<p>one of my sons says the school really doesn't matter. He is comfortable with any of the top 6 on his list and he says lets just see what the offers are.</p>
<p>College seems to be a means to an end. He sees all these schools as a way to get there and a comfortable place to spend 4 - 6 years.</p>
<p>I was amazed but maybe it is a healthy thing.</p>
<p>He's right on. If he has 6 #1's, he can then consider non-academic things like location, financial aid, and stuff to do when making a final choice</p>
<p>That is how my sons are too.</p>
<p>Yeah, I don't have a clear-cut #1. Right now I feel like I'd be happy at any of the schools on my list... except if I had to go to a safety without getting any merit aid I think I'd be a tad disappointed but I guess that's normal</p>
<p>My S got admitted into 4 colleges and while he was able to decided against 2 quickly, he had a very hard time choosing between the remaining 2. It really came down to the 11th hour. He would have been quite happy at either; indeed, he would have been happy at any of the 4. S2 had a clear #1 choice, but would also have been happy at other schools on his list.</p>
<p>I think it is a healthy attitude to have, especially early in the process.</p>
<p>I agree that this is an ideal situation. I am constantly cautioning applicants who have their heart set on one school to try to look more broadly and find several schools they love. I think the kids who have one very strong first choice, can be in a situation set up for disappointment, where so much is riding on that school, as if they could only be happy at one school. </p>
<p>I am grateful that my kids were a bit more like your son. Both my kids liked every school on their list and would have been happy to attend any of them. D1 had three favorites all tied for "first" in her mind most of the year. Close to April, it became four tied in her mind. After acceptances, she narrowed all the acceptances down to three to go back to and she really wasn't sure at all. Then she finally decided. D2 had two favorites. She got into one of the two favorites, and pretty much all the other schools on her list and she didn't mull the decision over at that point (in April) because she chose that favorite she had gotten into but all spring was very open to any school on her list and didn't get her heart set on just one.</p>
<p>S2 said all along he had no clear #1, and would have been happy at any of his top 3 choices. He just said he would not commit until he heard from all of them. Lo & behold, when that last envelope came, it clarified everything for him, and we sent the deposit off before Easter break.</p>
<p>This is a testament to your son and the fact that he has made some really put some though into not only what school but why this schoo. After all has been said and done, he has made great choices for him so when decision time comes there will be no angst unless he gets admitted to all of them :)</p>
<p>Even then, it's still all good</p>
<p>Well, I don't think one should be applying to any school you wouldn't be excited about going to. I don't have a number one, and don't plan on even trying to narrow it down until acceptance letters start coming. I'm applying to 8 schools, and all but the safety I would be excited about going to. The safety even I've heard great things about and would probably enjoy once I got there, I just wouldn't be excited about it :)</p>
<p>I think this is normal, both because the similarities between colleges are much more important than their differences, and because kids are right not to put too many psychological eggs in one basket, especially if they are applying to a few "reaches". Definitely, the right attitude is "I could be happy and learn a lot at any of these places. If more than one accepts me, I'll decide based on second-order considerations." (Edit: Or first order considerations, like money.)</p>
<p>I would have had an easier spring of senior year if I had liked more than one of the schools I applied to.</p>
<p>D1 applied to four schools; three that she liked (2 OOS and 1 private) and our state u as a safety. H and I made her apply to the state u. Her thought was that she would be happy at any of the three and hoped to be accepted to only one so she would not need to choose. Well, she got into two, one of her three and the honors program at our state u. She was as happy as a clam and immediately sent in her acceptance to her choice (OOS). I was a nervous wreck, but it worked out for her. This is not a strategy I would recommend to anyone.</p>
<p>I applied to five college and had three top choices. I let the Financial Aid decide my fate and I was pretty relaxed and happy with the results.</p>
<p>When we visited the 9 schools that my DS decided to apply to, we would ask him the question, "Could you see yourself at this school?" His answer was "yes" to all of them - not that the schools were clones of each other, but rather, that they all met his basic criteria for what would meet his academic (and other) needs. </p>
<p>As the months went by, he began to develop a list of his "top prospects," contingent upon financial awards. When the acceptance letters came in, all the schools (except one) were equally "do-able" financially.</p>
<p>Finally, it came down to two schools, and by a week before the deadline, he made his decision. No great agonizing, no regrets - once he sent in his acceptance, he went right back to enjoying the rest of his senior year.</p>
<p>My son actually did have a first choice, but could not attend due to lack of financial aid. But throughout the process, he thought he would be happy at any of his four or five choices. And as it turns out, he is quite happy where he attends. I guess it goes to show you that there is no single perfect place.</p>
<h1>1 DS was like this - applied to 10 schools (too many, in hindsite, was accepted at all but two which were total shots in the dark) up until about February, and then things began to crystalize. Part of it had to do with the money that was offered, but part of it was just his thinking it through on the various options, and part of it was the schools' individual follow-up. For example, he applied, was accepted and offered a significant scholarship to Case - never heard another word from them or from swim coach - while he would not have been their #1 swimmer, his times were very competitive for the team and he would have been a significant asset - and academically he was a very strong candidate for the program he was going into, but never heard a word from anyone there. In his mind, they wanted him but not REALLY wanted him. So, a school that was a safety to him, went to last on the list.</h1>
<p>Also, once all the offers were on the table, we talked alot about the pros and cons of the final choices. Although he said he was happy with his first 3 choices, it became very clear that one was more desirable than the other two. He also sent his decision in with a week to go. No regrets - he made the right choice for him.</p>
<p>Wow, Case sent us a barrage of postcards, so that is really unusual. But I know what you mean kitkat. S was accepted as out of state to UVA, but never had a single piece of mail from them besides the admission letter. He didn't feel "wanted" there, so they eventually dropped off of the list.</p>
<p>DS got postcards from Case but never a call - from other schools he got all kinds of follow-up, whether from students, profs in the department, or whatever.</p>
<p>I had no direct first choice and am very happy with my school.</p>