Only applying to 2-3 schools?

[Anonymous]

DC has a major in mind that very few schools offer and none are at the super competitive schools. Their first choice is the most competitive of the bunch and will most likely ED there. Their second choice is a school with rolling admissions and is a true safety which isn't popular with the DCUM crowd. The third choice school would be a local state school which doesn't have the exact major but is major adjacent and is also a safety. There are other schools they could apply to but they would be applying just to apply. Assuming they apply early to the rolling school and get a favorable notification before the ED school, is there a reason to apply to more schools just to apply?

[Anonymous]

Nope. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Waste of $$.

[Anonymous]

I don't think so.

If you can afford the rolling admissions school and the ED school, then as soon as you are into one of them they become your safety.

[Anonymous]

Our older kid (now in college) applied to five colleges, one out of state. Got into three, chose one, is there now. Don't waste big money on application fees.

[Anonymous]

No reason to apply to more than needed.

[Anonymous]

No…bc if ED doesn’t work and rolling safety doesn’t work, it will be early enough to reconsider options.

[Anonymous]

My concern would be about limiting themselves to a very specific major. Some high schoolers think they need to have a major that is as specific as possible. In some cases this may be helpful or possibly even necessary, but in others it might be overly limiting.

I'd also make sure that they're applying to schools they'd want to attend even if they switched majors. A lot can change even over the next year, before making a final decision, and it's even more likely for them to change their minds over the next two to three years, once they're taking college classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No…bc if ED doesn’t work and rolling safety doesn’t work, it will be early enough to reconsider options.

I would plan that possible list of other options Now, so that come mid Dec (or when you don't get into the rolling admission school) you have a list to work with. But I wouldn't pull the trigger until after Dec 15 (ED time). if not competitive schools, they most likely wont have any supplements, so it's just a matter of applying should you need to.

[Anonymous]

One ED is all you should need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My concern would be about limiting themselves to a very specific major. Some high schoolers think they need to have a major that is as specific as possible. In some cases this may be helpful or possibly even necessary, but in others it might be overly limiting.

I'd also make sure that they're applying to schools they'd want to attend even if they switched majors. A lot can change even over the next year, before making a final decision, and it's even more likely for them to change their minds over the next two to three years, once they're taking college classes.

Yea... but that means before they even start college they will have already changed majors from what they want (at this moment) to what is available at the otherwise good school.

[Anonymous]

That sounds fine OP, especially given 2 options are safeties. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My concern would be about limiting themselves to a very specific major. Some high schoolers think they need to have a major that is as specific as possible. In some cases this may be helpful or possibly even necessary, but in others it might be overly limiting.

I'd also make sure that they're applying to schools they'd want to attend even if they switched majors. A lot can change even over the next year, before making a final decision, and it's even more likely for them to change their minds over the next two to three years, once they're taking college classes.

Yea... but that means before they even start college they will have already changed majors from what they want (at this moment) to what is available at the otherwise good school.

It’s a good point worth remembering. My kid already has a different view on majors than he did last summer when he started his applications.

He’s an incoming freshman in college this fall and likely will want to do another major than he stated on his app - lucky there is flexibility.

His interests just grew over the course of senior year as he learned more about other opportunities. Also boys tend to mature later than girls - so keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

For what it is worth I was doing well at our state flagship before my parents pressured me into applying to a top 10 school. Somehow I got in and transferred. For the most part it was a big mistake. Looks great on my resume and opened some doors. Just not the doors I was hoping for

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My concern would be about limiting themselves to a very specific major. Some high schoolers think they need to have a major that is as specific as possible. In some cases this may be helpful or possibly even necessary, but in others it might be overly limiting.

I'd also make sure that they're applying to schools they'd want to attend even if they switched majors. A lot can change even over the next year, before making a final decision, and it's even more likely for them to change their minds over the next two to three years, once they're taking college classes.

Yea... but that means before they even start college they will have already changed majors from what they want (at this moment) to what is available at the otherwise good school.

Sure, but according to OP the student is already eliminating at the vast majority of great schools because it's a very rare major. I'm not one for applying just based on prestige, but if the "the super competitive schools" don't have the major, I'm wondering what that major is and whether it is necessary for the student's goals.

If the student wants a job in "underwater basketweaving," it's quite likely that they could get a degree in "basketweaving" in a stronger school, then take SCUBA lessons, rather than just applying to the three schools out there that offer "underwater basketweaving" as an undergraduate major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My concern would be about limiting themselves to a very specific major. Some high schoolers think they need to have a major that is as specific as possible. In some cases this may be helpful or possibly even necessary, but in others it might be overly limiting.

I'd also make sure that they're applying to schools they'd want to attend even if they switched majors. A lot can change even over the next year, before making a final decision, and it's even more likely for them to change their minds over the next two to three years, once they're taking college classes.

Yea... but that means before they even start college they will have already changed majors from what they want (at this moment) to what is available at the otherwise good school.

Sure, but according to OP the student is already eliminating at the vast majority of great schools because it's a very rare major. I'm not one for applying just based on prestige, but if the "the super competitive schools" don't have the major, I'm wondering what that major is and whether it is necessary for the student's goals.

If the student wants a job in "underwater basketweaving," it's quite likely that they could get a degree in "basketweaving" in a stronger school, then take SCUBA lessons, rather than just applying to the three schools out there that offer "underwater basketweaving" as an undergraduate major.

There may be some things you can't stitch together? Like does a degree in social work and religious studies actually equate to being a seminarian?