Many families and students are concerned with applying to “enough” colleges. The question that you SHOULD ask is “how many schools should I visit?”. Visiting schools allows students to see and feel how various campuses are. They are able to sit in on a class, tour the campus, and even stay overnight. Having that experience helps students learn what they like about colleges. By doing so, they are able to TRULY understand the specific criteria they want in a college.
NOW, they are ready to discuss how many colleges to apply to. We strongly believe that there isn’t a reason students should apply to more than 10 schools. By visiting, they will be able to narrow their list down to between 5 and 10 schools. Most of our students apply to 5-8 colleges.
Having a balanced list is imperative. We talk about colleges with students in regard to admissibility. We use terms such as Safety Schools (options where admissibility is highly likely), Target Schools (options where admissibility is probable), and Reach Schools (options where admissibility is low but still worth submitting an application). Creating a balanced list SHOULD include at least two options from each category.
If you would like to have a discussion about this further feel free to give us a call. This is a daunting task and we are here to help.