<p>When my son in film production looked at programs we looked at and visited 20: he only applied to 5 (giving me a near heart attack) because he picked the 5 toughest to get into: but fortunately for him he got into all and had his pick. I would have been happier had he had a broader list. When I asked him what he would do if he didn’t get in he replied: “get a job!”. In the end it worked out, but I’m with you: you never know with these schools. I’d still pick a few “reach” “match” and “safety” schools, although in film these are not so clear cut. My best advice: if you can, make the trips ahead of time and check out all the schools, and then only apply to the ones where he would be happy. Although my son chose one school, I feel confident he would have thrived at any of the 5.</p>