<li><p>Did you have a few ppl look over ALL of your essays?</p></li>
<li><p>Do you recommend applying to a bunch of reach (dream) schools? assuming one has enough safe/match schools and has the $$</p></li>
<li><p>Usually, how many days before the deadline did you send it in?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks guys (and gals)!</p>
<p>FellowCCViewer:</p>
<p>I applied to 15 schools. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I only had people look over one essay which was to one university that I really wanted to attend. I used that same essay a few times edited for different universities.</p></li>
<li><p>I think applying to many reach school is great as long as you wouldn't mind going to them. My counselor said a main problem with 10+ was it seems like "firing a shotgun instead of a sniper". Just make sure you know the schools before you apply, could be taking another kid's spot that wants it more.</p></li>
<li><p>I send it in ASAP. For Oct 31 deadline for UMich I sent about 16 days before. For Dec 10 Deadline I sent on November 20th.
ASAP! Always better :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck on your endeavors.</p>
<p>Protege</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes. Just 'cause I'm applying to many doesn't mean I'm going to apply sloppily.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes again. If you have the time (and money for app fees), then definitley apply to many reach schools. You never know where you'll get in or not. If you apply to 10 reaches, you might get in at 1; had you applied to only 3 or so reaches, you might not even have applied to the one you would have gotten into. Better to be stressed to death for a few months, and ask your parents for the application fee for a few more dream schools instead of Christmas presents, than have to wonder "what if?" later on.</p></li>
<li><p>Uhhh... Haven't sent them in yet. Transcripts are off, at least. My goal is to have them done a few days before the first deadline (Dec 31st), and get them all sent off then. I don't want to do it too early, since I want as much time as possible to go over essays, etc.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>yes, someone looked over essays</li>
<li><p>If you have $ and patience to do the applications well, absolutely, but only if you think you would attend them...kind of stupid if you don't want to go to a school to apply
3.How many days before deadline? Try weeks and months....the only one that was even close by weeks was UMich, because our guidance dept. had issues in September (still got it in by Oct 15th)...All others were in months ahead of deadline....</p></li>
<li><p>Now, scholarship apps, that's another story.....Procrastinating horribly.....</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I'm applying to 12.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Not every single essay was edited by someone. For a few of the essays, I had a friend or my parents read them. </p></li>
<li><p>I really love my safety and would honestly go there (likely full scholarship, hecks yes!), so my list is very reach-heavy. If you can't decide between all your reaches and you have the time to complete the applications, I'd recommend applying to as many as you can handle...unless money is an issue. </p></li>
<li><p>My EA apps were turned in like a day or two in advance. None of my RD apps have been submitted yet - I'm hoping to finish them sometime soon. Maybe this weekend, even? Before Christmas is my goal, though.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Its a conundrum for people with strong ethics, how many schools to make application. Yes, if you get in, you are taking someone's spot. On the other hand, schools know generally what their retention rate is and accept a large number over their official class size for that reason. </p>
<p>The risk is that you overshoot your stats and apply only to reaches or do a poor job on match schools. Every year kids are left out in the cold because they blew it on applications or where they sent them. Thankfullly, there are schools with very late application deadlines so if taking a gap year is not useful you can still get in somewhere. Clemson comes to mind.</p>
<p>In general you should have a healthy strategy, 3 reaches, 4 matches and 3 safety for example. Embrace your matches and safety schools as that may be where you get in. </p>
<p>Waiting until the last minute is not a good idea for many reasons, not the least of which the admissions counselors wont have as much time to review your file if you are on the bubble. Get them in as soon as you can, even if your teacher recommendations are lagging behind. It opens the file and starts people looking at your stats. </p>
<p>In a perfect world we could just pick two or three and be content with that. Some kids do just that, particularly in state public universities and they dont bother with all the stress and inconvenience. But unfortunately with the competitive process being what it is, we have to apply to several more schools to cover our bases. </p>
<p>I dont see any reason to apply to more than 10-12. My daughter applied to 9. Rejected at two reach schools. Waitlisted at another reach (boo-hoo as this was her favorite anyway!) Accepted at all others. Settled on the match school that suited her interests. She is very happy.</p>
<p>I'm still in the process of applying, but I'll reply too from what I've done so far:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Did you have a few ppl look over ALL of your essays?
