I honestly don’t see the problem with applying to a large (>10) number of schools. The main argument against it that I see is that it creates a quantity vs. quality problem where every app you write is gonna suck since you’re doing so many of them. But with Common App, aren’t you only doing one and then just sending it to as many schools as you want? In that case I don’t see the difference between checking five boxes and checking ten (except the application fees, which for my family isn’t that much, and the fact that you may have to deal with 10 acceptances down the road). But other than that, why not? There are in fact more than 8 schools which I think can be a fit for me, and the more schools I get into, the more likely I am to get a good financial aid offer from one of them.
true but essays can be a pain
Isn’t there just one essay or set of essays that you write for the Common App? Or do most Common App schools require one of their own essays as a supplement?
you havent started yet? go see for yourself
So there is a separate essay for each school? I’ve heard otherwise. What would be the point of a common application if you have to still write an essay for each school?
All but two of the schools my DD is applying to require supplemental essays. Once you create your CA account, you can add schools you are interested in to see what essays are required.
Many great colleges and universities have no supplements. Schools like:
Beloit College
Case Western Reserve University
Clark University
Connecticut College
Denison University
Eckerd College
Gustavus Adulphus College
Juniata College
Kenyon College
Lake Forest University
Lawrence University
Miami University-Oxford
Middlebury College
New College of Florida
Northeastern University
Ohio State University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Rhodes College
Ripon College
Skidmore College
University of Connecticut
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Miami
University of New Hampshire
Ursinus College
Washington and Jefferson College
Wesleyan University
etc…
Highly selective schools will often require supplements. My recommendation would be to apply widely should that suit you, but not to base your selections on whether supplements are required (or application fees, though this does not apply here). By considering ease of application as a priority, students can ultimately compromise the quality of their college options, even should they be many in number.
My S has applied to four schools so far through the Common App. While each one asked a set of questions specific to that school, none of them had supplemental essays (just the one responding to a Common App prompt and the “additional info if you wish to submit it” option). So while getting the first app out seemed to take forever, the second one took him maybe 20 minutes, and the last two 5-10 minutes each.
Check each school, but likely several will not require any additional writing. Then sure, if you don’t mind paying the app fees (and cost of sending scores), apply away!
If you are not applying for financial aid, then no problem with paperwork. If you are filling out FAFSA, then you will need to send it to ten schools, then wait for it to clear, and then send to the rest.
A caution: If any of your schools require the CSS Profile, then that may be a headache (more for your parents than you, probably) keeping track of what is due, and by when, to each school.
A lot of schools aren’t on the common app. Some that are on it, though, require you to do additional writing that is unique to that school. If you have an idea of what you want and where you want to go to school, don’t overapply. Also, you can only put 10 schools on 1 fafsa which is a pain. Even if you aren’t looking for financial aid, you’ll probably end up filling it out. Applying to more schools doesn’t increase your chances of getting scholarships. Look into schools you like and see which ones offer lots of merit aid, and those can be financial backups. Also, if you apply to a lot of schools deciding which one you’re going to go to will be much much harder.
It’s fine. Lots of kids do 15+ schools. It’s not for everyone, but if you have the time and $ to do so, there’s nothing wrong with it.
Best to go on the CA and see how many of the 15 you have in mind require supplemental essays. Some require more than one. Usually the supplements are shorter than the “main” essay, but still require work to complete thoughtfully. Often it is some variation of “Why Us” but some schools have more.
My D applied to 15 CA schools and she had 22 smallish essays beyond her main one. It took a lot of weekends to complete.
if you are thinking to apply to that many mainly to find out how much financial aid you’ll get, you can find that out on each school’s net price calculator, assuming your situation is fairly straightforward (parents divorced or owning a business or having a lot of assets can make it more complex).
Suck it up & write the essays…small price to pay for a possible big payoff. And u will learn to write better
It’s not just application fees, also score report fees, CSS profile fees, sending tax returns to schools.
If it works for you – meaning you can afford the cost application fees & sending test scores to 15+ colleges and you have the time and energy to do a good job writing all of the necessary supplemental essays - then go for it. It shouldn’t matter to you if it is the path anyone here would choose or not.
Have you created a college list yet? How far along is your Common App application and essay? Did you apply early anywhere?