Is ten colleges too many to apply to?

Applying to College
21

Your grades right now don’t even matter for college. You have no idea what your HS gpa will look like until you finish AT LEAST your freshman year. Students aiming for NM start prepping start prepping around the end of sophomore year-- those who aren’t usually begin junior year. You have no idea if you’ll even like these schools in 4 years. Just get the best grades you possibly can, take rigorous classes, get involved, and start worrying about SAT scores later on. You’re still years off from being able to make a balanced list.

And side note: living near a college does not affect your chances of being admitted unless it’s public

22

Right now, your list is just a bunch of names you’ve heard. Most of these universities are 'reach for everyone ’ and case western will be a Reach or a match depending on our hs gpa/scores. (it’s a highly ranked research university). These universities have different 'personalities’and thus ‘fit’ is different from one to the other.
You’re also missing out on a LOT of good schools - ever heard of HarveyMudd, Carleton , Colgate, Hamilton, Grinnell, Skidmore…? What about Fordham, Syracuse, Ithaca, St Olaf, Butler, Dickinson, Truman State? Kenyon, Denison, Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan?
Do you know the differences between honors colleges at TOSU, Ohio, MIAMI OH, Pitt, psu-schreyer? What about UAlabama Honors or ASU Barrett?
My point is that, right now, you shouldn’t have dream schools and you should explore colleges. You’re lucky to be living in a college-rich state. Try to visit a bunch to get a feel for what you like, to understand ‘fit’, etc. Read the Fiske guide and look for safety schools you like. Don’t zero in on all the prestigous 'big names '.
It’s good to have ambitions and to want to strive for your goals. It’s good to have a plan that leads you there.
But don’t forget that high school isn’t ‘pre-college’. It’s a goal in and of itself. Not just the antechamber to your future.
Regarding college:
The hardest part will be 1) finding two safeties you like and can afford and 2) talking ‘budget’ with your parents.
If they haven’t started yet, they can still start putting money aside each month in a 529. They can also test their ability to do that: can they set aside $1,000 each month? More? Less?
If you can sign up for a 'promise’type of program where you promise to do what it takes to get to College and the state will help you financially , sign up, it’s often done in 8rh grade.

23

Here’s my way of doing it:

4763246278 reaches you are interested in

2 matches

1 safety

Tour the colleges you’re interested in your sophomore year. Until then, get good grades, and DO WHAT YOU LOVE. Don’t tailor your application to what you think the Admissions committees will like. They are looking for real people, not robots.

24

Actually you need two affordable safeties, and several matches. Those will need sustained proofs of interest starting junior year except for our state flagship. Once you’re done with those, you can focus on your reaches.

25

Actually these colleges are not a bunch of names I heard, I’ve done research on all of these and my dad attended Stanford my top choice. I have also heard of all but two of the colleges you named but they just do not interest me. But thanks for the good tips.

26

To my mom price is not a issue right now she wants me to focus on my dreams and we will handle the cost later.

27

Then your mom needs to be more realistic as well. Few people can just “figure it out” when you’re talking $60K/year.

28

'they just don’t interest me’is bad attitude. Which I’ll acknowledge goes hand in hand with being in 8th grade.
I’d wager also that you can’t tell me right now what the difference between Schreyer, tOSU honors, and OU honors is. Or what makes OWu and Denison similar, vs. Kenyon and Hamilton.
(hint : unrelated to USNWR).
I acknowledge that, by virtue of posting here, you probably know more than most 8th graders and probably more than most 10th graders, but you can’t brush the whole list aside like that, as these are all very different … with fits similar to the colleges you listed (which have very different fits too).

