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When its time to apply for college, how many colleges should I apply to?

I'm asking this question because I want to know the best number of colleges to apply at once. #college #professor

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Arthur’s Answer

Hi Jesse, it really depends on what you are looking for. If there is one or two college(s) that you really like, it is best to focus on writing a good application for those. If, however, you are at a stage where you don't yet know, you can cast a wider net. One of the things that my college counselor told me, which I would second from my experience, is that the most important thing to ask yourself when applying to a college is "Can I see myself living here for the next four years?" If the answer is no, don't apply--no matter how prestigious the college/university might be. Translating that into how many colleges you should apply to, consider carefully which schools you would be happy at and apply to those. Don't worry too much about numbers. Good luck!
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Rhonda’s Answer

There is no exact answer for this question. However, I suggest two safe schools, two target schools, and two reach schools. Safe schools are those for which you exceed acceptance requirements, target schools are ones where you meet the requirements and stretch are schools where the requirements are just outside your GPA and test score range. My son is graduating in 2018 and we are applying to two stretch, three target and three safe. A Google search will return results that widely vary on how many schools you should apply to. Use all of this information as a guideline to make your final decision.
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Ken’s Answer

Hi Jesse!


A very good question!


Here is some good advice:
https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/applications/how-many
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/12/29/you-really-dont-need-to-apply-to-that-many-colleges-just-stop/
https://blog.ivywise.com/blog-0/how-many-colleges-should-you-apply-to


Best of luck! Please keep me posted! I would like to follow your progress!
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Rachel’s Answer

I say apply to at least 4 colleges. You should apply to at least one Saftey School - a school you know you'll get into/ you're overqualified for, one or two Target Schools - you don't know 100% you'll get into but you meet all of their requirments and maybe more, and one reach school which is a school you meet some requirements of but not all. Collegeboard.org is a great resource for this! I poured through the pages of universities all over the U.S. when I was a senior in high school. Collegeboard was my go-to site! They put all of the information in one place and it is very easy to use. They even have various filters you can apply to see only colleges that have programs you are interested. To determine academic rigor, look at the admissions requirements, G.P.A. of past admitted applicants, SAT/ACT scores, class rank etc. This will give you an idea of what scores and grades you need to be accepted. However, don't be discouraged your application will be reviewed based on the full picture! College-board will help you get an idea of what is most important to the specific school you are applying to
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