i'm applying to 48 schools - is that too many???

<p>At S's school, if you apply to more than 10, you have to pay the school a surcharge of $30. The one exception is if there are extenuating circumstances- such as need for unusual financial aid.</p>

<p>oooh 48 is the magic number...and it's nice and even too :)</p>

<p>my college selection process: I went through Princeton Review's 365 best (and older edition) and literally marked down every college that even remotely interested me. I watched out for location and everything, but I ended up with 72 colleges! So, I took my list to a school teacher, and she helped me knock some of them down. Then, I got the Fiske Guide to Colleges (without knowing that each college has a freakin 3 page description!) and started reading about my 72 on there and started knocking from there. What I've found is that I would be happy at just about any top instituion in the NE. Essentially, I think I have plenty of reaches now, and I really need matches and safeties. I quit with my list...it just got too depressing. My best college advice is coming home tomorrow, and that's where I'll be getting most of my information. Just a little story...</p>

<p>you're only going to one, that's 1, college</p>

<p>crash--i completely agree, but I don't want to know that my dream school is out there and that I just didn't find it before applying......but then i think about it again, and like one of my friends say, it's not exactly where you go, but rather what you make out of where you go...that's how people from community colleges can end up a Harvard Law or Med.</p>

<p>In order to whittle my list down... I wrote down a list of things that were important to me. I wasn't able to answer those typical questions (ex. do you want a big school or a small school?), but I was able to figure out things such as, I did want a school larger than my high school, I did want good connections after colllege, I did want an excellent program for my major choice, etc.... And then I had about 10 or so left. At that point, I visited several, and then imagined life for 4 years at each campus. Imagine your high school life has been lived out on that campus. Would you like it?</p>

<p>And so now, the moral is I have gotten my list to only six schools (five if I get into my early action), and I am perfectly happy.</p>

<p>wait...you mean your not applying outside the US also?</p>

<p>underachiever.</p>

<p>It really depends on a lot of factors. Do you have a good mix of universities and LACs? Do your colleges cover a wide geographical range? Do you have enough schools to compare financial aid and merit $? 48 schools doesn't seem like enough, but if you don't mind selling yourself short...</p>

<p>goodness, i've never heard of anyone applying to SO MANY schools!!! even half that number is a lot! Maybe you should give us your list and we'll try to help you cut down the number.</p>

<p>what if you got into none of the schools....I'd laugh.</p>

<p>I have a list of 48 schools right now, but probably I will be applying to 30 something :p</p>