How many is too many?

At our recent college program for juniors and their parents, I was asked "how many colleges should a student apply to?"  It was a difficult question to answer that night, because like so many other questions relating to college, that answer is "it depends."

There is not a 'one size fits all' answer for this question; it really does depend on each individual student.  However, I will offer some suggestions.

1.  Begin by creating a balanced list. Start with a few foundation schools (sometimes called safe or likely schools) that you really do like.  One counselor I know calls these your 'star schools,' the ones where you will likely be a star.  Then start layering.  Add some 'possible' colleges - schools where you have a good chance of being accepted, but they're necessarily safe bets.  Then you can add a few reach or more competitive schools.  The odds might be long, but you are at least in the ballpark.  You never know; sometimes those reach schools work out.

Try to avoid 'double-reach' schools however. I think you know what I mean by that, but those are the colleges where your academic profile really doesn't come close to what the college's profile is (think GPA, course rigor, etc.).  Filling out applications for those colleges really will be a waste of your time and energy, not to mention money.

One more consideration: I always recommend that students have one or two safe financial schools as well.  Those may be the same as your foundation schools, but you need to know that you can afford at least one of the colleges on your list if nothing else works out.  So while there is no magic number, start with a list of 8 to 10 (maybe 12) colleges. But also know that if, after consulting with your parents and your college counselor, you determine that two or three schools are enough for you, that is perfectly okay too!

2.  Use Naviance and talk to your college counselor when creating your list.  We have a wealth of statistical history that can help you figure out how you compare to other students who have applied to specific schools.  Plus your counselor has some great anecdotal information as well.

3.  You should be able to explain why all of the colleges on your list are right for you.  No superficial answers allowed - things like they have a good football team or my mother went to school there.  Colleges may ask why the school is a good fit for you, and you should be able to answer that with specifics.  Stop and ask yourself, "does this school fit my academic, social/emotional, physical, spiritual needs?"  There are other characteristics you might be considering, but in the end, your college should have what it takes for you to be both happy and successful, and you should be able to articulate your reasons for applying.

4.  I have had seniors apply to twenty or more colleges, and I would argue that not only could they not  answer "why is this a good fit for me" question for every school on their list, but at some point, they ran out of steam when completing all those applications.  Ask yourself if you have the time and energy to fill out applications for all the schools on your list.  Even if you are using the Common Application, there is still a lot of work to do.  By the time you get to #10 or #15, will you still care enough to do your very best?

5.  Avoid panic applying.  I wrote about this recently, but panic applying is when you let your anxiety over the process get the best of you, and you start randomly adding colleges to your list.  If you have done your homework, you will be okay.

These are all reasons why we stress that the college search should be a thoughtful and purposeful one.  It takes a great deal of time and introspection to get it right.  The good news, however, is that your decision is not irreversible.  If you end up at the wrong place, you will have other options.  Remember what we said at our junior program: this is not a life and death decision.  Be realistic. Be calm. And be thoughtful.