In addition, you can go visit colleges nearby - some of which I listed - even if you don’t plan on going there. Visit CWRU, Cleveland State, tOsu, OU, Denison, and Kenyon. It’ll give you a good idea of various settings, feature programs, etc. Get an idea about various types of urban schools, traditional large universities, rural schools, academically-focused schools, schools that are more intellectual or jocky or hands-on or party-prone, where the major problem is alcohol or drugs or something else, where college is exploration and growth or mostly a means to an end (a job), where classes are mostly lectures or mostly small&interactive, etc.
This is something you can explore even at 14-15, keeping in mind you will change, that some aspects will become 'must have’s and others 'nice to have’s.
Most of all, the key issue will be money.
When your parents and I went to college, Harvard cost 15k and you could attend your public flagship for about $300-500 a semester. You could ‘figure it out’. Not so today. However most parents haven’t caught on and senior year have to tell their kids who prepared their whole life for w or z college that they can’t afford it. That they cannot even afford their flagship, or cannot afford a ‘sleep away’ college, or a 4-year college.
You can run the NPC on two Ohio public universities, CWRU, and two of your top choices. Assume the best case scenario, you’re a top 1% student with a 3.95 GPA and a 1500 sat.
Then bring the results to your mother and start talking.
Setting money aside right now is very important. There are 3,700 universities in the US and only about 80 " meet need" - that is, make it financially possible for you to attend - the others don’t care. And THEY get to define ‘need’, which is very different from what families think they need.
This may be the single most important thing you do for college right now.

29

We we will be applying for financial aid, we have looked at the financial aid at most of these schools and she can afford it.

30

We will start to put money aside, but Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard have really good financial aid my mom can afford for sure.

31

Yes, those are 'super aid ’ colleges. You can’t use them as a basis for aid elsewhere. If you get in - awesome. But odds are, you won’t, nor through any fault of our own. But because those are lottery schools. You do everything you can to be competitive and then you keep your fingers crossed because basically everyone is as talented as you are so 'soft’factors (subjective) will come into play and you have no control over those.
I think k out know really use with looking at FA at those schools :
The issue is that your odds, at best, are 1 in 10, and if you’re a normal excellent students your odds are 1 in 20.
So it’s really important you look at aid (both need based and merit based) at your state schools as well at others than 'superaid ’ schools.

32

@standford200381 You’re still here? I want to give you a hug. I understand that you want to be informed but as an 8th grader there are so many things that will change over the next couple of years before you really start your search. First, the cost will increase so while it is wonderful that you and your mom are looking at the Net Price Calculators for each school before you apply, you can do all of this at the end of sophomore year.

I have no doubt you plan to spend the next couple of years working very hard to get excellent grades. Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy activities you are interested in. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Allow yourself to be a kid without overthinking the college process or you will be completely burnt out by the time you start college.

Remember, there is no secret formula to getting into the Ivies and highly selective schools. Be the best you can be for you.

33

Rather than ask how many schools you should apply too, if you really plan to be on cc in 8th grade (as many said here, its a bit premature) read the threads about the admission rates of the elite schools you are targeting and the importanc of not having one “dream” school. Some schools are currently costing $65+K/year, who knows what they will cost in 5 yrs when you are a college freshman. Focus on taking rigorous classes, doing well and getting actively involved in some extracurricular. Be interesting. Make a difference.

34

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Remember, there is no secret formula to getting into the Ivies and highly selective schools. Be the best you can be for you.

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Similarly, the Ivies and highly selective schools are not a formula for a productive, happy, successful (whatever that means to you) life. They can be fabulous for some kids, not so fabulous for others. Kids change their minds about what they want between September and April of Senior year ALL THE TIME. I guarantee you will change your mind about what you want more than once over the next few years.

Just make the most of your time.

35

OP, please just be a kid now – you’re only 13 or 14 once and you should be outside playing, playing sports, or doing other things you enjoy in your spare time.

Tell you what: on crummy weekend, holiday or summer days – when it’s raining or snowing and you’re sick of playing video games or watching YouTube videos – read about colleges then. Learn their names, locations, maybe some of the things that make them unique, perhaps some of the programs for which they’re known. Don’t limit your reading to just the top 20 and make sure you read about liberal arts colleges too.

For now, just read about all sorts of schools. And when you’re a junior, you can put more time into it. Until then, do well in school, play with your friends, and spend time with your family.

I want to put this important idea in your head and let it germinate in your mind to guide you as you read:

Fit is more important than rank or reputation. There’s no sense going after highly ranked schools that don’t fit your preferences. Now, your preferences will likely change over the next few years, but whatever they are or may become, use them to decide which schools you like; don’t just look at rankings.

36

I can promise you I’m not just looking at ranking, I’m honestly very interested in these schools and think they would be a good fit. I do things I enjoy also but I also don’t want to mess up my chances at my dream school and career. I want to go to these schools and pursue this career for more personal reasons not just because the rankings and etc.

