As college application deadlines approach, there has been a debate over how many schools to apply to. Although there isn’t a guaranteed right or wrong number of schools, there are good recommendations that can prevent applicants from going overboard.
The overall best range for the number of schools to apply to is 5-15. This range provides a healthy amount of options without overwhelming the applicant with work.
The absolute minimum number of schools to apply to is five. While five schools is still a relatively low number, it’s not as limiting as just one. Applying to five schools allows a person to have a good mix of reach, target, and safety schools.
It also gives more time to improve the quality of essays individually. If a person is applying to five schools, they should be able to submit five very strong applications.
A maximum of 15 schools is ideal for many reasons. It’s the perfect cutoff before someone becomes overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications. Fifteen schools still allow enough time to maintain the quality of essays and applications without feeling excessively stressed, which could otherwise make senior year unpleasant anytime the word “college” is mentioned.
If a person applies to more than 15 schools, there is a greater likelihood of careless errors. Supplemental essays may feel rushed, and it becomes harder to produce the best work.
It also adds unnecessary stress, which could negatively impact senior year grades and attendance, ultimately reflecting poorly on a college application.
Another downside to applying to too many colleges is cost. The average cost to apply to colleges in the U.S. is around $50, but it can go up to $100 depending on the school.
Since an applicant can only attend one school at a time, applying to 16 or more schools might not be a waste, but it won’t necessarily benefit someone after the application process.