 total applications. (Though if you have one true safety school that you would be happy to attend, anything else is really a matter of personal choice). It really becomes a numbers game with <20% admissions rates. </p>
<p>FWIW – A couple of years ago, My D was applying: 34 ACT – Top 5-10% (school doesn’t rank) from a very well known public school. Her ultimate list was 10 (5 USNWR top 15 schools, 2 or 3 more in the top 30, and a couple of safeties) The college counsellor and her GC both thought this was about the right amount, given the level of schools she was applying to).</p>