<p>I am just wondering. I'm a junior right now, and I have about 8 colleges in mind at the moment that I think I'm going to apply to next year. Is this an average number? Or do people usually go with less or more?</p>
<p>Some apply to more, some apply to fewer. What other people do doesn’t matter at all. You and your family need to sort out what is best for YOU. As long as you have at least one college that you like, that offers your major, that you are dead certain will admit you, and that you are dead certain you can pay for, you are fine. Everything else is just extras.</p>
<p>Somewhere between 5-10 is normal on CC. If you surveyed the entire U.S. the average would probably be more like two or three.</p>
<p>i’m doing 16, but most people in my school are around the 10-14 range.</p>
<p>This might be a stupid question, but do schools see what other places you’re applying to?</p>
<p>purple --</p>
<p>One thing that may dictate how many schools you apply to is how selective your list is.</p>
<p>If you’re talking about Ivys – each of these schools has a <20% acceptance rate and many are <10%. So, even assuming that one’s basic numbers are competive, no one is a lock, and one really would be advised to apply to several to have a chance at getting into any (plus the usual number of targets and safeties).</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you’re looking primarily at schools that are somewhat less competitive, it becomes easier to predict ones chances of acceptance, and therefore, one needs to apply to fewer schools.</p>
<p>My guess – 8 is a low-averagish number of apps for Ivy Tier, and high-averagish for schools that are a bit less competitive.</p>
<p>In most cases schools do not know where else you’re applying to.</p>
<p>6-8 was recommended by my school’s counselor. So naturally I had 18 on my list. Applied to 1 (top choice) early and got in so I technically only applied to 1.</p>