Applying to 19 schools -- too many? not enough variety?

Applying to College
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<p>One question that pops into my head is how can you afford to visit 19 schools all over the country and still be elligible for fee waivers? hmm... perhaps I should've applied for fee waivers. oh well.</p>

<p>I feel like I'm being a brat in this post, but yes, your list looks like you're either 1) just trying to get into a big name school, or 2) don't know what you really want out of a school (except for the prestige). You'll have to figure out what you really want come May 1st anyway, so you might as well get a head start now. </p>

<p>btw, if you really have an "I could be happy anywhere" attitude, eliminating some choices should be fairly easy, i.e. close your eyes and stick out a finger.</p>

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<p>Ceecee: On a family trip on the East Coast last summer, my parents took me to visit about 20 colleges. This February, my father had heart attack and had to stop working. Thus, my once comfortably middle-class family is now low-income and scraping to make ends meet.</p>

<p>I can see how it appears that I am "just trying to get into a big name school." May I ask what I should be looking for instead? I have worked incredibly hard for the past twelve years, have never had any grade lower than an A, and have piled on extracurriculars, not for the sake of getting into a prestigious college, but because I thoroughly enjoy a variety of activities from teen court to choir. As I see it, I have a fair shot at getting into a "big name school," and, once I've enrolled, of performing well, making thorough use of its resources, and reaching my full potential.</p>

<p>Thus, when compiling my list of schools, I comprised the list of schools world-renowned for their academic prowess.</p>

<p>No, I do not know what I want out of a school, but I know that I want the best that I can get into. I honestly do feel I could be happy anywhere.</p>

<p>Why not see where I get in, and, if worst comes to worst and I do get into more than one school, have the option of "closing my eyes and sticking out a finger"?</p>

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<p>The OP's arguments are sound, and many posters who have been critical just didn't read carefully (e.g., s/he repeated several times the UC policies re ELC apps at different UC campuses yet still you carp). A highly qualified student who has a decent chance at any college and who is shooting for superselective colleges (all of which give good need-based aid) can obviously improve chances by applying to more -- that's simple logic. In this case it absolutely makes sense. The OP is motivated to do the work (maybe writing essays is enjoyable for this person?), so why not? The high school GC has clerical support, right? So how much time/effort is involved in making multiple photocopies and stuffing them in the student's SASEs? In return, the HS gets to brag about selective college acceptances -- they thrive on that stuff. As for crowding out another applicant who really, really wants Yale and only applies there -- that's nonsense. Yale will accept enough students to get the yield they want and the OP isn't hurting anybody's chances. Finally, I gotta say, look around at others' experiences -- D had similar stats and applied to 8 selective LACs (plus a UC to which she was guaranteed because of ELC status), was waitlisted at most and accepted to only two. The acceptances and rejections were "eccentric" -- "5. Deviating from stated methods, usual practice, or established forms or laws; deviating from an appointed
sphere or way; departing from the usual course; irregular;
anomalous; odd; as, eccentric conduct. ``This brave and
eccentric young man.'' --Macaulay."</p>

<p>In other words, "crap shoot." If she had applied to fewer, she might well be stuck with UC. She ended up with a very good LAC and good financial aid. Good luck cosby!</p>

44

<p>Ah, I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I hope he's doing better now.</p>

<p>As for the rest-- because you are a good student. You will get into a good school whether you apply to 19 or 10. If anything, you will only spread yourself too thin and decrease the quality of your applications. And then there is money... even if you don't have to pay the application fee, there are score reporting fees, transcript release fees (maybe? does your school have them?), etc. And pretty soon, once you get accepted, schools will be asking for housing deposits. (although they say they will refund it if you choose not to attend, who has that money lying around in their checkbooks?) </p>

<p>Most importantly, your time is valuable. You can't honestly tell me you have nothing better to do your senior year than to apply to twice as many schools as needed.</p>

<p>PS... since money is an issue, can you narrow down your list based on prospective financial aid? Also, do you plan on visiting your family? Maybe you could apply to schools closer to home so you don't have to think of travel costs.</p>

45

<p>In my opinion, if you want to have the best possible chance of getting into a college, you should do the best job possible on your application, especially essay writing. If you're applying to 19 colleges, I think you're not going to have the time and energy to properly write the essays for all of them. Sure, you can reuse, and the common app takes care of some of it, but it is still a borderline-unreal amount of work. </p>

