<p>Too many schools or not? Sorry, but it depends on the student’s personal preferences.</p>
<p>Still, this is how I would do it. Keep the list of 17 but prioritize the list, or at least roughly group the schools in order of priority. Apply first to the ones you feel most strongly about, and move down the list. I bet you quit by number ten or so.</p>
<p>For what it is worth, I agree with “Vctory”
“In the grand scheme of things $1000 is small change compared to the cost of a 4-year college education.”</p>
<p>It is also true that you might change your mind. High school students change their minds all the time. Your first priority school could bite the dust and be off your list if you learn something crucial – especially if you had never thought of it before. For example, your list is almost entirely state universities, which is probably a mistake. Maybe you need to throw in some private colleges which are more likely to give you merit aid (Purdue and U.Washington probably won’t be giving any). Once you start considering private colleges, the whole process changes.</p>
<p>Anyhow, prioritize, and apply to at least 7 or 8.</p>