How many is too many?

I'm applying to colleges soon for undergrad and I want to have a lot of options on the table. Would you guys say it is realistic to apply to somewhere between 60 and 70 colleges or is this too many? I feel like it might be too many, but I also think I can pull it off. I'm not sure though, and I would love some feedback or advice.

10 Comments
 

Definitely understand where you are coming from. In your opinion, does it make a difference if I'm applying to schools in multiple different countries as I'm an international.

 

Good advice I got when applying is to apply only to places you would actually want to go. I ended up applying to only 5. I would say to apply to at least 2-3 safety schools. But for the upper echelon of schools you’re applying to, you will spread yourself way too thin and not do a quality job on essays etc imo if you apply to 50.That is absolutely insane. No reason to apply to more than 15-20, 20 as an ABSOLUTE MAX.

 

In my opinion, No reason to go beyond;

3 super reach schools (hail Mary’s)

5 reach / unlikely to get in schools

5 schools that are right in your academic wheelhouse (like 50/50 you get into them)

3 schools you know you will get in to (safety)

Array
 

I applied to 27 schools, mostly reaches because I didn't want to feel any regrets about not applying to a school, and the college admissions process is so unpredictable that I figured anything could happen. Ended up finessing myself into an ivy which I applied to in a whim. I fucking grinded out all of my essays out in December after being deferred ED and still was able to apply to 27, so if you start now you should be absolutely fine provided you apply to a reasonable amount of schools. I would say do not apply to more than 15 schools unless you are objectively well qualified and never apply to more than 30.

 

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