How Many Times Can You Apply to a College
Many students stress over the same question: "How many colleges should I utilise to?" How many is too many? How few is too few? There is so much disagreement on this topic, even among experts, that many students are left confused and unsure. In this article, I'll clear upwards this confusion. I'll give you an idea of how many schools you should employ to and explicate the factors to consider when deciding how many colleges to apply to. Later on reading this guide, y'all'll feel confident nigh crafting your own college listing and how long information technology will be. The number of colleges y'all should utilize to depends on your specific situation. I believe you should apply to anywhere from one to 15 colleges.The standard thinking from counselors has been that the average higher-leap student should apply to well-nigh 6-8 colleges: ii-3 reach colleges, 2-3 target colleges, and 2 prophylactic schools. Reach schools are colleges that are unlikely to offer you lot admission (less than a xxx% chance), target schools are colleges that you have a decent chance of gaining admission to (a xxx%-80% chance), and safety schools are colleges to which you're almost guaranteed of admission based on your qualifications (greater than a 80% chance). You lot can roughly make up one's mind your odds of access for each college by using the prepscholar admissions calculator. Only google the proper noun of the schoolhouse and "prepscholar admissions requirements." The number of colleges you should utilise to is dependent on your personal situation and your priorities when selecting a higher. For example, if y'all accept a dream school that offers early conclusion or early action , then you may simply take to apply to one higher. If you use early decision, you lot'll typically be submitting your application in November and should receive an admissions decision by December, before the application deadlines for most colleges. If y'all're accepted to a school that you apply to early decision, you have to attend. You should still accept a list of colleges to employ to in case you aren't accepted or if yous're applying to any colleges, similar University of California schools, that accept an application deadline earlier December. If you're admitted early on determination, you take to withdraw your applications to any other colleges. If you're determined to get to a very selective college, then y'all may desire to apply to more colleges than the average person. If you apply to 10 colleges to which you have a 25% chance of gaining admission, and so y'all're likely to proceeds admission to at least one of them. In fact, if you lot apply to xvi colleges with an average risk of admission of 25%, so yous have a 99% gamble of gaining admission to at least one of them, statistically. Check out this article for a better understanding of the math behind this calculation. If yous take this approach, though, you should prepare yourself emotionally to be rejected from almost of the schools you lot apply to. If, on the other manus, you're not as concerned with selectivity and are extremely confident that y'all'll exist admitted to at least a couple of the colleges you apply to, you may simply need to apply to ii to four colleges. Here are a few factors that may limit the number of colleges y'all should apply to. Unless you lot qualify for fee waivers, which are based on fiscal need, applying to college can be costly.The awarding fee for each college y'all apply to tin be upward to $75. Additionally, there can be costs associated with sending standardized test scores and AP scores to colleges. The SAT and Human activity allow you to send four gratis score reports to colleges. Each boosted score report currently costs $eleven.25 per report for the Saturday and $12 per written report for the ACT. Also, you're immune to send one free AP score study, which contains all of your AP scores, to one college each year you take AP exams. Each additional score report costs $xv. Therefore, if you lot utilize to 20 colleges, you lot may accept to pay over $2,000. Consider your budget (or ask your parents how much they're willing to pay) when deciding how many schools to utilise to. However, you should also view the costs of applying as an investment. If y'all get into a great college that fits your needs, and so yous'll take an invaluable college feel that will enable yous to have future professional person success, and the coin yous spend on applying may finish up being insignificant compared to the return on your investment. Furthermore, go on in mind that the cost of applying volition probably be much, much less than the price of attending college. Additionally, the application procedure takes fourth dimension.Even though more and more colleges are using The Mutual Awarding , which allows you to employ to many schools with i application, many colleges still have their own applications or require supplemental essays. Each college application that requires boosted essays will probably take yous at least a few additional hours to consummate. Make sure yous have enough time to complete all the applications successfully without