Hey there, I'm a junior in high school and I've been working on my college list. I've heard that applying to too many colleges can be overwhelming, but I'm not sure how many is too many. What do you think is a reasonable number of schools to apply to? Thanks in advance for your input!
Hi! It's great that you're already thinking about your college list. The number of schools you apply to is really a personal choice, but a common recommendation is to apply to around 8-12 colleges. This usually includes a mix of reach, target, and safety schools. Reach schools are those that may be more competitive, and you might not meet all of their admission criteria, but you still have a chance. Target schools are ones where your academic profile is on par with their typical accepted students, and safety schools are those where you have a high likelihood of being accepted based on your qualifications. Applying to too many schools can be overwhelming, as each application takes time and effort, and there are usually application fees involved. It's important to find a balance that works for you and allows you to focus on presenting your best self to each college. Good luck with your college search!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.