<p>I'm actually applying to one school early too, but I'm not betting on getting in there, but if I do then that's just 1 school and about $100. I think a wise-bet is to always assume you're not going to get into your early school and then play it out from there</p>
<p>The money is only a part of it. Juggling all the pieces (did each school get the letter from the GC? How about the SAT 2? Who got the transcripts? Who gets what supplemental essay? Can I use Dec SAT dates for school number 7? How come school 8 got the letter but school 1 didn't?) is what gets stressful, and all during a very stressful/ fall semester..</p>
<p>This is how I cut down my college list. It's called the "is it better than the state flagship" rule. I used to have a lot of schools on my list, but two days ago, I realized that I wouldn't choose many over my state's school. That cut it to a few alternatives plus the state school. But it's probably different since I live in Michigan. lol.</p>
<p>^ Well in my case I finished all testing in every possible combination required back in March, and finished most supplement essay drafts and everything already. It's going to be stressful, but I tried to make it as managable as possible. Besides, if I have a big list, all I need to do is go and check them off one by one. The fact that there's prob. 5 or 8 more checks than normal isn't too big of a difference</p>
<p>^ Ah, yea well my state schools are different. I would attend many of my safeties over my state flagship, which I'm actually not applying too because I don't connect with it personally and career-wise. If I lived in Michigan though (which UMich is actually a school im applying too) then I'd understand it that way lol.</p>
<p>I'm still going through it over and over to try to cut down to make sure this is the most intelligent list I'm making, but so far it seems impervious to my rereads.</p>
<p>That's exactly what I did msneicirenee. haha</p>
<p>NY_Democrat, maybe you should post your list here to see what everyone thinks of it, and whether everything fits? Although I believe college visits are important.. there may be something you're overlooking. As I said before, if you're applying to 17 colleges on the Common App, those 17 colleges will know you're applying to the other 16. That <em>may</em> not help you. Definitely will make you look like you have no idea what you're doing.</p>
<p>I still think there has to be colleges you prefer on the list more than others. I've also heard of people who make charts that resemble genetic crosses. Writing every school across the top and side and then going through them and figuring which one you'd rather attend. Strange, but if it works..</p>
<p>I don't understand much of your logic. You want to look at the FA packages, but if you're applying to $40,000+/yr colleges, and will go if accepted, you obviously don't care too much about FA. Having six safeties is just very illogical. What happens if you get into 15 or so schools? You'll have to pick one. How?</p>
<p>^ Woah. Did not know other colleges will look at the common application list. Now, that's a little disheartening.</p>
<p>damn there's no need for so many you only going to one</p>
<p>Can the Common App schools really look at where else you're applying? I'm also applying to many "lottery" schools as reach/matches so I have 13. Will they look unfavorably on me?</p>
<p>Common App schools can't see which other colleges you're applying too. It's a common rumor but it's illegal by law and colleges have been fined majorly for trying to find out what schools students apply too. It's the same rumor that ivies share information on regular decision applicants, which they don't, and once when Yale tried to get Princeton's applicant list they got caught and got punished by the federal government for their crimes, for illegally accesing private information about the transactions of students. It's like K-Mart trying to find out if you shop at Wal-Mart or not. </p>
<p>As for visits, I've been on a visiting balooza and have visited most of them. </p>
<p>As for costs, I want a elite education, and most of the high private schools are very cheap to attend. Harvard is a lot cheaper for my family than most other schools, and the other merit scholarships are quite nice too. I care about cost, but I want a good life and good college experience above some crappy money.</p>
<p>Note: As for the list, a few them I'm not fully sure about (2-3), but I'm 100% sure about the rest of them that I will apply too. Here's some of the list for your amusement;</p>
<p>Fordham University
University of Delaware
American University
George Washington University
New York University
Boston College
John Hopkins University
Vanderbilt University
Some Ivies
University of Chicago</p>
<p>As for if I get into all of them or 15 of em, I know which ones I like more in order, so there's no problem there.</p>
<p>My point is that if you're going to apply to so many schools, you must be prepared - paper-work-wise, mentally, academically (requirments, etc.) and such.</p>
<p>Not true that common app schools know where you are appying. This was confirmed last year, but you'll have to dig deep in the common app thread to find it.</p>
<p>Re: post #23, it's not just checking off a list... it's calling admission and financial aid offices, etc, to see if each item arrived by each schools deadline. Then there's interviews, '"invitationals'" , college visits, scholarship applications.. My D applied to 15; mostly common APP or UC's, but a few others.It seemed to make her senior year more stressful/ then necessary, when she wanted to be enjoying her friends and her EC's.Those that have websites you can check are often inaccurate and seem to add to the anxiety.But anyway, best wishes, I'm sure you'll be fine.</p>
<p>Six Ivy League schools, eh?
