How many schools did you apply to? How many were you accepted to?

Applying to College Admission Stories
1

I’m really just curious.

I’ve heard of people who apply to one top school and (luckily) get in and go there, of people who only get into one of six or seven schools, and of people who apply to a ton, more than twenty!!

So, how many places did you apply to? What was the breakdown between safety/matches/reaches, and which did you get in to?

2

Yeah! I too have heard of all the cases… except applying only to one and getting in. That would be more of a case if one gets accepted in the Early cycle and doesn’t apply elsewhere, or legacy cases…

3

My daughter applied to 17 schools last year and to our surprise got into all 17. I gave her lots of wonderful options. She had a good mix of safety, reaches and target schools.

4

^That’s great. Would you mind telling which schools, or which you can remember?

I know someone who only applied to one Law School, UC Berkeley, and got in.

5

Currently in the process of applying to 26. Done with all Apps(Common App and UC App) and about 12-13 Supplements left to write… Hopefully I can push through lol! I’ll definintly nedd the FA come April so I’m finishing up my CSS Profile this week and filing FAFSA the weekend after it opens.

6

to memaw12

Unless you got application fee waivers, that must have been a lot of money just to apply to them all

7

Lol, it is, but I got around 7-9 free apps, so its worth it because I’m one of those people who can’t decide and I truly would be happy at any of them! So, once I get a few EA acceptances in, I’ll probably cut a few more down!

8

Alabo21 (savings) and memaw12 (investing to get a desired result) touch on the importance of practicality in the college application process. When it is all said and done, realize that the $$ spent on apps, etc., could have gone toward something else that you might need, or would like to upgrade that may be more satisfying to you, rather than to fatten the fee revenue budget line of a private college.
There are a few factors that come to mind when choosing a college or university. Fit and program arguably are first. You want to be at a place that you feel most comfortable, and you want to be at a place that affords you courses and programs that engage you, and/or help you decide what you wish to study, given the significant number of students who are undecided, or take 1-3 semesters to decide. Beyond that $$$ are a factor, and a student may wish to have a number of applications out there to receive a number of admissions offers from colleges that may be of similar fit and program, and it may be the one that offers the greatest scholarship / grant package that becomes where the student ultimately enrolls, and is retained.
Take care,
Mr. VC

9

I applied to 13. Accepted by 9, waitlisted at 3, and rejected at 1. In retrospect, there were a few schools I could have taken off my list, but I don’t regret applying to most of them. I could have easily had less fortunate results. Top students, IMO, should cast a wide net.

10

I know someone who applied to 30 schools. He ended up going to his safety.

Sent from my iPhone using CC

11

D applied to 13. Started out applying through QuestBridge but was not selected. Applied ED but was deferred to RD and eventually rejected. Was accepted at 4, waitlisted at 2, and rejected at 7. She planned to attend her in-town safety reluctantly because financially it made the most sense. One of the waitlist schools contacted her in June and offered her a spot - full financial need met, no loans.

S is a HS senior now - he has applied ED to 1 school, and submitted RD apps to 4 others due to priority scholarship deadlines. If he gets in ED he’s done; if he’s rejected or deferred to RD he will apply to a maybe 5 more. We are hoping not to spend the $ on the app fees and sending test scores and CSS Profile.