Adults/teenagers for match/safety schools. Teenagers/no one for reach schools</p></li>
<li><p>Do you recommend applying to a bunch of reach (dream) schools? assuming one has enough safe/match schools and has the $$
I'm going to, while keeping in mind that these are schools I can imagine myself going to.</p></li>
<li><p>Usually, how many days before the deadline did you send it in?
3-7 days beforehand should be alright, because I want to spend as much time as possible on them.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Had five people read over essays. Counselor, parent, teacher, school alum, school alum</p></li>
<li><p>I applied to 24. I was kinda coerced into it by the good old parents. But I started in July and finished in October...not too bad. So basically I had 5 reach 5 semi-reach 5 match-not-so-much-reach and 5 back up. It was not fun. Thank god for common app. 20 of them were common app. The other four were seperate apps.</p></li>
<li><p>I early decisioned to 1 and early actioned to 3. I sent those in October 15. The others I sent in November 15 latest. But I had finished them all in October. I'm not paying or sending scores to any of the other schools until I find out from my early decision school.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I'm applying to 12 schools.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Essays are still a work in progress, but my drafts have been read by one of my teachers and parents. I plan to ask for their opinion on the final versions.</p></li>
<li><p>My list has 2 big reaches, 2 borderline reaches, 5 matches and 3 safeties. I really do like all of them, including the safeties. Two of the matches & 1 of the safeties have no app fee if applying online, so that helps. </p></li>
<li><p>I plan to get them out no later than a week before the deadlines.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>When I started out I never planned on more than 8, but added 4 more when I started to see how competitive the admission process seems to be. 12 apps is a lot of work, extra essays, more recs, more supplements, more $. Its also hard because I'm really trying to give each one the same amount of effort. Hopefully, my bases will be covered.</p>
<p>I applied to 10 schools, but 8 of them accept the Common Application, so the amount of applications that I had to fill out was drastically reduced to a mere 3 (URI, Brown, and Common App) along with 7 supplements (Holy Cross doesn't require a supplement)</p>
<p>1. Did you have a few ppl look over ALL of your essays?
I had my college adviser and other editors who work at the college-advising program I'm a part of look over my main personal statement, which I used with Brown, URI and the Common App. </p>
<p>2. Do you recommend applying to a bunch of reach (dream) schools?
If I were you, I'd include a little bit of everything, but keep the amount of reach schools to a minimal if you are worried that your stats aren't competitive enough (like me :P). I applied to 3 reach schools, 5 likely schools and 2 safety schools. </p>
<p>3. Usually, how many days before the deadline did you send it in?
