7
One total in-state up the street safety that will be almost free.
One OOS financial safety and she is actually good to go on that one.
Two in-state schools where she is guaranteed admission, but not to her major.
Three OOS schools where merit is possible.
D applied to 6 last year: 1 financial reach, 2 match, 3 safety. She applied to all 6 early, either rolling or EA. She was planning to do 3 more RD but after she was accepted to all 6 early ones she decided not to bother.
I’ve applied to 9 colleges so far and I have 1 on my list that I still need to apply to. 8 of these are “reaches for everyone” type schools, which works out fine for me because the other school I’ve applied to is my state flagship to which I have automatic admissions and would be happy to attend if none of my other applications work out. I’m not sure if I want to apply to the college still on my list… I visited over the summer and liked the school but I just feel so burned out from my other applications/my senior year courses and I really don’t feel like writing 2-3 more essays lol.
My twin girls are different as night and day. One applied to one school, match, ED, and is waiting to find out. The other applied to 9 schools, early action, which are a mix of reach, match and likely.
Varies tremendously by student.
Oldest was one and done, graduated in 4 years and is off pursuing his dreams.
Next one applied to a total of 4 I think. 1 ED, 2 Common App (one really only due to a fee waiver and no extra essay) and one unique app. 2 reaches, 2 safeties. Accepted at her ED school and was done by December. Would have happily attended one of the safeties had she not gotten into her ED school. She is on track to graduate on time.
Current student is applying to 7. Chasing merit, all applications are EA for best chances at merit. 2 safeties and 5 matches. Unlikely to add any schools but there are a few RD/Rolling options with auto stats merit that are backups if truly needed.
I expect the last one to be at least at 7, possibly more but it is too early to tell.
@Endora 2 of the ones I’m applying to are more of high matches/low reaches! I totally understand what you mean about feeling like you have a choice, though. I’ll be happy with my state flagship if none of my others work out, since I’ve gotten into the honors college of my choice there. Thank you for your advice 
Either 3 or 20 here (come on Cornell!)
I misspoke…7 or 20 lol
My D applied to 19 in total…rejected by her ED but accepted at all her EA schools. Unfortunately, all those EA schools were her safety schools and at the very bottom of her list. It was nice to know that 3 of them were within our budget and so she had solid choices from the get-go. Due to our inability to get real numbers from the NPCs (small business owner, unmarried bio parents, etc) the match schools were a chase for merit and required the many applicants in hopes of having “match” school choices, which she did.
D is applying to 6. 3 reaches, 1 match, 2 safeties. Sort of. If she doesn’t get into her ED school she might add a safety or two.
A student from her HS is applying to 22!
DS applied to 8 (2 high reach, 2 high match/reach, 2 match, 2 safety). He was accepted to all but his high reaches, and attends one of his high matches. 7 of these were common ap schools, so that made things easier. Most kids from his HS applied to 1 or 2.
His elder sister applied to 1 ED. That was easier!
D has very specific language needs and needs lots of merit. She’s applied to 4 with one RD waiting.
D applied to 7. One with guaranteed NMF money to lock in a safety. 4 with competitive great merit $ at really good schools. And 2 with long shot at merit, but the schools she would really like to go to.
She did not apply to Ivy-ish schools - knowing that the cost would not be rational without merit or need $.
It’s possible she will apply to one more auto NMF school to give her an option if she doesn’t get what she is hoping for in the competitive schools.
My DD is applying to 11. Initially she planned a few more but as apps got closer she eliminated some. She has visited most (all but 3 I believe) and truly feels that each one would be a good fit for her. She applied EA to one that could give her a full ride.
My D is applying to 12 (2 high reach, 2 reach, 5 match, and 3 safeties). I do think it would be better in theory to apply to 7-9 schools by knocking one off of each of those categories. But a lot of factors tend to add schools to the list, such as financial aid uncertainty (those NPC’s are only estimates, and the difference between $19K or $24K net price could mean a lot) or admission uncertainty (particularly for a student with high grades and test scores from an area with a lot of students like that).
Still, it seems worth some extra effort (and app and test score fees) to increase the odds of a top choice coming through, or make having a couple of good choices more certain.
@JHS: "and a variety of other, lesser factors into account. (Factors like, how convenient is it to get there, does my boyfriend/girlfriend/frenemy/nemesis go there, how do the colors look on me . . . "
These are indeed considerations.
My son applied to 9 schools last year. 2 high reach, 1 reach , 3 match, and 3 safeties. He had to write 14 extra essays which were quite time consuming during his senior year.
My son has applied to 4. Two small, private LAC’s, one state school and one community college. He is interested in a BFA in theater tech. All but one are within 30 minutes of home.
I would like him to apply to two other state schools but H doesn’t want him to go that far away because of our current experience with having to pull S12 out of his 6 hours away school for mental health reasons.
DS has applied to 4: one safety, 2 matches, 1 reach. He is “required” to apply to his grandfather’s school but will wait until January. It will be a reach. He’s in at one safety and 1 match so far. He will be very happy at any of his matches or reaches.
DD applied to 5, got into 3. Her’s were all matches or reaches, but she found out in October for her first one, so didn’t have to apply to safeties.
Around here few kids apply to more than 3 or 4 but few kids are applying out of state or to top 50 schools. Since fewer than 40% of the boys at our HS even go to a 4-year college, it’s a different universe from College Confidential.
S17 currently has 15 schools on his list, all are in the Common App. Son is quirky, and we are chasing both “fit” at some selective LACs, as well as merit aid at CTCLs.
Eight apps are done; six hoping for big merit, one match, and one high match.
One-two more matches, and 5 more low reaches. If some of the reaches fall off the table because of essay burnout, well, hopefully he will have choices in the spring – can only attend one!