sacrificing the quality of your schoolwork or neglecting any other priorities you have outside of school. Filling out applications and writing good college essays take time. If only a few colleges fit your specific needs, then you lot don't have to apply to a ton of colleges. For case, when I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to compete for an NCAA Partition I gymnastics team. At the time, there were about fifteen NCAA Partitioning I men's gymnastics programs. Even before I started doing college research or waited to come across which schools recruited me, my options were very express. I believe I concluded upwardly applying to 4 colleges, and admittedly, I merely applied to one of those because I wanted to keep another recruiting trip. If you want to be in a very specific location or pursue a major that just a few schools take, then you lot may just need to apply to iii-5 colleges. Nigh colleges send their acceptance notices in the beginning of Apr, and typically, you only have until May 1 to select which college you're going to attend.If yous're deciding between multiple colleges at this point, you'll only have a few weeks to potentially take campus visits, compare the financial aid packages y'all're offered, and do whatever necessary research to pick a college. The more than colleges that take you, the more stressful and difficult these few weeks may be for you, if you're yet unsure virtually which college is all-time for you. Want to build the best possible higher application? We tin can assist. PrepScholar Admissions is the world'due south best admissions consulting service. We combine globe-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get y'all admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your risk of getting in. Follow these guidelines, regardless of the exact number of schools yous end up applying to. Stay safe with safety schools. Rob Mills/Flickr Here are a couple of hypothetical examples to illustrate some of the concepts that I explained above. Josie wants to get to a very selective college in the S. She has a three.9 weighted GPA and received a 2250 on the Saturday. She doesn't want to exist as well far from her home in Atlanta, simply she is willing to consider schools that are a little further away, but still in the South, if they're a actually good fit. She qualifies for awarding fee waivers, but she has limited time to complete applications due to her job, school, and extracurricular activities. She doesn't know exactly what she wants to major in, just she's interested in science. How many schools should Josie utilise to? Well, Josie's options are immediately express because she wants to get to a very selective higher in the South that's potent in the sciences. Likewise, she would prefer to be close to Atlanta. Because she's focused on selectivity, she may desire to consider applying to more schools, but her fourth dimension is express. I would recommend that Josie apply to about 8 schools. Here would be a sample list of schools to use to for Josie: Reach Schools: Duke University and Vanderbilt Academy Target Schools: Georgia Tech, Emory Academy, University of Virginia, College of William and Mary Safety Schools: University of Georgia and Mercer University George is from a pocket-sized boondocks in California. He knows he wants to major in agronomy or crop science. He is willing to go abroad for school, just he only wants to be on the West Coast or E Coast. He prefers a selective higher, just that's non his biggest priority. George has a 3.6 weighted GPA and received a 28 on his ACT. He is not overly concerned with the cost or time needed to apply, just he does need financial aid and is worried nigh the cost of school. How many schools should George apply to? George's major of involvement and want to be on i of the coasts severely limit his choices. In gild to give him options and a chance to attend a selective school, I would recommend that George apply to most 7 schools. That would give him a better risk of getting into a selective school, and he tin compare the financial aid packages he receives or opt to go to an in-state public school if he doesn't receive the aid he's hoping for. Hither would be a sample list for George: Reach Schools: UC Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Target Schools: University of Connecticut, Virginia Tech, North Carolina Land Safe Schools: CSU Fresno, Academy of Vermont UC Davis arboretum ( ludios/Flickr) While at that place's no cap on the number of schools you lot can employ to, some students, especially those from affluent backgrounds who want to go to a selective college, can become overboard , applying to more than than 20 or xxx colleges. Personally, I would strongly discourage any student from applying to more than than 15 colleges. If you apply to more than that, you lot're probably going to make the application process likewise stressful and fourth dimension-consuming. Also, most students who apply to more than 15 colleges are applying to at least a few schools that they wouldn't want to attend. If y'all do the necessary enquiry earlier you employ, you should be able to limit your listing of schools