<p>How many applicantions is too many? After going through these boards, it seems like most '05ers, now '09ers, are advising the next class to apply to fewer schools because more schools = more stress. I understand that there's probably a ton of more work if the prospective schools have their own application. However, with schools accepting the Common Application and all UCs having the UC Application, where is the stress? </p>
<p>I am not a wannabe "acceptance whore"... but I REALLY want to be accepted SOMEWHERE (anywhere!). People say just a couple reaches, a couple matches, and a couple safeties are fine, but what if they all reject me? </p>
<p>So basically what I'm asking is, WHERE is the stress in applying to many colleges (besides the cost of applying)? What is the range of schools you'd recommend the upcoming seniors to apply to (Ex. EA, ED, rolling, reach, match, safety)?</p>
<p>I would not apply to a lot of places simply to apply to a lot of places, but if there are a lot of places you like, you might as well apply, right? I guess that's my take on it.</p>
<p>I think that the stress comes in--checking up on applications, filling out supplements, writing extra essays, doing apps for non-Common-App schools, more checking up on already-sent applications, not getting the colleges confused, staying organized, keeping them separate in your mind and not letting them blend into one gigantic college smoothie, sending in financial aid forms to all the schools, etc....</p>
<p>if you are look for good financial aid packages, id recommend applying to a lot of schools. when u compare a full ride for four years, the application fees seem insignificant</p>
<p>i applied to.. hm. 13 or so. it wasn't stressful at all- since i did 5 uc's, one csu and 7 privates (i originally planned 6 privates but i did one at the last minute while freaking out about how i wouldn't get in anywhere) and the csu app takes about 20 minutes and the uc app is just one without supplements. i chose not to use the commonapps for the schools whenever i could use the actual application, but commonapps are nice, but usually you ahve a HUGE supplement, including a 'why here' essay which really takes thought and time and sometimes research. just make sure you do what you can and dont spend too much applying to colleges you KNOW you wont go to</p>
<p>Amen ericmeng. Turning Brown down was heart-wrenching.</p>
<p>Anyway, applying to many schools doesn't have to be stressful. Just make sure you start early and keep a checklist for ever school. The last thing you want to do is forget to give your counselor the school report. It helps when the schools have similar essay topics, but that is not always the case.</p>
<p>You'll learn a lot about yourself during the admissions process. The framework of "just a couple reaches, a couple matches, and a couple safeties" is a reasonable start, but, as you discover more about your likes and dislikes, the schools you add should be matches. (You'll find that these tend to separate into reach-matches, solid matches and safety-matches, so there is variety.) If you can, determine your safety schools and reaches early in the process, and use the remainder of the time to concentrate on your match schools - as many as six or eight if you need to consider financial aid.</p>
<p>From my experience of applying to 18 colleges, I would recommend you applying to lots of "reach schools" and just a few "safety schools". Safety schools are very likely to accept you, so why bother applying to many of those? </p>
<p>With the "top schools", because the admissions process is so competetive, there are always uncertainties involved, and some unexpected results are possible. So why don't you have a try in many of the top schools? </p>
<p>But at the same time, you would want to minimize the number of universities you apply to. I found it fairly stressful writing so many essays with similar but slightly different topics to different colleges. It may be wise to choose your safety schools from those that accept Common Apps. </p>
<p>SchoolDuh0610, it is technically illegal for schools to prefer their app over the Common App, because by being a Common App school they are swearing to look at them equally.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, in the past I've heard that Yale has said it prefers the specialized app; if you hear a college saying this, inform your GC, because they are really not supposed to do this. I think Yale has since stopped, but I am not sure.</p>
<p>I think there must be some unconscious preference one way or the other, but making it official practice is not allowed.</p>
<p>Ericmeng... I'd love to have that problem come April/May of next year. My main worry right now is getting rejected/waitlisted everywhere... which will make me very very sad. </p>
<p>I think I will use the school's app because if I were part of the adcom, I would prefer applicants who used my app... it just shows more interest in that school. </p>
<p>So 15 would be a good number... Oh goodness I'm being flooded with images of 15 thin little envelopes. </p>
