Schools are getting harder and harder to get into, which means that students are being forced (or at least that’s what they think) to apply to more than the traditional six or seven schools. According to a New York Times The Choice blog, that number today can hit as high as the 20 or even 30 college applications for a single student.
According to the blog, it’s not just the increased competitiveness of schools that’s caused the recent “application blitz,” but “the absurd notion that students with A and B averages must go to campuses that some ‘expert’ has deemed acceptable.”
Despite the urge to over-apply to colleges, counselors (or rather, good counselors, according to this blog) are encouraging students to apply to a maximum of eight schools, with the exception of students applying to highly selective drama or medical programs who should probably apply to more.
Why so few?
Well, according to Carolyn Johnson, a counselor at Long Island’s Westhampton Beach High, the fewer colleges you apply to, the higher quality your applications will be and the greater your chances will be of acceptance to one of your top choice programs. “Darts thrown one at a time are focused, and just may hit the target,” says Johnson. “When you start throwing darts in handfuls, chances are that most of them will end up on the floor.”
Related Accepted.com College Resources:
- Highlighting Your Strengths in the Common Application, a free webinar.
- Ivy League Applications that Sparkle, a free webinar.
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Read the full article: Applying to College: Too Many Schools or Not Enough?
