<p>Right now my plan is like....</p>
<p>SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Stony Brook (though I don't REALLY want to go there)
CSI (a super safety)
NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi/Shanghai</p>
<p>IMO, Stony Brook is a match and the other 2 are either matches or light reaches.</p>
<p>A safety would be advisable. One safety (safety meaning both you’re virtually guarateed admission AND you can absolutely afford it), a match, and a reach are I think a reasonable complement. The trend these days is that the majority of students (at least those applying to Rhodes) apply to more than 8 schools. I can see applying to three or so matches since financial aid packages vary both school to school and year to year, but this business of applying to 10 or more doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.</p>
<p>Yea, CSI has a 100% acceptance rate and is dirt cheap :P</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ll be able to afford all those application fees :P</p>
<p>I apologize, I completely ignored the “super safety” label you put on CSI. I was focused on the last line that mentioned matches and reaches. I think you’re good to go.</p>
<p>If at all possible it’s worth a few more application fees to have choices if you really don’t like Stonybrook. You should add two more reaches and another match at least.</p>
<p>How many colleges do you need to apply to?</p>
<p>Zero.</p>
<p>I think at least 6: two reaches, two fits, two safeties. I would not apply to more than 8-9 schools because I think it is a waste of money and time. Do research. Figure out which schools meet your needs, and then target them.</p>
<p>My S1 only applied to 5 schools. He did not get into his two reaches and I think he wishes that he had had more fits/safeties to sort through when he was making his final decision. In the end, he chose the safety school that I made him apply to and that he swore he would never go to. Ironically he is very happy and it has been a great experience so far. </p>
<p>My D1 knows exactly which school she wants to go to but I am making her apply to at least 2 more fits and one dead-on safety.</p>
<p>I’d say about 15 or so. Guidance counselor and former guidance counselors always say less than 10, but if they say that then they haven’t had their own kid apply for years. You don’t apply to college, you apply to a reader (who is a human being with all the attendant faults this implies). In order to maximize your chances at college, you need to maximize your chances of readers, so apply liberally to as many as you can afford.</p>
<p>With $50 app fees, I can tell you I can’t afford $750 just to apply.</p>
<p>15 is crazy…apply to colleges that are a fit…5-6. Bottom line is that in the long run it really doesn’t matter what college you graduate from…as hard that is for some to believe.</p>