37

What everyone else has said is very good advice- it is very early to start thinking about college- but as a current high school senior who just went through the process, I might be able to relate to you just a little bit more.

With regards to the finance stuff, I don’t really know much about it (I was incredibly fortunate to not have to apply for fin aid because of my parent’s situation), but I would start having discussions early, as other posters have said. It is better to be prepared.

With regards to preparedness for these top, “lottery”-type schools, my honest advice as someone admitted to GTown/applying to Ivies, and seeing multiple of my friends admitted to HYPSM-type schools, is that there is no one-size-fits-all way to get into these top schools. What I believe the Ivies/Stanford are looking for are genuine, authentic kids with exciting stories, strong leadership abilities and a zest for learning, in addition to top grades/test scores. Based on that, I can give you a few tips to put you on the right track (without stressing you out too much):

-While you don’t want to be freaking out about GPA yet, it is wise to do as well as you can from the beginning, as classes will only get harder as you move through high school. Having a “buffer” from 9th/10th grade for your GPA can help when you start to move into APs, etc.

-Choose the most rigorous course options when available, and when it makes sense for you. For example, if AP Physics is offered, but you hate math, don’t take AP level! I am not a math kid, but I am taking the highest level history courses available in my school. Know your intellectual strengths.

-Each school has slightly different requirements for # of years per subject, but I would recommend if possible getting four years in each (perhaps not language if you really don’t like it, but the top schools will look for at least 3 years of language). You don’t want to box yourself in too early.

-By the end of sophomore year, take a practice ACT and a practice SAT. Identify which one felt easiest/you enjoyed (if you can enjoy a standardized test) the most, and study for that. I would recommend taking it 2-3 times (until you settle on a score you are happy with). It is my personal opinion that it is MUCH better to have your standardized testing complete by the end of junior year, so you are not preocupied with it during college admissions season.

-The schools you are aiming for require/“strongly recommend” two SAT IIs. These are subject tests, and I would recommend taking them immediately after you finish the relevant class. For Ivies/Stanford, you really should aim for at least a 700, preferably higher.

-Don’t choose extracurriculars based on whether they look good for college. Find activities that really excite you, so it no longer feels like just another task to complete. Whether it’s theatre, sports, a job, get involved and get involved deeply.

-Take initiative with activities/projects in the community. From my personal observations of where my friends get admitted, the ones who are successful with the top colleges have not waited for opportunities to land in their lap- they have gone out and taken them.

-Spend your summers doing things that align with your interests. Do you like languages/int’l relations? Look at doing NSLI-Y. If you’re interested in science, try to find internships/research opportunities at local universities, which can often be found by emailing professors.

I hope these tips will help you as you prepare to enter high school. While I tried to give more concrete advice, I do want to emphasize that what the other posters above said was right- you want to ENJOY high school and milk it for all it’s worth, rather than just seeing it as the path to college.

38

You’re going to have a hard time emotionally over the next four years in high school if you’re already so focused on specific colleges. Learn to enjoy the present and don’t spend so much time worrying about things that will probably change by the time you’re applying.

39

@stanford200381
To answer your question, I think 10 is a manageable number. I applied to 19 (not including scholarship programs), and it was a hassle! So many essays, interviews, tours. But I wouldn’t have known what to cut from my list, since I wanted a good balance between reach, possible, likely, and safety schools (those are the categories my school uses).

For reference, here is my list (and before anyone says anything, my college counselor denoted whether a school was a reach, likely, etc. for me. Also I know that a lot of these schools are very different, and that’s because I didn’t really know what exactly I wanted in a college):

Reach:
Harvard
Yale
Brown
Columbia
UPenn

Possible:
Cornell
WashU
Georgetown
UChicago
Johns Hopkins
Tufts
UNC Chapel Hill
Barnard
Emory

Likely:
Boston U
Northeastern
URochester

Safety:
George Washington
SUNY Binghamton

On a personal note, I began going on College Confidential when I was in 8th grade too, mainly because I wanted to find summer programs and needed to learn how to apply to boarding school. I found CC to be extremely helpful for these topics, and using this site as a resource for these things (I believe) has helped me get into college. BUT I have also spent a significant amount of time procrastinating and stressing myself out on this site starting at a young age. I definitely think I could have spent this time in a more productive way.

40

Thank you! What colleges did you get into and which one did you choose to attend.