Is ten colleges too many to apply to?

evergreen5
Mon, 06 Mar 2017 02:36:00 +0000

@stanford200381 I have a couple of 8th graders at home. For the near future, their focus needs to be getting good grades, challenging themselves from time to time, and exploring their interests. If all goes well, they’ll be able to firm up their college lists during the summer before senior year, but probably not much before then; we’ll see. Like you, they are about to embark on their high school journey. We look forward to watching their development through that high school journey as they grow into young men.

If you want to think about aiming very high and what that would entail, here is a favorite article from the MIT admissions blog. http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways The same ideas (get good grades, be nice, pursue your passion) are applicable to a lot of schools on your list.

It’s nearly impossible to see this from your 14-year-old shoes, but the efforts you put into your own, unique high school journey, the choices you make over that time, and the experiences you have along the way will shape who you become. In three years or so, you’ll be better equipped to come up with a college list that reflects an appropriate amount of wisdom (safeties/matches/reaches especially in light of grades, scores and potential majors), and around this time four years from now, you will find a college that fits you and that finds you a fitting addition. Good luck and enjoy the last few months of middle school while you still can