<p>I think it depends on how strong your application is, how competitive the schools you are applying to are, and how much you need FA and/or merit scholarships. Obviously if you are only applying to the top programs in the country then you should increase your chances of being accepted into one of them by applying to as many as you can afford. Keep in mind that many/most schools require an application fee plus the cost of sending you SAT/ACT scores to them. Depending on the schools, 10 applications could easily run $500.00+ which might be tough to handle if financially you NEED a merit scholarship. If affordability is NOT an issue, and you don’t mind the work/effort of that many applications…then the more you apply to the better your chances of being accepted…providing you are at least close the their common data stats for incoming freshmen. </p>
<p>IMHO…a better strategy might be to apply for 2 or 3 “reaches”, 2 or 3 “matches” and the same number of “safeties”…or more if you really need a merit scholarship.
Good luck!</p>