<p>If you don't want to put that much effort, well, you should know the saying about infinite-time exams: there is guaranteed to be someone who will work forever on the exam. This applies to college apps; there will be someone out there, as qualified as you, who will really work on an application.</p>

<p>If I were you I'd cut down on the list and pick the ones you really actually like. This should give you enough to be able to play schools off against each other with financial aid, which is another reason why you'd want to apply to many colleges.</p>

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<p>If you are looking for 'world reknown academic prowess' then you should add The University of Chicago to you list, and it would be a match, and possibly a safety for you. It is one of the most academically rigorous universities in the country. Check it out, as it is not for most students but it is a great school for students who love to learn.</p>

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<p>"but it is a great school for students who love to learn."</p>

<p>-That sounds like typical Chicago condescension to me- as if people in other schools don’t love to learn. :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>Live to learn, love to live, live to love, it's all shades of grey.</p>

<p>"Love to learn" at chicago sounds like a nice way to spin the uber-studious stereotype, actually. : )</p>

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<p>
[quote]
As for crowding out another applicant who really, really wants Yale and only applies there -- that's nonsense. Yale will accept enough students to get the yield they want and the OP isn't hurting anybody's chances.

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<p>celloguy . . .
When Yale factors in the people to accept to produce the right yield, they don't assume the person's applying to 19 schools. Besides, regardless of how miniscule, the acceptance to Yale will mean some other person is rejected, that's a fact. However, the OP will have Yale in addition to however many other good schools they end up accepted to--which I'm saying will probably be a sizable number. Is it fair? I don't think so. If it's easy for the OP, cheap, managable, whatever, that's fine. But what if everyone applied to 19 schools? The yields of schools would be ridiculous (and they're already getting worse), applying to this many schools just furthers that problem. 1 person, maybe, but it's still a contribution. As I said in this post, I don't think schools messin' around with their yield assume the applicant is applying to 18 other schools. Inevitably, a person accepted to multiple schools will take up many slots of other schools, but since they accept more that can attend, it's managable. However, I don't think it's right for a person that's only going to attend one to fill up so many potential slots (and it's even more unfair for those who are actually restricted in the schools they can apply to, or simply don't have to the time to apply to this many). There's going to be disparity, naturally. Some can apply to as many as 10 or 11, while some are limited to maybe 5 or 6 by their school, or others only want to apply to 1 place. But 19? The topic asks if it's too many and I think yes.</p>

<p>
[quote]
A highly qualified student who has a decent chance at any college and who is shooting for superselective colleges (all of which give good need-based aid) can obviously improve chances by applying to more -- that's simple logic. In this case it absolutely makes sense.

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<p>My argument on this would be that as far as superselective colleges, applying to more doesn't increase your chances at a particular college, however, the superselectives are unpredictable enough to the point that you can't expect a significant increase in acceptances among them by applying to tons more unless you were unbelievably talented enough to get into all of them in the first place.</p>

<p>
[quote]
In other words, "crap shoot." If she had applied to fewer, she might well be stuck with UC.

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<p>Now let me give a counterexample (or 2). Friend of mine applied to all ivies minus Dartmouth and Columbia--accpeted only to Cornell. Or another . . . applied to all ivies (and matches and safeties, of course), rejected from every ivy. My point here is that what probably happens is that unless you're a phenomenal candidate, you might end up accepted at 1 or 2 more for every 5-8 more you apply to.</p>

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<p>Listen to your heart. If you feel you should apply to all these schools than do so. As long as money and time are not issues there is nothing stopping you.</p>

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<p>imho, 19 is too many. Even if you are the most flexible person in the world, BESIDES academic prestige/rigor, there should be SOME standards you want to see at your dream school that are unfulfilled at a few colleges on your list. Many posters have already pointed out some of these things you should look for, like location, surroundings, academic programs, so on. Certainly you want to go to a school where your major/interest is just as renowned as the school itself. You wouldn't go to a notorious environmently studies school for prelaw. With that said, what exactly are you looking to go into as an undergrad? You'll have to forgive me if you've already posted it, because I just skimmed this thread.</p>