How many college applications should i submit

When you are applying to college, be practical. Most students should apply to somewhere between five to seven colleges. There are no guarantees that you will be accepted to the school you desire, but you should have a good idea about your chances of admission to each school.

Before you add any college to your list, you should be able to explain how the college aligns with the things you personally need to be happy and successful in college. Will I have enough time and energy to put my best effort into every application? Even the simplest applications require time and effort. Can you really handle the work involved in completing 15 or 20 applications?

Be honest with yourself. Build your college list from the bottom up; fall in love with the schools that are most likely to love you in return before you add colleges that are less likely to admit you. To top it off, you see college application deadlines creeping up on the calendar.

You need to get to work, but you have no idea how many colleges to apply to. While many college counselors agree that applying to five or six schools is the sweet spot , the actual number that you need to apply to is personal.

So how do you decide how many colleges you should apply to? Here are five factors to consider to find the right number of college applications for you.

Applying to college is not a five-minute process. Each step of the application requires time, and each school may have slightly different requirements. The University of Wisconsin, for example, requires two to word essays, which could take up to 10 to 20 hours to complete. Visiting college websites or talking to contacts can eat up far more time than you may expect. In the end, the application process for just one school can take up to 30 hours. Now, imagine doing that 15 times!

The good news is that colleges and test centers often waive fees for those who demonstrate financial need. But keep in mind, applying for a fee waiver will take more time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Penn State Hazleton has a high acceptance rate and a modest GPA requirement of 3. The college admits 94 percent of applicants, so those are some favorable odds! However, if your GPA is around 3. To save a bit of time, try using a college acceptance calculator to determine your chances of getting accepted into any school in the country.

You will need to prepare your body and mind for the tasks associated with applying to colleges. The more schools you put on your list, the more work you create for yourself. The college application process can be physically and emotionally exhausting, especially if your chances of acceptance are low. To make your efforts worth it, only choose the colleges where you really intend to study.

Plus, creating personalized applications expressing why you are interested in a particular school is easier if you really mean what you say. Then, make sure that aligns with the colleges you choose to apply to.

Ask yourself: how important is it to be close to home? Do I want to attend college in-state or out-of-state? You may want to save money and stay close to your family, but perhaps you also want to experience the excitement of a new city. Try to identify which colleges on your list can fully meet your expectations. Do they have a good variety of programs and activities that interest you? Do you think the quality of education will be enough to challenge you?

Some schools require students to maintain a minimum GPA. This is on top of your full course load as a high school student plus any other activities you do, like playing on a sports team or participating in an academic club. Not everyone needs to apply to a dozen different schools. If you want the extra comfort of knowing you have a few schools to choose from, take the time to broaden your application list. Dori Zinn has been a personal finance journalist for more than a decade.

She loves helping people learn about money, specializing in topics like investing, real estate, borrowing money and financial literacy. Most recently, she was a staff writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet, where she wrote "Ask Brianna," a financial advice column syndicated by the Associated Press.

Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. Dori Zinn, Brianna McGurran. Contributor, Editor. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Aside from your top choice, you can narrow down your list by categorizing your schools. Probable or Target College You meet all of the qualifications and eligibility requirements for these schools and you like the idea of going there.

Safety School There are two kinds of safety schools: academic and financial. Benefits of Applying to More Colleges One of the best ways to secure your chances of attending college is to apply to as many schools as you can. Compare Rates Now. Was this article helpful? Share your feedback. Send feedback to the editorial team. Rate this Article.

Thank You for your feedback!