light10491

So I just finalized my college list. Yes, 2 months before deadlines ...

So I have 12 schools. I was wondering if this is too much, as in too much work.

Anyone have experience with applying to this many schools? Most kids are my school are applying to around 8, although some are doing 15+???

6 of the schools are reaches like Harvard/Georgetown/Dartmouth/Cornell/Amherst/Middlebury. 6 are like NYU/Tufts/BC/BU/UMassAmherst/Brandeis.

smoda61

S applied to 9
D applied to 10

12 is not that much different.

BUT you only have one safety on your list - UMassAmherst. Though not as selective as your first 6, the remaining 5 can be unpredictable in their own way. I know of kids who get in to Harvard but not BC, etc, etc. I don't know your profile, maybe in your case more of those are safeties, but you do want to really examine that. Otherwise my advice is that your list is fine if you are happy getting into any one school on the list. If not, then you should examine your list further.

Ohboi

I'm applying to 11 if that makes you feel better.

XX55XX

12? That's a nice, round number. Not too many, but not too few either.

I do suggest tacking on some more safeties and matches, though. Take out a few reaches first.

I applied to 10 last year. My list looked almost exactly like your's - I applied to BC (where I ended up), BU, Tufts, UMass Amherst, Harvard, and Brandeis.

thenextbigthing

I personally feel that's too many and I think you could cut several of those schools off your list. However, it is ultimately your decison besides their have been some students who apply to a lot more.

nluu0929

It varies from person to person. I know people who are only applying to 1/2 schools, but I also know people who have applied to 15-20 schools. No amount of schools is too much really...However, you must keep in mind that each application costs about $50+ and the more applications you have, the sloppier the essays tend to get. Also, it really is genuinely hard to express an interest in a school when you've applied to 20 others. 10-12, however, is a good number of schools in my opinion. It leaves you with a couple safeties, several reaches, and some high reaches. A good balance of school imo. I think you should be fine. Just don't procrastinate =P

bobdylan4444

I'm applying to at least 15. It turns out it's cheaper to apply to all those schools instead of visiting. I also got priority apps to several schools ranging from match/reaches (for example Rice) to safeties (like UVM). I don't think 12 is too many considering the list you have; admissions is a crap shoot at most of them.

dancer13

My personal motto about this is to only apply to schools that, if I got in, I would actually go to. To me, there's no point in doing another 500 word essay for a school that I would never actually attend. But I agree that you really can't apply to too many (unless it's like 20+) if you actually like them and want to apply to them (and pay the application fees).

AnagramPanda

I'm applying to 13, if that makes you feel better.

BerneseMtnDog

DS applying to 9 for EA, 1 more for sure for RD, 1 more maybe depending on SAT II scores from today.

CollegeXC1993

Middlebury AND NYU/BU?

OHKID

I have 30 on my list, so I would say go for it

light10491

Middlebury AND NYU/BU?

Well, I need to get in somewhere? Middlebury isn't that easy to get into.

LasMa

OP: Do you think you can do 12 really high-quality applications? Because if they're not high-quality, why bother? Better to do 8 great ones than 12 mediocre ones.

OHKID, do you think you can do 30?

OHKID

Common App will do 20 for me.

The rest are basically no-essay, formula admissions schools.