Applying to 20 schools, crazy or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you really think you’ll just get into 1?

Don’t know! I don’t know my chances because it’s so random. But I know my chances are higher with every app I put in.

That’s not how statistics work. Your stats at each individual school are not affected by how many *other* schools your kids is applying to.

My high-stats, niche field, great ECs kid is applying to 2 safeties (RD), 2 targets (1 EA, 1 RD) and 5 reaches (3 EA, 2 RD).

In the practical sense, I wonder if your kid would really be *happy* at 20 schools? If not, their final choice will be clouded by so many meh choices at the end of the cycle. 20 apps seems unfocused.

[Anonymous]

Depends.

A) Need a large aid package and applying to a mix of schools (not crazy)

B) shotgunning 10+ highly selective schools (crazy)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope! Every school you apply to increases your chances of acceptance.

No, it doesn't. Each school makes its own decision. Unless you are applying to mostly safeties.

Each application is another lottery ticket.

Not how it works. I’d also worry that 20 apps means the ones submitted lack cohesive focus that help the student stand out to AOs… which is something that actually lessens one’s chances if being admitted.

[Anonymous]

Schools don't know how many other places you're applying. And it's COVID so lots of schools still aren't letting kids on campus. It takes very little effort to demonstrate interest. That's not a good reason to limit the number of schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you really think you’ll just get into 1?

Don’t know! I don’t know my chances because it’s so random. But I know my chances are higher with every app I put in.

That’s not how statistics work. Your stats at each individual school are not affected by how many *other* schools your kids is applying to.

My high-stats, niche field, great ECs kid is applying to 2 safeties (RD), 2 targets (1 EA, 1 RD) and 5 reaches (3 EA, 2 RD).

In the practical sense, I wonder if your kid would really be *happy* at 20 schools? If not, their final choice will be clouded by so many meh choices at the end of the cycle. 20 apps seems unfocused.

Chances at one school aren’t affected by number of apps. But chances of acceptance at any of one a set of schools is obviously affected by how many schools are in the set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope! Every school you apply to increases your chances of acceptance.

No, it doesn't. Each school makes its own decision. Unless you are applying to mostly safeties.

Each application is another lottery ticket.

Not how it works. I’d also worry that 20 apps means the ones submitted lack cohesive focus that help the student stand out to AOs… which is something that actually lessens one’s chances if being admitted.

To the contrary. I have gotten so so good at writing essays. I’m really good it now, 18 apps in. The first 5 were the hardest.

[Anonymous]

Quality>Quantity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you really think you’ll just get into 1?

Don’t know! I don’t know my chances because it’s so random. But I know my chances are higher with every app I put in.

That’s not how statistics work. Your stats at each individual school are not affected by how many *other* schools your kids is applying to.

My high-stats, niche field, great ECs kid is applying to 2 safeties (RD), 2 targets (1 EA, 1 RD) and 5 reaches (3 EA, 2 RD).

In the practical sense, I wonder if your kid would really be *happy* at 20 schools? If not, their final choice will be clouded by so many meh choices at the end of the cycle. 20 apps seems unfocused.

Chances at one school aren’t affected by number of apps. But chances of acceptance at any of one a set of schools is obviously affected by how many schools are in the set.

Submitting 20 apps does not affect the outcome.

If I kiss 19 frogs, the odds of the 20th turning into a prince are not influenced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope! Every school you apply to increases your chances of acceptance.

No, it doesn't. Each school makes its own decision. Unless you are applying to mostly safeties.

Each application is another lottery ticket.

Not how it works. I’d also worry that 20 apps means the ones submitted lack cohesive focus that help the student stand out to AOs… which is something that actually lessens one’s chances if being admitted.

To the contrary. I have gotten so so good at writing essays. I’m really good it now, 18 apps in. The first 5 were the hardest.

Okay sweetie. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

OP again. There is some serious logical fallacy going on in responses above. I have a 3.98 UW with 15 AP/IB classes before I graduate. All As except for 1 A- last year. 1530 SAT.

The only reason not to increase number of applications is the time and fees it costs.

People who think that the quality of applications goes down after 10 apps have it exactly wrong. My 11th essay is much sharper and wittier than my first, when I was finding my voice.

[Anonymous]

Does your mommy know you're on this website? It's for adults, sweetie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quality>Quantity

Pithy but not well thought out. Why is quality more important than quantity when all the data says that the application is one of the least important things about chances? It’s GPA, rigor and SAT on top. Everything else less important. Maybe quality of the application is all about what GPA and SATs you insert.

And let me tell you, you get better writing essays as you go along.

I think people are making a mistake by limiting applications. Let the colleges reject you, no need to do their job for them by not even applying. What I can’t figure out is why people cling so tightly to the number 8 or 10. People have some knee jerk reaction about high quantities. I’m trying to figure out what that’s about given that it isn’t about improving your chances of success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. There is some serious logical fallacy going on in responses above. I have a 3.98 UW with 15 AP/IB classes before I graduate. All As except for 1 A- last year. 1530 SAT.

The only reason not to increase number of applications is the time and fees it costs.

People who think that the quality of applications goes down after 10 apps have it exactly wrong. My 11th essay is much sharper and wittier than my first, when I was finding my voice.

What is your wGPA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. There is some serious logical fallacy going on in responses above. I have a 3.98 UW with 15 AP/IB classes before I graduate. All As except for 1 A- last year. 1530 SAT.

The only reason not to increase number of applications is the time and fees it costs.

People who think that the quality of applications goes down after 10 apps have it exactly wrong. My 11th essay is much sharper and wittier than my first, when I was finding my voice.

What is your wGPA?

What are your AP and IB scores? How many AP/IB before 12th grade? How many AP courses are the same as IB? ie Are you taking the AP version of any IB subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. There is some serious logical fallacy going on in responses above. I have a 3.98 UW with 15 AP/IB classes before I graduate. All As except for 1 A- last year. 1530 SAT.

The only reason not to increase number of applications is the time and fees it costs.

People who think that the quality of applications goes down after 10 apps have it exactly wrong. My 11th essay is much sharper and wittier than my first, when I was finding my voice.

What is your wGPA?

That’s another thing people get hung up on and get wrong. Selective colleges recalculate GPAs because every schools weights differently. Fairfax gives a .5 bump for honors or intensives but Arlington doesn’t. Colleges strip the gpa down to unweighted then build up based on rigor like AP or IB classes. That’s why I mentioned UW and the number of IB/AP classes.