My high school requires us to hand in our apps to the guidance department a month before their deadlines, so I handed in all my apps last week. 5 of my colleges already received my application. All I have to do now is send in my supplements and schedule interviews! </p>
<p>If you plan on applying to more than 5 schools, it really helps to apply to those that accept the common app. Trust me, there would be less essays and less recs/requirements that you have to do. And common app supplements aren't even that bad--they only ask for basic info, some short answer essays, and not many Common app schools require you to write another long essay other than the main personal statement.</p>
<p>wow @ applying to 24 schools.</p>
<p>Good job to those of you who will take away a spot from a kid who would really want to go to that university.</p>
<p>i applied to 29 schools....now before everyone flies off the handle and throws a brick at my head... i mostly did it because many of these schools sent free applications that took minutes to fill out and required little work... but i also have major financial aid issues to consider so i need to have as many options as possible.... so far i've gotten acceptances to 5 and waiting to hear from the rest...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I've had one teacher read my essays.... he is a very critical (in a good way) person so thats good</p></li>
<li><p>i've only applied to two real dream/reach schools... mainly because they are places that i would go to if i were accepted but have the realization that i most likely wont get accepted.</p></li>
<li><p>i submitted my apps long before the deadlines, usually the same day i got the app.... then gave all the necessary paperwork</p></li>
</ol>
<p>
[quote]
Good job to those of you who will take away a spot from a kid who would really want to go to that university.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I agree. I think you should only apply to the schools you are really passionate about. You can't honestly be passionate about 20 schools. If you were forced to narrow your selections down to 2 reaches, 2 matches, and a safety, those would be the schools you are passionate about. Those are the ones you should actually apply to.</p>
<p>Honestly, I have so much to worry about with my college applications that I don't need to worry about someone else. Schools take yield into account in admissions. If applying to 20 schools is in your best interest because you're really searching for the perfect balance between school and aid.. then that's what you should do. If you know you would go to any number of reach schools, is applying to all of them really such a bad thing? All you're doing is maximizing your chances.</p>
<p>thank you seniors2008, for clarifying my (and probably most of the 15+ app crowd's) position on this issue</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Good job to those of you who will take away a spot from a kid who would really want to go to that university
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Its a free country, people can apply to 30 schools if they want to. Boo-hoo-hoo if you're 'taking someone elses spot', when in fact you aren't because if that person wasnt qualified they wouldnt have gotten in anyway.</p>
<p>Some people need to apply to so many schools, and saying "lol dont apply to so many schools lolfj" is just called being lazy and stupid. What happens if, o noes, you are rejected from all five schools you applied to? O NOES? And besides, why apply to any reaches if you only apply to 5 schools? U know u'll have a 99% chance of rejection so why bother, why not just go to community college? You dont even need to to fill out all those annoying applications! (/end sarcasm)</p>
<p>People don't apply to dozens of match or safety schools. People apply to a lot of reach schools, because they know they'll be rejected at 90% of them, so they hope to get into one. Its a 'crapshoot', and u have a higher chance obviously of getting in if u roll the dice one more time. Duh.</p>
<p>Seniors2008 has the perfect position on the topic.</p>
<p>It's a free country, but that doesn't mean be unethical or not conscientious towards your countrymates. This country will never develop if the prevailing attitude towards others continues.</p>
<p>And, wth is so bad about community colleges? All I hear is people ripping on community colleges. The education that a good community college provides is nearly equal to the first two years at a quality 4-year college that a lot of people on these forums aspire to attend. So don't get on your high horse because you think you are better than people at community colleges.</p>
<p>Lastly, it's too bad that this is an internet forum because you can't hear my tone. I'm not angry, I'm just trying to make a point and have a thoughtful conversation. High horse may be too strong though.</p>
<ol>
<li>Did you have a few ppl look over ALL of your essays?</li>
</ol>
<p>Yes, I had them all done in mid-November and had my AP English teacher look them over.</p>
<ol>
<li>Do you recommend applying to a bunch of reach (dream) schools? assuming one has enough safe/match schools and has the $$</li>
</ol>
<p>Yes! Absolutely. Money wasn't really a problem for me, seeing as I applied for fee waivers for every application, it cost me $0 (unless you count postage, but I did most of my apps online anyway). I don't ever EVER want to give myself the option to say "Well, MAYBE I would've gotten in IF I had applied..."</p>
<p>But be realistic. You won't see someone with my "mediocre" stats applying to Harvard. But a prestigious LAC or a Top 20? Hell to the yeah.</p>
<ol>
<li>Usually, how many days before the deadline did you send it in?</li>
</ol>
<p>Ummm, for my EA/early "priority" ones I waited until the day of (baaaad, I know). Most of the other ones were 2ish weeks before. And for my major safety I applied like...3-4 months early and already got an acceptance. But I still have two apps to go, sooo...they'll be cutting it close, seeing as I'm waiting on ACT scores.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Kids apply to schools half-heartedly. I find it hard to believe that someone can be genuinely interested in 20 schools, or even 5-10 reach schools.</p>