<p>Hi!
I'm a junior who is putting together a college list.
At first I had 3 schools, then 6 and then 8, now I have decided that I will throw away that list (which was a list of a few reaches and matches) and create an all-out longer one.</p>
<p>My reason for this is that I have been reading some posts on this site that have said, apply to as many places as possible, so that you don't feel any regret. So I wanted to do that.</p>
<p>Is this a good idea? My mom has a list of school I could care less about, my GC has a list that she thinks is good, and I have a list. I just want to combine them all and add on more. The more places I apply the more chances I have to get in, right?</p>
<p>So, is it a bad idea to apply to a ton of schools?</p>
<p>Most people think 10 is a good number and expect them to split with safeties, matches, and reaches. Unless you are only applying to safeties and matches, 6 sounds low.</p>
<p>Without knowing your credentials and the schools your GC is recommending for you, we are in a very nebulous area. All we are talking about are numbers with nothing to support this discussion. Is that your GC’s standard recommendation across board to all students or just you?</p>
<p>It really depends on what the schools’ applications looks like. I think your GC may be thinking about the time (and cost) involved. Don’t forget that (especially for selective schools) many will have at least one supplemental essay. If you think you can research each school adequately and write the 10+ thoughtful essays by the deadline in addition to your schoolwork and EC’s, then go for it. Just remember, in the end, you can only pick one.</p>
<p>^^^^I’m not sure. She has very lofty ideas for me. She told me Princeton would be a good place for me to apply. 1) It’s an IVY, my stats (G.P.A of 3.54) is way low. Then she tells me my dream school Northeastern University will be to hard to get in to. How is an IVY easier to get into than NEU?? I was confused. I think the princeton think was just me, and she dislikes some other schools, so she tries to get students to not apply.</p>
<p>^^^I was going to apply early to every place that would allow EA. I do not plan on doing ED or SCEA.</p>
<p>^^
Thanks! I might do that.</p>
<p>^I plan on starting my Apps during this summer, soo time is not an issue.
I know that I can get it done.</p>
<p>She just says that I have a good chance.
I’m AA, i’m a writer, published a few times, created some stuff at my school, 1st generation (well I was born in another country, but I consider myself 1st generation)</p>
<p>Nothing speacil. But that is the stuff she lists.</p>
<p>As a senior now faced with the task of having to decide which school I am going to (May 1st is coming up really soon ) I would like to say this: Rarely will you ever find someone who got rejected from all of their schools or accepted into all of their schools (except ED people, but that’s besides the point!) </p>
<p>The price of applying can be steep-- not just financially (when you take tests it costs to send those scores, then each college charges differently amounts for the application itself, college visits in the future build up, etc.) but also mentally (as someone who applied to about 12 schools, writing supplemental essays became the bane of my existence–some schools require more than 1, others request seperate ones if you’re applying to special programs, etc.) </p>
<p>If I could go back I probably wouldn’t have applied to a few of the schools I did–sometimes having more choices makes the ultimate decision more confusing, and sometimes when you apply to so many schools, some of them you are not as enthusiastic about as others, you take the spot of someone who genuinely wanted to go to the school and force them to be placed on the wait list. </p>
<p>If Northeastern is your dream, don’t let your Guidance Counselor stop you–it’s your future not theirs! A good range of safety, target, and reach schools is best, and if your GC suggests Princeton, well, you never know, right?</p>
<p>Blackrose - Am I interpreting it correctly - you are African American, born in another country and first in your family to go to college (first generation in US is not a hook at all).</p>
<p>If you read the posts on here from March and April, you can see that it takes a real emotional toll on the kids. Waiting for results, dealing with multiple rejections, and then deciding among the opportunities – it’s an emotionally demanding process. If you can narrow down your choices before you apply, you’ll be doing yourself a big favor.</p>
<p>Either way, apply to like 10. It’s really expensive and time consuming. Think long and hard about which schools 1) you <em>know</em> you’ll get into 2) you have a good shot at 3) financial safeties 4) reaches that you also really like. </p>
<p>Don’t get too hung up on one school, though. I agree with the person who said 2-3 of safeties, matches, reaches, and financial safeties (I think those are the categories he/she said.)</p>
<p>If that is the case, there are a whole bunch of families who have moved to US with kids on work visas whose children would be qualified. It is just not the case.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advie!
It was very well said.</p>
<p>@Texaspg
no.</p>
<p>I am not a first generation student. I am (or I think I am) a first generation american (I was born in another country). I am not here on a work visa. I am a US citizen. I was thinking that there are a ton of kids from different places (China, Spain, Kenya, Ghana, Mexico, Albania etc etc) so me being born in a different place is not a hook. I’m not sure. I plan to talk it over with my GC during a meeting I have planned with her.</p>
<p>@CPU,
You’re right. I think i’ll end up applying to 9 or 10 because of the advice given. Doing more than that does seem like a bit much.</p>
) I would like to say this: Rarely will you ever find someone who got rejected from all of their schools or accepted into all of their schools (except ED people, but that’s besides the point!) </p>