to 15 or fewer. Honestly, anything more than 10 feels excessive to me, but I sympathize that some students are capable of applying to more and want to give themselves more options. On the other hand, some students, especially those who are low-income or the first in their families to become to higher, often utilize to too few colleges. If yous don't have very specific needs that are limiting your college options, and if selectivity is a factor in your higher decision, I recommend applying to at to the lowest degree half dozen schools. Explore your options. Some students simply apply to their local land school considering that's what'southward expected of them. Many are completely unaware of all of the college options that are bachelor to them. Consider state institutions, private colleges, and out-of-state schools. Don't forget to utilize to safety schools. I've mentioned it a couple of times, merely if you're applying to 4-yr colleges, you want to make sure that you take options. Before y'all decide how many schools to apply to, familiarize yourself with the complete college application timeline. Yous may also want to learn how to get into the most selective colleges. Once yous start your applications, review how to write a great college essay. Want to improve your Sabbatum score by 160 points or your ACT score past 4 points?Nosotros've written a guide for each test almost the top 5 strategies yous must exist using to have a shot at improving your score. Download information technology for gratuitous at present: 
There's No Magic Number
Why You May Want To Apply to More Schools
Why You May Want To Employ to Fewer Schools
Applications Cost Money and Time
You Have Specific Needs That Only a Few Colleges Meet
Yous Don't Have Much Time Later on You Receive Your Acceptances To Make Your College Conclusion
My Rules Regardless of the Number of Colleges You Apply To
Rule 1: Take at Least 2 Safety Schools
While I believe in maintaining optimism, information technology's wise to prepare for a worst-case scenario. If you but get into your safe schools, you even so want at to the lowest degree a couple of options to consider.
Rule 2: Don't Employ to Any Colleges You Wouldn't Desire to Attend
Because the time and cost associated with applying to college, it'due south pretty pointless to apply to a college that y'all have no desire to nourish. Even if your safe schools aren't your top choices, they should exist colleges that yous'd exist willing to nourish.
Rule 3: Do the Majority of Your College Research Before You Apply
Before applying to college, you should accept a adept idea of what yous're looking for in a school. There are about ii,500 4-year colleges. Use college finders, college search websites, guidebooks, ranking lists, and campus visits to help determine which colleges you should utilize to. As well, you can talk to your teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni to help y'all narrow downwardly your listing of schools.
Rule iv: Try to Rank the Schools Yous Apply to Before You Receive Acceptances
Later on you apply, continue to do your research and endeavor to rank the schools assuming you were offered admission to all of them. This will make the selection process easier. In one case you receive your acceptances and review your financial assistance packages (if you utilize for need-based assist), y'all can gene in the cost of attendance for each school into your decision.
Rule five: Exist Realistic About Your Chances of Admission
Even though it's perfectly fine to apply to reach colleges, at a sure point, a higher may exist also much of a accomplish, and you'd be better served to focus on schools that are more than likely to acknowledge yous. Commonly, if your GPA and standardized test scores are well below those of the average pupil at a very selective college (less than a 25% acceptance rate), your odds of gaining admission will be extremely low, and in some cases, virtually nil.
For example, in 2014, at Princeton University, but 2% of admitted students had a GPA below a 3.5. At Yale, out of high schools that provided class rank, 97% of admitted students graduated in the summit 10% of their class.
You may notwithstanding have a realistic chance if at that place'due south something exceptional in your awarding. If you're a globe-grade athlete, the child of a major donor, or you've overcome incredibly unique obstacles, you may still have a legitimate shot at admission with subpar grades and test scores.
Also, if your grades are on par but y'all accept below average test scores for a selective college, yous may still accept a shot of getting in, especially if you're from a disadvantaged or underrepresented background.
College List Examples
Example #ane
Example #2
Concluding Advice
What'due south Next?
Justin has extensive experience pedagogy Saturday prep and guiding high school students through the college admissions and pick procedure. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to accomplish their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies.
Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-many-colleges-should-i-apply-to
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