<p>simple answer is money, time, and diminished quality of each app</p>
<p>Haha. I applied to 13.</p>
<p>That's the other thing...</p>
<p>they're making me apply to really good schools I'm not all that "into" just to increase my odds of getting into a top school.</p>
<p>For example, they REALLY want me into UPenn CAS, though I'd rather go to Georgetown SFS or Northwestern.</p>
<p>Not that they don't like G'town or NW, but if I get into Penn, they're going to make me go there (unless I make Princeton). I'm seriously considering intentionally botching these "forced" extra apps and only focusing on the eight or so I am really interested in.</p>
<p>Have you tried sitting down and having a reasonable, mature talk with them? Tell them that you appreciate all that they've done for you, but ultimately it's four years of your life and you want to be happy.</p>
<p>Have you talked to them, visited, etc the schools you like? Could you try to convince them that the schools you like are no "worse" than the ones they like, and that they might even be better fits for you?</p>
<p>13 is fine.</p>
<p>Thanks all.</p>
<p>They're really not stifling/helicopter parents and are very supportive...but I'm the subservient type and it's always awkward when I argue with them. I'll try to convince them.</p>
<p>Besides, SFS at G'town is every bit as prestigious as CAS at UPenn...much more even, at least, then comparing, say, Georgetown College (less prestigious than SFS) vs. Wharton (more prestigious than CAS). </p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p>I can't answer your question about the prestige of those schools, but I'd like to add something about applying to a large number of schools. While it would be a lot of work for you, the applicant, it would also be quite a bit of work for your guidance counselor and teachers who write recommendations. Yes, they can print off copies, but the counselor (at least mine did) sends out a packet of his materials to each college to which you apply. I had some minor mix-ups with teacher recommendations not being sent and could never have figured it all out if I had had more than 10 colleges. I think mainly you just risk annoying your counselor/teachers, which could possibly affect the recommendations. Hopefully your parents will understand. I wish you the best of luck in deciding which schools to apply to! (If it's any help at all, at least you're starting early; I waited until senior year.)</p>
<p>10 should be fine...put 2 safeties, 4 match, 4 reaches/high reaches</p>
<p>everyone I know thinks it is selfist i applied to 13 schools, but I had very good reasons to do so. First, all the acceptance rates were below 30 except for the state school. My parents told me they would only be will to pay for "top 15" schools, whatever that means. I got a scholarship at the state school, so they wouldn't let me give it up unless it was a "good school". I couldn't go on visits, they wouldn't let me unless I was accepted. So, to ensure I had at least 2-3 schools to chose from in the end, I applied to 12 besides my state school. No one can argue that I would get into all, or even half, they are all extremely competitive, all of them. So I couldn't take that risk. Now I have gotten 5 acceptances already, and people think i am utterly selfish and just racking up acceptances for the sake of getting in, which was definately not the case, especially when I had really low scores beginning of the year when I applied(that changed right before I submitted apps though). I feel that people should be proud of me because I worked hard, instead they just scoff at me and act like i am a horrible person. What do you guys think about this?</p>
<p>if you apply to so many the overall quality of your apps will suffer, instead focus on making the apps you do fill out as good as possible</p>
<p>that is somewhat true, but not with the commonapp schools. some just require short school specific essays. the main chunk they see is the common app, so i don't think each additional app suffers that much, as long as you manage your time well. apps are not really that difficult.</p>
<p>My friend did apply to 25 schools last year, guess he was paranoid or something. Funny thing is that he got accepted to 23 of them, so as you can imagine, that was a lot of wasted time/money/effort/sleep.</p>
<p>2-iron, with early action and rolling admissions for some schools, the whole "getting in somewhere" argument can go away. Find a couple or three schools you like that are matches which offer early action/rolling, and apply to those first. You can always apply to more schools if you need to, but getting an admittance or two in early may help them relax.</p>
<p>Besides, you want to keep your grades up, don't you, and need time to do so? Imagine how much time you wouldn't have for school if you had to manage 50 applications!</p>
<p>I'd say "as many as possible" is.... oh, around maybe 8 schools, wouldn't you? :-)</p>
<p>i did 18, have been accepted by 10 and have not yet been rejected yet (that will probably change monday). these included the top schools. However, i don't think it was a waste of time - i used the same essays for many schools and the multiple acceptances coming in now makes you feel like all the hardwork you put in is appreciated!!!</p>
<p>I only applied to 4, and it was more than enough.</p>
<p>Honestly you should speak to your GC. First, he/she may not ALLOW you to do that. The work you'd subject him/her to is frankly, repulsive. I'd look at you and frankly refuse. Period. </p>
<p>Secondly, I hope your parents' thinking that applying isn't like this: Student applies to all eight ivies -- gotta get into at least ONE right? </p>
<p>Go ask your statistics teacher about that thinking. Get some more advice but start w/your trusted teachers and GC.</p>
<p>Also for all those of you who don't mind spending your parents money willy nilly just because you can't decide and just because you CAN -- please consider what those thousands of dollars schools 8-20 fees could have been used for. Really, while it's your money, wasting it in such a manner -- I have a problem with that when I know for a fact that only one percent of the human population EVER even attends college. Am I moralizing a bit here? You betcha. You might care more about "green" cafeteria policies and recycling your milk containers but think nothing of wasting hundreds if not thousands of dollars.</p>
<p>Well cost is a big factor for most people...at 60+ a college, you could end up spending over $800 dollars, which generally isn't good. </p>
<p>Just because you apply to a bunch of great schools doesn't mean you're going to get into any of them.</p>
<p>I do, however, recommend you have a decent number, ranging from shoe-ins to reach; it's nice to have options, and be able to choose your college, rather than vice-versa.</p>
<p>To ohakkila</p>
<p>I get your logic, I really do, but at the end of the day, you can't enter 18 colleges. While I'm probably a hypocrite right now (I applied to 12), it's really best to find a bunch you're passionate about. I wish I had done that. Names seemed so important to me before. Now, they're meaningless.</p>
<p>I would say the "quality of the applications" argument may work best with your parents. Also, midyear reports are sent out to many colleges, so tell them you need time to focus on your studies too.</p>
<p>Remind them that that you will have to spend four years at the university you get admitted to, so you should actually LIKE the schools you applied to. Therefore, applying to all those schools would be pointless. </p>
<p>College is about more than JUST academics. You'll be miserable if you don't pick a college that suits you.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>If you want to really do that, no one's stopping you. But if you really know yourself and what kind of environment you need for those four years of undergrad, you're not going to find 20 - 50 schools that equally fit that profile.</p>
<p>I applied to 11 schools, and would only seriously consider going to six of them. Others I tacked on for reasons out of my control. </p>
<p>The best college list has all schools that you'd seriously want to be at, with some being matches, and maybe a safety. If not, you can find a couple of safeties.</p>