Kid has 6 EA (1 safety acceptance already) and 1 RD submitted. 3 of these are safeties, 3 reaches, and 1 mega-reach.
Still to come: 1 more EA due 11/15 (reach), and 6 RD (2 high match, 4 reach).
Not very excited about the safeties, though, and only 2 non-safety schools will respond in December. We also only visited 3 of the schools on the list, so some of those RD applications will have to be submitted. There are many, many supplemental essays ahead, though, so we’ll see.
S22 is applying as a math major too. He is a stereotypical math nerd though with many math ECs. He applied to 3 schools EA and is finishing up his ED application. He is really hoping he doesn’t have to do the 8 RD applications.
Son applied to one school EA, a safety/likely. He may apply to one additional school before the 11/15 EA deadline. He has 3 matches so right now we are at 5. He wants to add another 2-3, with one a reach, but we’ll see. It definitely won’t be more than 8 or 9 and could well be just 5 or 6. I’ll add, we aren’t searching for merit and he isn’t a tippy top student so we aren’t looking at top 30 schools. That has kept the #s down. I think most of the schools he is considering are ranked between 50-80.
My D22 has applied to six schools Early Action: four safeties, one match, and one reach. Depending on how those go, she has six more possible for the regular round: three reaches and three matches. Seems like a lot, but she is definitely looking for merit aid (or good financial aid from the reaches).
My S22 has applied to one reach school Early Decision and is fervently hoping that he won’t need to apply any further. (I share his dream, not the least because the essay-writing process was so challenging. 
) If the ED school doesn’t pan out, he will apply to EDII to another reach and then to four match/safeties. He’s also filled out the very long, very complicated Army ROTC application and will hear about that in February.
S applied to 11 schools, all submitted through Common App by mid October. No reaches, 3 likelys, 8 matches. His list was built based on location and there really are no other colleges to add at this point.
D22 applied ED to OOS private, EA to instate public, and EA to OOS public. Shoo in for acceptance at all three. Will ultimately come down to $. My D21 applied ED to one college last year. Her process was over in early December. Don’t think I’ll be so lucky this year!
S22 applied EA to six. Four are reaches and two are targets for admission but reaches for business.
We’re in the UK and my D22 has applied to 4 UK universities (2 safeties, 1 match/reach, 1 reach) and, in the US, 1 REA and planning 3-4 more RD (given cost differences between UK and US, US applications are all reaches).
If nothing pans out this year, she’ll take a gap year and will try again next year. We’re not averse to a gap year, even if she gets acceptances this year, as we feel she would benefit from a break (and we can visit relatives and friends in different geographies).
D applied to 10 schools. With Nursing as her major it’s tough to identify target and reaches but I would say 2-3 reaches, 5 targets and two safeties. She’s accepted the offer from her first acceptance as it was her top choice. Now it’s just “fun” to see what happens with the rest. She’s 3/3 so far which has her thinking maybe she should have stretched for some others, but I think she’s content.
There are quite a few schools with “rolling” admissions. For S22, he’s heard from Alabama, UPitt, Iowa State, ASU, and Michigan Tech. Those took between 10 minutes and 3 weeks to hear once everything was submitted. Iowa State was nearly instant.
He’s submitted 13 with 1 or 2 to go. He has some honors apps to do as well. I had a hard time categorizing them, as some were safety for stats, but then more of a match for including the honors college, and maybe a reach without a good scholarship, lol. And he still isn’t leaning towards any, so it’s hard to narrow down.
Thank you! That’s helpful.
Really surprised to hear about the “instant” decisions though. Do these not require supplemental essays, LORs, etc? Decision based purely on quantitative data like GPA and test scores such that a computer can make a yes/no decision? Just curious to know how these work.
My D did apply in mid October to a school with rolling admissions, but they don’t send out notifications until mid December.
Congratulations to your son on his acceptance! And best wishes with the rest of his apps 
14 here. Seven rolling or early action, seven regular. He’ll likely get admitted to all except 2 of them are admission reaches. Two are safeties for admission and cost. Two or three are matches for admission and/or cost. The rest are reaches because he’d need large merit scholarships to attend. Heard back from one so far. If were not hunting for merit, he would probably apply to more like 5-7.
Our D22 got a decision back about a week after she applied to one of her colleges. Her LOR have not been submitted on the Common App yet by her recommenders and there were no extra essays for that college. They did read her Common App essay and referenced it in her acceptance letter she got yesterday.
S22 has applied to four and heard from all four. Admitted to Iowa State, Alabama, Arizona State, and Texas A&M. He is considering applying to Southern Cal. I am unsure whether he will actually complete that application or not. All of the supplemental applications to the above have been taxing for him.
Five applications submitted. All in a different state 1,500 miles from home.
Four safety/match rolling admissions - all test optional (3 acceptances already with merit money).
One EA school. The EA school was the only school that was not test optional and will be a reach with my D’s (very low) test scores.
We hope she has a final decision by Christmas.
Many are very easy. Iowa State was about 20 minutes from starting the app to being accepted! They admit by stats and if you have a calculated number or above, you are in. He has a $12,500 yearly scholarship for them as well. None of his required an essay (for the early admits), so he had those done first, just to have them under his belt.
9 apps submitted EA or rolling by 11/1. He may apply to one or two more. All are safeties or matches, one is probably a reach just because it has become so popular in our HS. We are looking for some merit and he has toured all but one of his schools and I think he could be happy at any of them even though they are all very different.
Kiddo applied to 2 REA and 2 RD (safety schools) If bad news is received in December, there will be another 4 or 5 applications for RD. Even the “safe” schools are those kiddo would be happy to attend. Not applying to any schools that would not be happy to attend. Not wasting time or money. Also, my student is not applying to schools that are not realistic, or just for the heck of it (as some kids we know have done).
There are some students down here in the swamp that just push the send button since it was free…
For example: (actual conversation)
“ Hey, student X, why did you apply to University of Widgets?”
“ Well, parent z, it was free, they have rolling admissions,and just wanted to get into at least one school - plus, I did not have to write a supplemental essay”
“ Student X, would you actually go there - if even if it were your only choice”
“ Heck, no!”
Ha! Yes I know some kids like that too. I don’t understand why they’d bother applying if they would never go there! 
" * Restrictive Early Action: also like early action, REA is non-binding, but students may only apply to one private school REA. They can usually apply EA to public schools, however."