<p>Organize your safeties- If it is extremely likely you will get into a real, real safety and would then choose it over another, cut down your list. Other than that, you may want to check commonapp.org and see what the essays are like. If the school doesn't require additional essays, (and money isn't a big concern) apply! Otherwise, think about how long you want to spend writing essays. See if any essays are similar and you can re-use one.</p>