I also think DS would have applied to fewer schools in a non-TO year…so much uncertainty this year.
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My school places a firm cap on the number we can apply and it is far lower than it seems many have applied to. Not thrilled about that. But it is what it is
Around June we eliminated schools in various states and centered our out of state focus around Boston and the nearby area of the Northeast, where there is a high concentration of quality programs for his interest and they seem pretty conservative about Covid rules (but looser than here in California). We figured we would be lucky to make one trip before May 1st. Eliminated Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina etc.
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D’s list didn’t change much but Covid will definitely affect her choice in the end. You’ve been so purposeful and smart in making your list!
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6 colleges (2 in state and 4 OOS)
My son applied to 16. Had a hard time narrowing them down based on virtual tours. So far 8 for 8…His top choices are in the next group we will hear from.
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Thanks @homerdog. IDK, on one hand it feels like it might have been better to try to have him narrow it down more before applying, but we had him focus his energy on doing the apps and booting the decision making to spring. Other students seemed to get more out of the virtual presentations than my S.
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D21 originally applied to 8, but I got so nervous seeing so many students applying to 15+ schools that we added 3 more. 
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That happened here too. Two of D’s 13 schools were late adds. They were always on the “long list” but were added back to the “apply to” list in late November. And God knows I have gone through that Fiske book dozens of times thinking I’ll find more to add but 13 it is. It’s always a little weird when the list is done and you know that one of those schools will be the last one standing. If you don’t apply, you can’t get in and it’s sometimes hard to know when to stop adding schools!
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Agreed! We added two safeties with rolling admission at the end. Luckily neither required a separate essay. S21 also applied to as many EA as possible (some schools only had ED or RD). Our thought was that, if things went poorly, we could even find a few more RD to add before Jan 1/Jan 15 deadlines. Luckily that was not necessary as he did receive a few acceptances before Christmas.
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Same here, I started out applying with six schools, then added 2, and then removed one after some acceptances. I had three safeties, two targets, and two reaches in the end. Then I had three others honors apps that I’m finishing. I’m currently 3/3, having gotten into all my safeties and expecting to hear back from others in the next few weeks.
@MrRobot2018 I have heard others also mention that their high schools place a cap on how many colleges to which they are allowed to apply. What is their rationale? Why would they have any say whatsoever in how you approach college applications? Genuinely curious!
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They say it is so the colleges know we are really interested and possibly go there (I go to a highly competitive private high school). They enforce this by refusing to send your transcript to any school not on your final list which is due in November and capped at a certain not very high number. It is total BS.
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@MrRobot2018 I would be incensed if my senior were denied an opportunity to apply anywhere he or she wanted! My D21 had a pretty clear picture of her prospects by the Fall, but there were definitely some last minute additions. Does anyone clap back at this policy? I hope you were able to apply where you wanted.
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Many private high schools have these types of policies limiting college apps, which parents agree to upon matriculation. I don’t love it either!
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Our high school said they had a donor who would reimburse us for 3 additional targets or reaches. I would have been a very unhappy camper if they had a cap.
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I’d rather not provide more info for fear of making the school too easily identifiable. But let’s just say the school has significant leverage over its students and parents such that it feels it can take this “take it or leave it” approach.
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S21 did 10, and skipped some others for the same reason. He will still have scholarship essays, but he is so done with the writing. Of all his subjects, writing is his least favorite by a lot! 
First son applied to 5 but really only wanted to go to the one he ended up attending… Second son applied to 3 but only wanted to apply to one which was the one he attended. Third son '21 applied to 7. Our friend’s son who attended a very prestigious high school advised their students to apply to 7 schools including a safety but only to those that they could definitely see themselves at and be happy to attend. I think that was sound advice. Naturally, there is always a top 1 or 2 and but if those didn’t work out, any of the remaining 5 would be completely fine with him.
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At the beginning of summer, S21 had it narrowed to 21, but knew he wouldn’t apply to all of them. By end of August, there were 14 which was doable with the application fee/test score budget we gave him. Ultimately, S21 applied to 10 - 7 EA, and 3 regular. Given his stats, 6 were safeties, so there was no need to add more of those. 1 target; 2 hard targets; and 1 reach. The hard targets and reach would be a stretch financially, but it was good for him to apply to push himself. Accepted with $$ at all the safeties. We are just waiting on the rest.
Also eliminated schools, like UNC, due to their poor response to COVID. Otherwise, I don’t think COVID changed much of anything, We always knew he’d apply to schools we wouldn’t get to visit before acceptance. We do have to visit 3 of his accepted schools and maybe another if he gets in. Hoping this is possible before mid-April.
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