<p>I understand where you're coming from, I remember how my daughter and I had chills at the possibility that she might not get into any college if she didn't send out "enough" applications. She applied to 10 colleges, and I have to say even 10 was fairly difficult to keep track of. You have to be very, very organized and keep track of every little detail. It's not just the application, it's also the recs, your transcripts, sending scores, and any supplemental material they want (like a portfolo). Actually it was a little tougher on us because some of her schools also wanted a SEPARATE application to the theatre department, and separate recommendations. So if you're applying to a special school or department with its own requirements there's that to consider. Also you have to proofread your essays EXTRA carefully if you recycle them for different schools. I always had nightmares about leaving in the name from the wrong school.</p>
<p>The best thing to relieve your anxiety about getting rejected everywhere is to make sure you apply to at least one rolling admission and get that one in FIRST. If you get accepted, your anxiety is reduced tenfold by Thanksgiving or Christmas, and you can work on your other applications with quite a bit more confidence. I think it shows in them, too. And if you don't get accepted to the rolling, you still have time to improve on your apps, get feedback from your GC, make your essays stronger, and decide if it's worth applying to an extra school or two for insurance.</p>
<p>But please believe what Ericmeng said, deciding WILL BE the hardest part. I also remember thinking, ha, what a luxury to have choice--but it's true. Even my D's GC warned us parents about this last spring and I remember just blowing the very idea off. Worrying whether you are picking the "right" college for your next 4 years will be no joke. Making the tradeoff between money, quality, fit, and location can be stressful even with just 2 good choices. Best wishes to you in finding your match!</p>
<p>Heres where I applied to:
4 places were safeties
3 place were matches - I considered these Lehigh and Cornell
like 7 or 8 places reaches - Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Dmouth, Duke, AWS - the LAC's</p>
<p>Make sure to try and get fee-waivers - the applications for my safeties were all free and took 20 minutes each - they included Drexel, which is well known, and some more local but good colleges.</p>
<p>Add to the groups as you see fit; there's no legal limit after all.</p>
<p>applying to 10+ schools, are you crazy? Parents and/or counselors please draw the line. If you are worried so much about not getting into any of the 10+ schools you applied to then you AREN'T fit for those schools and SHOULDN'T be applying to them realistically. </p>
<p>the smarter thing to do would be to apply to 3 or 4 schools with outstanding effort and sincerity; schools that will most likely accept you--not just all crapshoots. </p>
<p>Ask any adcom and they will be glad to tell you that applying to 10+ schools will have scarcely any benefits. Don't fool yourself by thinking you can apply to so many schools with outstanding effort because it just isn't possible--you are only human.<br>
And if it is...then you have too much free time and need to do some volunteer work, get a job, or join an activity. </p>
<p>BE PRAGMATIC! My guidance counselor never heard of such a thing. She - along with every ivy adcom i have spoken with - recommends 3 to 4 well-chosen schools. </p>
<p>For me: MIT (match), Princeton (safe school), Cornell (safe school), and Rice (very safe school) will be the only ones getting my applications.</p>
<p>ARCHcornell, aren't the schools you listed crapshoots for anyone?</p>
<p>Slipper1234 - Why were you glad in the end? Did you find applying to all the schools difficult?</p>
<p>Taramom - I think I'm going to be like you and your D a year ago. As much as EricMeng's advice would reassure me... I consider having a wealth of choices to be impossible (and heaven).</p>
<p>I could not disagree more!! I applied to HYP Duke, Brown (I was already accepted to Michigan). Then last minute I added applications to columbia and northwestern. Guess what?</p>
<p>I only got into Columbia and Northwestern and was SO happy that I did so. </p>
<p>Look, if you are applying to Ohio State, sure, you dont need 10 schools. But at the top level nothing is for sure anymore, its almost random. There are plenty of people who are like this. My valedictorian (1540 SAT, editor in chief, etc) went to Haverford and its because he didn't apply to enough schools (got rejected from Princeton/ Yale/ Amherst) meanwhile 11 other kids in my class ended up at Ivies or similar. </p>
<p>Focus? Its laughable. Schools don't know the difference in tha age of the common application. Applying to less then 8 schools is probably the worst decision you will make in your life. </p>
<p>Don't listen to anyone (ARCH) who calls Princeton a safety. That valedictorian friend of mine who was rejected was a legacy who made the same mistake.</p>
<p>No matter how much research you do, you find so much about a school after you are accepted, can attend days on campus, meet interviewers, etc. I regretted not applying to Dartmouth after I learned about it my first year of college. I ended up transferring there. Had I applied I would say there was a 99% chance I would have chosen it over Columbia and Northwestern.</p>
<p>Its anecdotal evidence to why people like ARCH make one of the biggest mistakes of a lifetime. At most top high schools, TRUST ME, people apply to at least 7-9 schools.</p>