Too many reach schools

I don’t know if I’m posting to the right forum, but here goes.

After going the application process this year, I soon realized that I have applied to too many reach schools (3 ivies, 3 LACs). I am an international (Canadian) student who is your “average excellent” kid with stats and GPA within range, great recs, and good ECs plus a few talents or two. I don’t really know if you could say I learned my lesson not to apply to that many reach schools as I have yet heard back from these schools, but there is one lesson that I’ve learned. That lesson is that there are way more options than what you think you have.

I always saw the US as the better option than most schools here for my major, but I feel like focusing so much of my energy on applying to the US has made me forget the many great schools that my own country has. I just wanted to let people applying to colleges now know, especially int’l students, that there are many more affordable options in your country (or even in-state options for US students).

Another thing I learned doing this process is to evaluate yourself carefully and honestly. Although I would say I’m pretty harsh towards myself, at the end of the day, I still know myself and my abilities best. Because my GC and peers all tell me I have a really decent chance at these LACs and perhaps even a shot at ivies, I started to become ever so slightly* hopeful. Though I know I would consider myself “qualified,” I wouldn’t call myself “stellar” by any means. I know it’s great to have a supportive community but sometimes you just need to listen to yourself. I know that when I don’t get into these schools, I wouldn’t be letting down my friends or my peers, I would end up letting myself down for believing I even had a chance at these schools.

*If anyone was curious, I only took 3 AP tests (our school doesn’t offer APs), did the SAT once (within range), no SAT II subject tests, and wanted to major in art history.

I’m not sure six is “too many” reach schools. Above average but not crazy. Reaching for your dreams is not a bad thing.

Unless you didn’t concurrently apply to enough match and, especially, safety schools. That’s where problems arise.