Which ones?</p>
<p>Alright, thanks Shrinkrap : )</p>
<p>Haha then I got some misinformation. From a guy my dad is paying $1200 to help me with college.</p>
<p>If you know where you want to go to in order why in the world are you applying to so many schools? 10-12 is more than enough. Ivies don't seem to fit your bill. All/most of your colleges (besides UDel which must be your state school) are expensive and in a city. Only UPenn and Columbia fit that bill for Ivies. Some of those schools also have an intense nightlife (BC) you may want to look into.. not sure if you're into that since Hopkins is so cutthroat.</p>
<p>"I completely stand by everything I said. What happens if he applies to 10 extra schools that he doesn't actually like (just to "make sure" he has somewhere to go") and then only gets accepted to those? So, at that point, he's stuck with a school that doesn't fit him, that he doesn't like, but he has to endure it (and pay for it!) anyway for at least a year MINIMUM (providing that he gets good grades and can transfer out)"</p>
<p>So if he hadn't applied to those extra 10 schools, he wouldn't have gotten in anywhere? That seems like reason to apply to more, not the opposite...</p>
<p>Why in the world would you apply to 6 safeties? The whole point of a "safety" as I understand it to be used in this community is a college that you are very likely to be admitted to and that you would attend if you did not get admission to, or favorable financial aid at, your matches and reaches. If you already have 14 matches and reaches why in the world would you want 6 safeties? I'd apply to 3 safeties, as the whole point is knowing that you'll get in.</p>
<p>In the end, you can only go to one anyway. Use your money wisely.</p>
<p>Oh, and as for your reasoning as to why: I read in the other thread about your "negative factor" on the applications, and honestly, I think you're making a big deal out of nothing. You are in the top 10% of your class. Sure, it would be great to be in the top 5%, but honestly your record, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation are FAR more important than your class rank. Class rank just gives admissions counselors a perspective in which to put your grades; it's not an independently considered factor on its own. For example, a kid with a 4.0 at a school that gives them out like candy won't be as highly regarded as a kid with a 4.0 that places him near the top of his class. The amount of effort they had to put into earning that GPA is different. In your case, you've proven yourself to do better than 92% of your classmates. Being in the top 10% does not make you "risky."</p>
<p>Anyway, being in the top 10% certainly doesn't warrant applying to 20 schools, unless they were all the top 20 of the U.S. News list. Since you say you have 6 safeties and 5 matches, I still think that you are wasting money.</p>
<p>As for the second point, it may seem "reasonable" to you but it's actually not. I applied to 4 schools that I considered safeties and one match. I received decent financial aid at my match, but at my safeties, I received full scholarships to all of them. And I was no high school superstar -- I had a 3.6 and a 1460 on the old SAT, an excellent essay and great LORs, and I didn't really have as many extra-curriculars as CC kids do. I'm sure your stats are much better than my high school stats. Think that you'll most likely have 5 decent and 6 good to great financial aid packages to compare in the spring. Do you really need 11 decent to great packages to choose between?</p>
<p>But of course, to each his own.</p>
<p>^ Thank you for your advice! Obviously, there is still a lot of time between now and December, and so besides my early school, I'm still clearly going to be trying to wittle the list down as much as possible. With the safeties, it's also partially because I actually like each of those schools a good deal, and am having a hard time deciding which ones I want to cut off.</p>
<p>It'll be interesting to see how many you get into.</p>
<p>Just make sure it's JOHNS Hopkins... </p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>@ RobertM.</p>
<p>Right. I can't wait for the only 2 eventual outcomes.</p>
<p>a) he gets rejected at a ton, thus being stuck with his 23rd choice.</p>
<p>b) he gets accepted at most of them, and then subsequently has to pay to visit..has to agonize over which is a better fit...whether the excess tuition at one is worth it compared to the fullride at the other...etc. All while trying to finish out senior year.</p>