<p>I think 8-11 makes sense, though if you have a safety you love you can apply to as many or as few as you like. Note however that the poster above who needed (I assume) merit money was wise to apply to a longer list. There will be variability in need aid packages and merit aid can be tough to get.</p>
<p>Another variable is application requirements. If the schools in question do not require much in the way of supplements to the Common App, 15 apps are doable. But even in that case I would concentrate your time on a core list of 8 schools (including your safety) and make sure you get super apps into those 8. Then use whatever time is left to knock out the other apps.</p>
<p>Yeah, first stanmaster, I dont think I;m going to do you a favor...I still think you are crazy. That goes for anyone who applied to 12+ schools. It should not be that hard to narrow down a list to 7 or 8 schools. Not to mention, I am sure your essays must have suffered at least a little bit as a result. Even if they didnt suck, I am sure they could've been better had you not applied to so many schools. I am going to apply to about 7 probably so I can make each application excellent and still have time to dedicate to my schoolwork. I am sorry, but there is no need to apply to so many damn schools, and to think how much work your poor guidance cousnelors had to do. WHy apply to 12-20 schools when you are only attending ONE?!</p>
<p>it's pretty shady to apply to more than 10 schools. because, you are hurting the chances of other people by taking their admission spots when you wouldn't even want to go there.</p>
<p>So, you going to pull one of your apps because your buddy wants to apply there? No? Didn't think so. </p>
<p>If you are applying to reach schools, it simply makes sense to hedge your bets and apply to all where you feel you could be happy. We all have seen kids get into Harvard and rejected by other top schools. Insert the name of any school and you'll get the same story. You simply don't know what any given school is looking for that year, what they need to complete a class. Go for all you want, it's your future.</p>
<p>If you want to apply to 15 schools because you have 4 reaches, 6 matches, and 5 safeties or something like that, then go for it. If you're applying to 15 because you can't make up your mind and narrow it down, then you need to- because by May 1, you'll have to decide. If you can't decide on where to apply, you'll never be able to decide on where to go. That being said, as I said before, if you're mixing up between reaches, safeties, and matches, then there is no reason you can't use your time & money in any manner you see fit- there's nothing wrong with applying to that many schools.</p>
<p>"WHy apply to 12-20 schools when you are only attending ONE?!"</p>
<p>GreenDayFan - well i dont know too many people who have ever looked back and said they regret they applied to too many schools but I know way too many people that regret not applying to more. college admissions are a crap shoot at the top schools and I wasnt willing to ruin my chance to get into a top school by not applying to enough schools. As it ended up I am going to my dream school Stanford and I have no regrets. so please dont judge me for applying to so many schools because I certainly thought it was a good idea. just cause you dont doesnt mean its wrong. plus you havent even applied yet so please excuse me if your opinion means nothing to me.</p>
<p>Right back at you, stanmaster! Boy do i feel the love.</p>
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college admissions are a crap shoot at the top schools and I wasnt willing to ruin my chance to get into a top school
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<p>Well, unlike you, I am not a prestigewhore. I am more interested in going to the school that is right for me, not simply going to a top school. </p>
<p>Yeah, anyway, what was I saying, oh yeah, you're crazy! If you apply to 2-3 reaches, matches, and safeties that you really love, you should have no regrets. There is no need to apply to so many colleges. It's a waste of time and money, truly. I think we just need to agree to disagree.</p>
<p>excuse me but you are really offending me by calling me crazy. that is an insult and it is extremely rude. you didnt even apply to college yet but you are judging people who went through this process? please have some respect because you know nothing about me or where i come from. maybe after you apply then you can give advice on how the process should go</p>
<p>Well sorry stanmaster. I was just voicing my opinion. I feel that you are...er...."eccentric" or "loopy"......is that better? It's all in good fun. I just happen to disagree with you about your approach to applying to college, but its your choice so whatever.</p>
<p>I applied to 11 but I felt I should've applied to more, namely Stanford and MIT. </p>
<p>The thing is, If you apply to too many safeties, you'll regret wasting time on apps. If you apply to too few reaches, you might regret having lost the chance to score the crapshot.</p>
<p>well maybe i'm one of the few decent people, but i know i am not applying to 2 safeties i was considering because my friends who are lower stats than me are applying. am i fool? no. do i have a heart? yes.</p>
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Picture this: It is April. You have been accepted to all 15 schools. Could you really make a choice between 15 schools before May 1? What's that you say? There are a group of core schools on your list that would be your top choices? Consider applying to those schools only, with perhaps 2 safeties thrown in the mix.
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<p>It would take me about 3 hours of hard thinking maximum</p>
<p>think about the hindsight feeling. after two years at a university, rather than wondering how you would have done if went to one of 4 other schools, you would wonder about your performance if you went to one of 19 colleges!</p>
<p>If you have the time and money, go for it. </p>
<p>But 20 schools is $1,000. That's the price of my Senior Trip with my friends (an expensive trip overseas).</p>
<p>People talk about "in hindsight". In hindsight, I bet there are MORE people who say "well, I knew I was going to get in there... why did I apply and waste money" than people who say "I wish I would have done more!". </p>
<p>When I was making my college list, I had 20+ schools on it. I kept on thinking of my "dream school", and what it had to have in it. Luckily I had a very selective major that only 200 schools offered. I got my list down quickly, as I eliminated a school as it wasn't perfect. It wasn't where I wanted to be. I was just looking at it due to prestige.</p>
<p>Now i've got my list down to 2 schools. And both have rolling admissions so I will get answers in October.</p>
<p>People talk about "in hindsight". In hindsight, I bet there are MORE people who say "well, I knew I was going to get in there... why did I apply and waste money" than people who say "I wish I would have done more!". </p>
<p>I DISAGREE!!!!!!!!! I have met SO many people who regret not applying to more schools, myself included. 20 is a bit silly, but 10-12 is very okay.</p>
<p>you people are so tough on each other. lol. I say applying to so many schools is out of the question for ME, I wouldn't want to deal with all that and I don't feel the need but some people probably just wouldn't be comfortable without applying to so many. I say if you have the means and the desire go for it and when you are accepted (because you are brilliant) to 35/36 i'm sure anyone here would be willing to help you choose which is best for you should you need the assistance ;)</p>
<p>15's okay, and with the common app it's doable. But if you start from that list, narrow it down and choose wisely and realistically, you can narrow it down a lot.
Chances are, if you apply to that many, when the big 12 x 10 acceptance envelopes start to come from those schools, you'll barely look at them after the first two or three. Fact is you probably don't /won't really want to go to those other schools. So actually it turns out to have been a waste of time and money. </p>
<p>I do think that a certain amount of fatigue starts to set in writing the essays for that many schools. Yes it can be done and yes they look okay at the time, but they're not really as well thought out and done as when you pour yourself into the few schools you really want. You start to cut and paste from yourself.</p>
<p>You may think you can't decide between them now, but in your heart of hearts, I bet you can.</p>