I am planning to apply to more than 20 schools, if possible there are 25 I have in mind. I have been applying but recently I noticed that commonApp maxes on 20. Is there a way I can use universal application to sign up to that and apply to more schools? Does that work?
PS
I anticipate certain comments will tell me to narrow down my options. But since I am applying to highly selective BS MD programs and elite private schools, I want to keep my options as broad as possible in the end. I am also not worried about fees.
While you may not feel it financially, you should be aware that your photo will be on a dart board in your counselor’s office. You’re not making any friends and honestly, I challenge the fact that you can’t narrow down this list. Plus, your application quality will suffer –
But to your question, see if some of your target list accepts the Universal College App. Then use Common app for the rest.
Agreed - your desire to keep doors open is certainly something I can respect, but I don’t believe that to do that it’s necessary to submit ~25 applications. What you ultimately do is your prerogative, and many Unis accept the Common/Universal Apps or allow a student to mail an application in directly, so you can skirt the 20 school cap in that manner, if you’d like, but I recommend narrowing it down and focusing hard on the colleges you’d most like to attend.
I know of someone who did this last year, and for the exact same reasons you’re planning to do it. It was an absolute nightmare for that student. In addition to filling out a gazillion applications (25, as I recall), the student had to travel to many of the schools for interviews and ended up missing weeks and weeks of classes in the winter and spring. This was a huge stress, and the student was completely miserable for months. Yes, the student ended up with several great choices, and yes, there was no way to really predict the schools that did and did not offer admission (with a couple of more prestigious places saying yes, while some lesser schools said no or offered places on their waitlists), but was it worth it? In my opinion, no. Even though the student’s parents seemed to be very wealthy and were able to fund all the many, many trips to far-flung places, the burden in other ways was too heavy. In the end, the student ended up being extremely conflicted about where to go and, after much agonizing, chose one of the top B.S./M.D. schools over an extremely tempting elite private school (with outstanding placement in medical schools) that the vast majority of other students would have preferred. The student made this choice, which I feel was a mistake, because the entire process of applying to 25 schools had been such a complete fiasco/nightmare that the student couldn’t bear the thought of having to apply to med schools again in four years. Is the student happy now with the choice? I’m not sure—it’s too early to tell.
DD’s school has restriction regarding number of application students can send out - 8 privates colleges and unlimited public colleges. You are lucky not having restrictions…
Please try and narrow that list down. It would be much better to send less, but better quality, apps, than a multitude of apps all with similar quality which simply won’t compare. The more time you can spend on each app, the better. Applying to such a large amount of schools is overextending yourself and gives you a lot to think about. My D would probably pass out if I told her she had to apply to twenty schools.
Each college and university on your list should be there for a specific reason. Go through your list and eliminate all the ones that you cannot articulate a specific reason for keeping on your list. If you have a solid safety option where you are guaranteed admission, that you know you can pay for with no more than guaranteed federal aid and/or guaranteed state aid and/or aid guaranteed by the institution itself because of your stats, then you don’t need to waste one bit of time/trouble/money applying to any place that you would not choose over that safety.
So yes, your list could end up being all the BS/MD programs in the country and one or two auto admits with decent track records of getting students into med school.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall when you fill out the Common App. You write the CA essay. Then you choose one university and they have an essay. Then you choose the college within the university and they have a unique essay. And your prospective major,consideration for merit aid and consideration for honors each request an essay. Repeat 20 times…
Yeah, I was going to suggest Universal College Application - a lot of elite privates use that, so you can split the difference. (Many schools don’t take paper applications anymore, so while that might be an option some places it’s not in others.)
I agree, though, that you can narrow down the list while still keeping options open. 25 schools seems like a lot even with open options. Personally I’m against BS/MD programs, but you could apply to a mix - maybe three elite ones and 2-3 non-elite ones like UConn, Alabama, Howard, Brooklyn College, Clarkson, Hofstra, Siena, etc. Or not - you could apply to 5-6 all elite BS/MD programs, with the mindset that going to a non-elite BS/MD program isn’t worth it.
Then you can apply to 7-10 other regular college programs, with a top-heavy profile: 3-5 elite schools, 2-3 matches, and 2 solid safety schools.
That would give you a total of 12-16 colleges. Even if you wanted to expand this a bit, you could add 4-8 more schools before hitting 20.
With the 25 you have, that sounds to me like you are applying to at least 10 BS/MD programs and then something like 15 schools. That sounds kind of insane. You can only go to one! And if you have the stats to be competitive for a BS/MD program, then you’re probably in the running for most elite top schools and a good match for some really excellent but less selective places like Boston College, Boston U, Lehigh, Brandeis, Emory, Tulane, University of Miami, etc. These places are excellent, prestigious colleges that accept around one-third of applicants.
@LongRangePlan - the teachers and counselors generally write one letter per student and it is simply sent on to all the schools, via common app, Naviance, parchment or worst case, by mail. If by mail, at my kids’ school, the student provides the addressed stamped envelope and the teacher is simply re-printing the rec letter and sending it. In my 2015 kid’s case, only outside scholarship letters had to be mailed.
The only students I know who do this do it because they have to - lower income student who don’t really have a safety (for whatever reason, the commutable community college or other college doesn’t work). They have to apply to as many colleges as they can where the NPC indicates the total may be within budget and keep their fingers crosses.
It’s also the case for students who apply to test optional colleges, since the merit factored into the FA on the NPC depends on test scores - many go in totally blind.
They generally hate it but have no choice.
@juillet Your plan definitely sounds reasonable. Probably more reasonable than mine. It so tough making a decision. The freedom to apply to all these programs and the pressure to get into one that I will be happy with makes the narrowing-down process very difficult for me.
@Planner Your comment is very valid, and the points you make are definitely some of the things I did not consider. I will try best I can to narrow down my list. Thanks!
@OHMomof2, at my sons’ school, the teachers customized the letters, i.e. “I believe Name would do very well at XXX university because the XXXX major there is exactly right for him blah blah…”
Also I did not think about direct mail in.