<p>How many colleges can anyone apply to? If it's possible to apply to several colleges, why no one does this? I mean why doesn't everyone apply to so many choices from Harvard to the worst college in the country? I don't actually mean apply to "EVERY SINGLE COLLEGE" what I'm asking is can anyone apply to "for instance" 100 colleges??????</p>
<p>I think the common app limits 20 colleges, but there are still a handful of colleges that don’t use the common app, so if you do research to find 80 other colleges, then yes, it is most certainly possible to apply to 100 colleges.</p>
<p>But why do most people not apply to 100 colleges, you ask?</p>
<p>Well, since each application fee costs about $60 (on average) + sending in test scores (let’s assume $30 per), you would spend $9900 just on submitting apps!!! Unless you’re loaded, this is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Moreover, the essays…many colleges require supplemental essays, and does anyone really want to write 100 high quality 600 word essays? If each essay takes 2 hours, then you are spending 200 hours alone on essays…how can you make time for that? Again, reasonably ridiculous for most people.</p>
<p>Applying to more than 15 schools even is detrimental because you’re putting less attention on each school, bringing an important issue of commitment: are you really committed to these colleges? Are you committed about your future even, if you are not focused/concentrated? Unless you are filthy rich and have nothing better to do, then I’d advise keeping your list to a maximum of 15 colleges.</p>
<p>Even fifteen can be excessive depending on the type of schools you are applying to. If you have mostly matches and safety schools on your list, your list can be smaller than if you have more reaches and matches. The most import schools on your list are your safeties. The idea is to research the schools before you apply and everything collegepanics said was important and correct.</p>
<p>My personal advice:
Limit it to seven total
Minimum one safety, one match
Good Luck</p>
<p>Actually, 2 safeties because you want to have a choice in the Spring, especially if you’ve changed in some way (and you will grow and change between December and April/May).
Then, for a mid level EFC the family can afford:
3-5 matches, fewer if you’re not applying for financial aid.
Then as many reaches as you wish and can afford, so it could go from 0 to 5 or 6. If you’re applying to highly selective schools because they are need blind and/or meet 100% need, you may have more.
Applying to 8 colleges would be a good number for Americans, but more are necessary for international applicants (because the selectivity level is much higher than for Americans) and even more for internationals who need aid. However, applying to numerical universities decreases that (your counselor should be able to tell you whether you get in, based on Naviance’s scattergrams and grids/charts) and being full pay helps a lot so that may reduce the need for more schools.</p>
<p>… I applied to 3 schools.
I was also able to narrow down my choices a lot before applying by doing extensive visits. Otherwise, I can think of at least 3 others that would have been on my list. As an international applicant, though, you probably don’t have the chance to visit all of these schools, so you will probably end up applying to more. But don’t overdo it, because it is expensive, time consuming, and just draining.</p>