My son’s private school limits them to 10 schools. I loved it. It made him focus on schools instead of picking a bunch just because he could. He got into all of the schools.

We are mostly applying to schools with greater than 50% acceptance rates and I think it's just fine. There aren't that many schools that check all of my child's boxes.

Our nyc private limits and I think most kids have better outcomes because of it

My selective public school did that in the 90s. We did 3 reaches, 3 mids, and one safety.

Anonymous wrote:What is the rationale for limiting to 8-10? A cost saving move by the school to limit time spent sending records? Or a desire to make kids think more strategically about their options? Or an equity issue, not everyone can afford to apply to 20 schools? Or something else?

#2
Elite schools often admit only 2 kids per school (if they have a small class size and are aiming for geographic diversity. If you are a private school with 100 students all well qualified for T20 schools, that means that ~40 kids should be admitted. If kids make no differentiation among those schools and just apply to all of them, it’s probable that some kids will get multiple offers and others none, where they would have gotten an offer if the applications from that school were limited.

That’s an outrageous policy. And certainly unfair for kids shopping merit aid. I suspect only private schools do this?

Anonymous wrote:If you are thoughtful about your list and not shotgunning a bunch of reach school there's really no need to apply to more than 8-10 schools.

+1
Even when a kid is applying to reach schools, you need to really evaluate the schools and know whether or not you are a good fit, and if so, convey that. Too many kids treat college applications like a lottery now, which is causing the problem of it seeming like a lottery.

Can high schools refuse to send transcripts? Why not apply to 10 through the common app and then the rest on your own?

Maybe they won't send more than 10 recommendations ... but if the student applies anyway to 10+, HS can't stop that.

Self-report the grades. Make an essay out-of the HS being uncooperative.

What is the rationale for limiting to 8-10? A cost saving move by the school to limit time spent sending records? Or a desire to make kids think more strategically about their options? Or an equity issue, not everyone can afford to apply to 20 schools? Or something else?

Anonymous wrote:If you are thoughtful about your list and not shotgunning a bunch of reach school there's really no need to apply to more than 8-10 schools.

This is not true for very high stats kids. You can get denied from 5 reaches, and that's sixth might have been your admit.

This is also absurdly unfair to families that need to price shop, while also considering other factors.

Our school has no limit and our DS is likely applying to 8-9 schools.

If you are thoughtful about your list and not shotgunning a bunch of reach school there's really no need to apply to more than 8-10 schools.

I think GDS does this. Sidwell does not. How about schools like Maret, Potomac, STA/NCS, Holton?

Did you know this would be the case when you applied and enrolled them? If your DC is not applying to the "popular" colleges (UVA, Michigan, UCLA, Ivy+ schools) do you feel it's fair that they're subjected to the rule?