<p>I think around ten is the MAX... anymore than that just means you haven't done enough research. I applied to ten, but I'll admit that the reason why is because I hadn't had the time needed to evaluate all the schools I was interested in and didn't want to regret it later. By Feb. I had eliminated four of the ten schools I had applied to. I ended up getting into all but didn't even consider most of them. I also think its a waste of resources and it hurts your fellow applicants.</p>
<p>I'm with Sybbie....the problem isn't in applying to too few schools...it's applying to UNREALISTIC schools. There are certainly enough people posting their stats all over this forum, along with where they did or didn't get accepted to compare yourself with, plus the profiles the schools themselves put out...if your stats are noticeably below what the school has been accepting, is it a realistic idea to consider yourself a match for this school?? Better to have a couple of rolling admission safeties, the bulk in true matches, and 1 or 2 reaches (and if you think an Ivy is a reach, what is the point of applying to 5 Ivies if you haven't really looked into each of them to see if you think you'd fit there?</p>
<p>Her 7 applications were a combination of reach safety and match schools. You can find schools that you would be happy to attend in each of these categories. She did not need to apply to multiple Ivies as some do becaue after spending time at all of them there was only one that she was interesting in attending. 5 of her choices were LAC's including one school that was SAT optional where she knew she had the grades based on a rigerous cirrculum to be her safety.</p>
<p>I agree that people do apply to unrealistic schools, which is silly. The worst trend I see is when people have major reaches and safeties, and very little thinking done about semi-reaches/ matches. </p>
<p>Top students who are not perfect but strong candidates are the ones who need to apply to ten schools. These days very few people can consider the Ivies as "matches."</p>
<p>Slipper said....'These days very few people can consider the Ivies as "matches." '</p>
<p>So true....and the theory that applying to a whole bunch of reach schools increases one's chances somehow seems flawed to me....if a schools accepts only - say 25% - of applicants, how does applying to 10 of its peer schools get you into any one of them?? You still have to be in the top 25% of that one school...or any of the others. That idea just seems to reinforce the thought that the student is just throwing apps out there w/o doing his homework on the schools and will enroll at any of them, just b/c they have a 'name'....and then when he is not welcomed with open arms, there is much boo-hooing and wondering 'where did I go wrong' or - worse - 'I wuz robbed.'</p>
<p>Beachy, while I absolutely think I applied to WAY too many schools, I think there is some logic in applying to a bunch of schools to increase your chances makes sense. Most of my "reaches" were top schools that I was somewhere decent in the ranges of, but because these schools are soooo competative, it ends up being something of a crapshoot where you're ultimately admitted. So, when I ended up with a large number of match/reach-ish schools that I REALLY loved (after having visited and the works) and would be happy going to, to me, it seemed daunting trying to decide and narrow down the number becaues I knew I had a pretty equal chance at all of them, it was just a matter of who would take me. Yes, I had preferences but I prefered these over others (not just because of the name). Although it was waaay too much money and I spent the entire winter vacation writing pages and pages of essays, now, come April, I'm hoping I end up with a few to choose between, whichever they may be...and I know I'll be happy (hopefully!).</p>
<p>I applied to 23; I think it does feel rewarding to apply to this many because in the end, it is true that you have many options. Plus, applying to a lot of good safeties allows you to dream big and apply to some of your dream schools that you don't think you'll make but want to take a stab at anyway - if it's your dream school, you will end up regretting not even trying, right? If you want to go ahead and do that many, however, my BIGGEST suggestion is that you don't procrastinate. Plan ahead. Don't leave anything to the last minute. Write and plan your essays EARLY in the game. And make sure for the "Why (insert university's name here)?" essays pertain to that school specifically, and that they're not just essays reused and recycled if there is something special about that school that appeals to you. Colleges want to know that you'll matriculate if they accept you so show some real interest!! That's important in the deciding factor for many schools, I think. Dare to dream! Aim high and dream big, but keep expectations low is the best advice I have for you. Make sure that from all the colleges on your list, you wouldn't mind going to any one of them if it was your only choice so do tons and tons of research, bottom line! Make sure you're a good match in some respect for each of them and make sure you bring your point across that you ARE a great match for the school in each application. Good luck! And seriously, take it from someone who did 23 applications and waited till the last 5 days before the deadline to get to all of them - do them early or you'll be suffering major. :) Hope this helped.</p>
<p>I look back and could have gotten by with just 6 or 7. I applied to some schools that I don't really even want to attend. I applied to them for one small reason, for each respective school. I didn't really look at the "whole school."</p>
<p>About 3 months ago when I first started looking at colleges I started with 2 schools and then before I knew it I also had that many schools on my list.
Just look at as many as you can and try to narrow it down, but don't feel guilty if you add a school aswell. Just add and take away schools until you have a nice rounded list. Do research and never(until you apply) think you have the right list and stop looking!</p>
<p>i applied to 24....which ended up costing me about 1400 dollars in app fees, not including sending out my SAT scores and stuff...while i know that it took away a tremendous amount of time writing essays and filling out the apps, and was very costly, i know that come april, i'll have a lot more options...besides, i know that the list of colleges i was accepted to will be considerably smaller, so i'll have an easier time choosing....</p>
<p>the only regrets i had were not applying to stanford and duke as well</p>
<p>and btw i believe there is no 'maximum' amount of schools one can apply too. If you are comfertable with 2 or 3, do that. If you aren't comfertable and want to shoot for the stars and apply to 56(there was a dude in a thread who said he applied to 56.... just priceless) then you do that.
To each his <em>b i t c h i n</em> own</p>
<p>I only have 3 colleges (1 Reach, 1 Match, 1 Safety - According to Princeton Review Counselor-O-Matic) and I'm a Junior. I really want to go to the Reach and Match (Safety - Wouldn't mind going) School. Should I apply to more "just in case".</p>
<p>If so, What's the breakdown ? (How many Reaches, Matches and Safeties ?)</p>
<p>This thread is so old, it's probably now irrelevant to the original poster, but I think this is a really interesting general question. Two points:</p>
<p>1) For every "not a safety" college you apply to, say to yourself, suppose I was rejected everywhere else except for this college. Would I be planning to go there, or would I be thinking about taking a year off or doing something else? (I think you should feel this way about the safety schools too but some people can't seem to make themselves get excited about some pretty great state universities.)</p>
<p>I think assembling and writing more than a dozen applications sounds like too much to be doing in the fall of your senior year but for the UC colleges, it's just one ap for all, so I'd count that as one application.</p>
<p>Lot's of counselors say 2-2-2, but to each his own.
I'm sure as hell not applying to only 6, but i'm still a junior and so i might up only applying to 2.. i doubt that but still</p>
<p>I applied to 18. But my school paid the expenses like sending application and also settled the fee waver issue (I’m international). I applied to six institutions under early action, and I really did the job gradually not on the final day. Plus most of my school needed common application so I just made copies. I think it is normal to apply to 20 colleges, if you are sure that your stats are not very good, you can afford (or the school pays instead of you :) ) and you start to write essays (supplements) early and do them gradually not in a rush.</p>
<p>Only thing I regret is that I didn’t send my application to the super riches. I just listened to the people who said that I had no chance. But I’m already accepted to the schools where according to many I also had no chances. So send you apps to at list one super rich school you never know what happens.</p>