How many colleges to apply to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least 20 because most Top 50 schools have around a 5% admit rate and 5 x 20 =100 so your DC will definitely get into one of them.

Applying to 20 schools with a 5% admit rate gives you about a 65% chance of admission to at least one. Pretty good odds as far as college admissions, but not a guarantee.

You mean my 2.0 test optional kid would have the same chance in this scenario last a 4.0 kid with a 1600 SAT?

Obviously not. Someone who has all the needed qualifying stats to be considered at an Ivy STILL only has a 5% chance of acceptance. The kid you describe has no chance.

Hopefully you are not teaching statistics. Your formula works for coins but not for college admissions where each application is not an independent event.

You’re right, I was simplifying. The statistics version of physic’s “assume a frictionless sphere.” The point remains that applying to 20 schools that each have a 5% admit rate does not guarantee admissions just because 20x5=100.

[Anonymous]

My senior did five. She got accepted at three of them and waitlisted at the other two. All full pay, in state.

If you're not hunting for financial aid, I don't see the point in applying for more than 5-6.

[Anonymous]

1 safety
3 targets
2 reaches

[Anonymous]

My kids did Pitt as their safety— and applied in August. Admitted in mid-September, and that served as their safety. There we no other schools that they were almost certain to get into that they preferred to Pitt. And several targets also dropped of the list as well as “Pitt is better”. The rolling decision was so nice. It was a school both would be okay attending, guaranteed the second week of school. And it cut their application lists in half by asking “is this as good as or better than Pitt”. Neither ended up attending, but for both it was in the final 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1 safety
3 targets
2 reaches

Sanity. Except unless you do rolling decision, I’d have at least two safeties. Sometimes something goes sideways with a safety in a given year. And remember— it’s not a safety if you can’t afford it without merit/ the NPC number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids did Pitt as their safety— and applied in August. Admitted in mid-September, and that served as their safety. There we no other schools that they were almost certain to get into that they preferred to Pitt. And several targets also dropped of the list as well as “Pitt is better”. The rolling decision was so nice. It was a school both would be okay attending, guaranteed the second week of school. And it cut their application lists in half by asking “is this as good as or better than Pitt”. Neither ended up attending, but for both it was in the final 3.

I think a lot of people have clued into this strategy with Pitt in recent years and it’s a phenomenal school and plan.