App readers don’t see the word count of the actual essays in the system (at least in common app.) I would notice that 80 words seemed light before I started reading, which an applicant probably doesn’t want…so I would get closer to 250 words.
Agree with beebee on the time and effort needed to write concisely.
I mean, I don’t see the word count of my students’ essays, either—but I know padding when I read it, and particularly so when I’m reading several essays from the same prompt.
We were a merit seeking family…and across three students, the entire combined list was 10 schools total (D20 - 3 schools, D23 - 4 schools, S24 - 3 schools).
All of my kids were accepted to all the schools they applied to, all were awarded top merit offers possible to at least 2 of their schools.
9 schools seems like plenty to me, especially since you say your daughter has 3 safeties on her list (I am assuming they are academic and financial safeties).
is the list based on how much merit you need or where you can get the max merit? If it’s the first, then a lot of private schools, especially the T20s, give you a generous grant more than what FAFSA says you can get. Just a thought.
Both. T20s are great for who have financial need based upon the school’s calculations, but we don’t fall into that category (full pay by any calculation). We determined a budget our kids had to stick to, and no T20 school was ever going to come close to that budget.
In the “let your child sink or swim” chronicles, I can report that with only a bare minimum of helpful reminders/nags on my part, my son has apparently scheduled his in-person proctored exam for the BYU calc class that he needs to complete before the end of next week. This involved finding a location, calling them and then following up a couple of times, contacting BYU about mailing them the test, recognizing that it would need to be overnighted and getting me to pay for it, etc.
It would have been ideal if he’d needed no helpful nudges on this front. The consequence if he fails to complete the exam before he leaves for WPI is stiff: he’d basically have to retake the class this fall and would miss out on the opportunity to take BC Calc. I’m not completely convinced that he would have stuck the landing on this one if I hadn’t nudged. But we are making baby steps in the right direction, because the old me would have probably set up the test myself without even considering that he might need to do it…and a slightly newer version of me would have been looking up the phone numbers and coaching him through every conversation. (thus have we enabled our incredibly shy and awkward son for far too long.)
So I celebrate! (or I will, once he’s safely taking the test with the things he needs to take it in the location where he’s meant to be, with the test that showed up on time. 
)
Another essay question, is the big essay supposed to mention the particular school at all? I don’t think my D25 did.
Big essay as in common essay that applies to all schools? If so, no, you don’t have to mention the school at all.
Honestly, that’s what we thought too when our D23 applied - that we won’t fall into any school’s calculation where can get some grant… but it was a pleasant surprise to see the grants from the private schools she got accepted at.
Definitely not in the common app personal statement. If the essay is such that mentioning a particular school seems to flow or be appropriate, the essay is likely off topic/straying from the prompt.
Use the free resources at college essay guy .com for essay guidance, examples, as well as do’s and don’t’s. Hamilton, Tufts, and JHU also publish ‘essays that worked’ for each year’s class…there are many good essays to read for examples. The best tell a story, an interesting story, that lets the reader get to know the student. It is not a rehash of activities, nor a “why us?” essay.
Thanks. She used College Essay Guy and that helped her tremendously.
We’re in almost exactly the same boat. Eight schools - four that I’d call safeties, three targets, one reach. (It was nine schools and two reaches, but took one off.) I don’t think there’s anything out there that I’m not aware of - there are more schools where he could likely get merit (or have a low cost of attendance) but they are in geographically undesirable places. So this is it. And 8 just seems… not enough. Especially because I know there are two on here that he’s not excited about (and one, the surest of the safeties, that I don’t think is the best fit for him either, but it’s the surest of the safeties, so …)
I’d really like him to have a few more schools, but I’m trying to focus on the fact that really that’s more for me to feel peace of mind than him. He’s feeling good about this list of eight. I think he envisions himself at one in particular and really thinks that’s it. And realistically, it’s a school he should get into. And if we had to pay full sticker price, we could, it would be within our budget, I just don’t want to. I just… feel like something is missing and I don’t know what.
I’m trying to convince myself that it just means we have a good list, balanced in terms of $$ and likelihood of acceptance.
Just catching up on this long thread! Glad you mentioned AP homework! Here I was only thinking about summer job, family visits, college visits, studying for SAT and Common App! He is still spending more time with his friends as opposed to anything else!
This is indeed progress to celebrate! Some of our kids (including mine!) need a bit more scaffolding, and I think we need to get them the support they need to develop in these areas. Hope the test is behind him soon!
Everyone I know who has either gone to Rose Hulman or sent a kid there loves it!
A great way to try to figure out if you might fall into ‘getting need based financial aid’ even if you think you won’t (for T20 schools or any 100% meets need school) is to run the Princeton NPC.
They are generally regarded as the most generous school in how they determine need. If you run that calculator and Princeton says you have absolutely no need - it is 99.999999999% likely no school is going to determine you having any financial need.
If the list has 3 safeties, and they really are safeties (which means financial safeties, too), then 9 is plenty long enough, and maybe even a bit high.
We are in the opposite boat. Our DS’s list is WAY, WAY too long. It’s partially my fault because they are an unusual “package” of. student and we are worried that they will either get into a bunch (yay) or get shut out of all but their safeties so casting a wide net.
Nice. Thanks for the info. I didn’t know about Princeton NPC. Yes, D23 got a nice grant from Princeton. And you’re absolutely correct that they were the most generous.
He is taking it as we speak! He didn’t know he could bring a page of notes/formulas so he was frantically copying in very small handwriting all the way there in the car. 
But he’d remembered to refill his favorite pencil and charge his calculator. For an ADHD kid who flies by the seat of his pants, this is #progress.