How many colleges to apply to for FA

Paying for College
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<p>After seeing how much colleges will set you back financially, what is the maximum number of colleges you would apply to, not in order to just gain admittance, but to give you the best chances of being able to get a good deal on financial aid?</p>

<p>A number of cc posters have mentioned that even with the net price calculators, you culd end up with some surprises, so it sounds like it makes sense to cast a wide net.</p>

<p>I’m not sure how much the average college charges for an admissions fee, but I believe the FAFSA is free, so is there any disadvantage (other than spending a great deal of time on it) to filling out lots of forms to get the best aid from the most (of acceptable) colleges possible?</p>

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<p>Also I saw online there is a list of colleges with no admissions fee!</p>

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You have to be admitted first before the school consider you for the financial aid. However, many schools will send out financial aid with the admitting letter at the same time; if you also apply for the financial aid when you apply for admission.</p>

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<p>The most important schools on your list and the most difficult to find are the ones that you know will accept you and that you can afford. If you can find schools in this category that you like and will meet most of what you want in a college, then you are set. The rest is all gravy. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, many just tack these schools onto their list and spend little time researching them, spending time trying to decide which lottery ticket school to pick over the other. Whether the school where the 22% accept rate is better than the 18% and the virtues of either. Those are the discussions that are more fun to have and to think about those possiblities. And it’s all fine to do as long as you’ve put time and work into getting some good, sure things in place. The better you do in coming up with great choices in that essential category, the fewer schools you have to pick that have risks attached to them in terms of admissions and aid and scholarshipts.</p>

<p>That’s where EA or rolling admissions to an affordable state school will take off the pressure. Automatic awards at certain threshholds can also give you some relief.</p>