<p>^^^ Hmm, looks like the lot of didn't like playing things safe.. ;)</p>
<p>A friend who got in ED to her top choice applied to 17 other schools and finished all 18 applications before she got into her ED. Played things safe, but obviously wasted a whole bunch of money. At least she had her parents' complete (financial) support, although that was even more questionable than her having even applied to that many schools in the first place!</p>
<p>Safe and expensive vs. risky but frugal.. Hmm.. hmmmmmmmmm!</p>
<p>6 - equally distributed between safeties, matches, and reaches</p>
<p>Many factors were at play when I was picking out my colleges, so I had to eliminate a lot of schools. I am absolutely in love with my safety, into which I was already accepted, so I have no regrets about my number. Would I have felt better, safer had I applied to a couple (that means 2!!! in my world) of more schools? Perhaps, but I picked out my colleges carefully and compiled a list with which I could find almost nothing wrong. I was able to "stay on top of it," although I admit it was stressful at times, so hats off to all those with 10+ schools.</p>
<p>Personally, I am a sore loser and don't like the new lottery component of the admissions process, so applying to a bunch of reaches was not an option.</p>
<p>I applied to 10, but one I had a "VIP" application, so that took under an hour for everything related to it, so it's really only 9 that I spent considerable work on.</p>
<p>5 reaches, 4 safe matches.</p>
<p>So far in at the 10th school, plus 3 of the safe matches. Waiting on all of the others.</p>
<p>Son applied ED to one and was accepted. If he hadn't been, he would have applied to about 8 or 9.</p>
<p>This was really cheap for us -- just one application fee, the SATs were sent for free (part of his "free" four), and we paid $15 (I think) to send his junior year AP scores. For his brother, who wound up applying to 11, it was -- oh, I don't know, about $1000 when all was said and done. And then the brother was accepted at his top choice EDII, so we wound up having to withdraw all the other apps. You don't get your money back. :(</p>
<p>I did four a regret it. I had planned to apply to McGill but I didn't take any SATII's and they require them there. I now wish I'd gotten that together on time and applied to a couple other colleges. I was paying my own fees and all so that made it harder. I tried just to pick the ones I wanted the most and that I would get into.</p>
<p>S applied to three schools: one safety/match, two reaches. The match "matched," and he's actually starting to lean there. Hasn't heard from the reaches, yet ... but won't be devestated at all if he doesn't get it. In fact, he's already ruled one out, now ... too far away, and the other he's seriously debating even if he is accepted. Except that I want to know, so we can do the final stuff we've put on hold (paying admit deposits/accepting scholarships), it's not that stressful, especially for him, but then again, if he were any more laid back, I'd have to call him a reclining chair.</p>
<p>7... one early (rejection from a reach) and six regular (2 reaches, 2 matches, 2 safeties). If i were to do it again I'd probably add one or two more colleges that I wished I'd applied to.</p>
<p>6 three have acceptances for and still waiting on 3 at end of this month. Seemed like a good amount, but still a lot of paperwork to keep up with</p>
<p>20 colleges because of financial aid and other reasons. First, I live in New York City and was able to apply to 6 CUNY's for $65 and only one application with no essays or anything. Than, I also applied to 4 SUNYs for $40 each, for safety and matches. So thats 10 already. I was also scared about not getting in to some schools and applied to 10 privates and publics. If I could redo it I would apply to a total of 8.</p>
<p>8 because these were for B.F.A. in "Dramatic Writing" or "Screenplay Writing", or in a few cases, a B.A. with Theater Major concentration in those same fields. </p>
<p>Each school required an additional portfolio of written essays about one's dedication to this path, plus draft scripts/plays/scenes. In some cases, scenes were dictated by prompts from the department, so can't be written ahead of time. This made each application one-third again as time-consuming. The departments evaluate the portfolio separately from the academic review of the main college essays. </p>
<p>He'll need financial aid, so comparing need-based packages and perhaps merit-based scholarships made me wish he could apply to (any) 2 more, but the clock ran out. </p>
<p>Let's hope the pen is mightier than the sword! His GC advised him that the portfolio must be "killer" or there's no point bothering to apply to these competitive writing programs. </p>
<p>All 8 are RD; verdicts all announced on April 1. </p>
<p>Some folks have it worse, I think. Stage performers needn't write, but run around to do stage auditions in person. All my kid had to do was mail the written portfolio, registered mail, by deadline (same date as college's deadline).</p>
<p>Applied to 9... When I submitted, I thought it was 1 match and 8 reaches, but now that I rethought it, it seems like 1 safety, 2 matches, and 6 reaches. So far got a likely from my safety, an acceptance from one of my matches, a rejection from one of my reaches, and no clue at the others.</p>
<p>Of course, mine was fairly feasible, since 3 were UCs (one app), and 3 were Common App (with 2 of them having practically the same supplement). I basically did 5.5 applications (I counted the one unique supplement as a half), so it wasn't much of a problem.</p>
<p>I only applied to just one--Stanford, EA. I got in, so I ended up not sending in any other applications, besides Middlebury (since I'd already paid the fee), but I withdrew that one once I'd decided definitely to go to Stanford. :)</p>
<p>I applied to 5 schools, 4 safeties (all Rolling and EA) and a first choice school. Since I got into my first choice school ED (Rice), I didn't apply to anywhere else. However, I was prepared to send transcripts to 10+ more schools if I didn't get into Rice.</p>
<p>My daughter applied to 12 - but four of them were in the University of California System (you just have to check a box once you fill out the UC form). More than she probably needed to but she still has no idea where she wants to go - big, small, urban, rural, etc. She's only had time to visit two of the schools - she was in South America all of last summer and played field hockey this fall. So applying to 12 just delays the decisionmaking process.</p>
<p>My son only applied to one school EA and got deferred, I think that freaked him out a little so he applied to 10 more!! We have gotten into 2 of the safeties, and we are waiting to hear from the rest. If he were doing it all over, I would suggest that he apply to a few more EA, but his school frowned upon applying to more than one school early.</p>