<p>For PhD/doctorate programs in chemical engineering?</p>
<p>I heard most people apply to 10-12? Nothing is wrong with 15 right?</p>
<p>More is always better, but also realize that there are fees associated with sending out so many applications. Most apply to 7-12, that I’ve seen, but nothing is wrong with 15 if you can afford it. Also make sure you’re tailoring your application to each school individually instead of just sending out a standard SOP to each school, and with 15 that can take a lot of time. </p>
<p>But the more you apply to, the higher your chances of getting noticed.</p>
<p>Unless your GPA and GRE scores are low. I don’t think more than 10 is necessary. Even you can afford the money, but time is different thing.</p>
<p>I was going to apply to 10 graduate programs in math, while my professors were pushing for 15-20. I settled for 14 (or 13, actually, because I got my first acceptance before I submitted that last application). </p>
<p>My professors said that 10 would have been a reasonable number a few years ago, but with funding being tight right now it is better to be safe than sorry. Two friends of mine ended up with 2 offers each after 12-15 applications, and both should have been strong applicants judging from their coursework (don’t know what their letters of recommendations said though). Retrospectively, my professor’s advice seems solid and I am firmly in the “better safe than sorry” camp too!</p>
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<p>The question is - assuming they did *not *put equal energy into each application, were those 2 offers from schools that they really cared about (meaning towards the front of their list) or that were part of the “throw-in” applications (towards the latter part of their list)? IOW, would they still have gotten into those 2 schools if they’d only applied to say, 8?</p>
<p>The reason I ask is because I’m at 9 schools right now. I started with a core of 6 (all kind of reaches) from the summer and then added 3 more ~2-3 weeks ago. I’ve already submitted those 3 apps, and have the original 6 to go. This 9 feels good, but I’m thinking of adding 2-3 more. The problem is I feel like if I add any more at this point, I wouldn’t put as much effort into them. It’s a lot of work to sort through faculty, send all materials, then make sure your application is complete. </p>
<p>It’s kind of like having a lot of kids. You kind of give up towards the end. Not that I know anything about that. A few of the moms on this site should know what I’m talking about, eh? Lol…</p>
<p>I did my applications just before the economy tanked, but I applied to seven schools. I was a pretty strong candidate and wound up getting into three of them and waitlisted at two. I know one I didn’t get into was because of my GPA and the other was probably because my research interest not quite matching up with the faculty there (midway through applying I realized I was more interested in one subfield way more than the one I initially cared about…made some of my SOPs a little rough).</p>
<p>The school I wound up attending was definitely in the “throw-in” pile.</p>
<p>I’m applying to 8 and my research mentor said my list was solid. I’m not sure what other schools I could add…I’m applying to chemistry programs though.</p>
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One of my friends chose from his two “super-safeties.” Not among his first choices, but they may have been on a shorter list too. The other one, not sure. Her stated attitude was that she would be happy to attend any school on her initial list and didn’t have any preferences before she actually got to visit.</p>