You don’t need more than one safety. If it’s truly a safety, your child will get in. The thing is, they really have to be okay with going there! If there a bunch of safeties they actually like, then go ahead, but I learned this the hard way. Don’t bother with a bunch- so long as you have one that is a genuine safety and that your child genuinely would be happy going to- that’s all you need.

For the high fliers whose parents have the means? Go nuts on the fits and reaches.

Has ED …. which is somewhat of a reach . I am afraid if he gets in there but gets into a better school with regular decision.
But I guess thats what choices are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is more than 15 too much?

Yes. 6-7 at best. Also, must have more safeties than targets.

No, you don’t need more safeties than targets! Horrible advice.

Depends. My kid’s safety is a rolling admission school he’s into. The rest are targets or low reaches. He’s got the stats for these schools, but all 16 have <25% acceptance rates. Many don’t require supplementals and they are serious contenders, so no harm in throwing them out there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is more than 15 too much?

Yes. 6-7 at best. Also, must have more safeties than targets.

No, you don’t need more safeties than targets! Horrible advice.

What are safeties based on gpas?
3.0 - 3.25
3.25 - 3.5
3.5 -3.75
3.75-4

Anonymous wrote:Is more than 15 too much?

Yes. 6-7 at best. Also, must have more safeties than targets.

How many on their list now?

Anonymous wrote:DS has 18 on his list. Yes, it’s a lot.

He has a great ACT score, good essays and ECs and a middling GPA (largely thanks to ADHD and Exec Functioning disorder, which has just recently greatly improved). Applying to mechanical engineering.So it feels like he’s a crapshoot most places.

He’s also interested in a wide variety of schools. So he’s throwing a wide net and we will see what happens.

Exactly our approach! Good luck to your son.

Anonymous wrote:1 ED

4 EA

Preparing 1ED2

Unclear in RD. Likely 3-4 more.

So about 9 or 10

1 ED

4 EA

Preparing 1ED2

Unclear in RD. Likely 3-4 more.

10

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right now at 10-11, possibly adding 1-2 more.

Kid is applying to music production-type programs and almost all require a portfolio and many an audition. Most also have supplemental essay for the music school (it's sometimes it's own separate document), even if it's a lower ranked program.

Wanted to limit it to fewer because of all the extra work with the audition and everything but also there is so much uncertainty, I feel like there are no safeties. And there will be no "wrapping up" by December. Several programs don't allow EA for majors requiring an audition/portfolio.

So very true. Did you look at UMass Lowell? It has a good program and may be rolling or closer to it.

Good luck

I will take a look at it, thanks! I realized even the "rolling" deadlines are not quite true for music. Like I had done a typical Google search and put all the EA, RD deadlines in a spreadsheet and listed the rolling as "rolling", only to realize that for music "rolling" is really not true, there's a drop-dead date because they need to schedule the audition. And the general RD date might be mid-Jan for a school but it's Dec. 1 for music, and so on.

Some of the schools do allow for the student to check a box if they wish to be considered for admission for a BA, if they don't make it past the prescreen (BA in music doesn't require audition usually, but BM does), but like, I'm not sure my DS needs to go OOS to say, University of Cincinnati, for a BA in music that he could get at our state flagship. The prescreens present another problem. Like he might know by mid-December that he didn't make it past the prescreen, but mid-December is too late to apply to other music programs RD because their RD deadlines are earlier for music. It sucks.

DS has 18 on his list. Yes, it’s a lot.

He has a great ACT score, good essays and ECs and a middling GPA (largely thanks to ADHD and Exec Functioning disorder, which has just recently greatly improved). Applying to mechanical engineering.So it feels like he’s a crapshoot most places.

He’s also interested in a wide variety of schools. So he’s throwing a wide net and we will see what happens.

DD is applying ED to one school. That's it. If it is a no, she will submit 5 other applications in Dec/Jan. Judge away!! We are completely confident with this approach for ths particular kid. We have gone against the advice of all counselors as well......oh my!

Anonymous wrote:Right now at 10-11, possibly adding 1-2 more.

Kid is applying to music production-type programs and almost all require a portfolio and many an audition. Most also have supplemental essay for the music school (it's sometimes it's own separate document), even if it's a lower ranked program.

Wanted to limit it to fewer because of all the extra work with the audition and everything but also there is so much uncertainty, I feel like there are no safeties. And there will be no "wrapping up" by December. Several programs don't allow EA for majors requiring an audition/portfolio.

So very true. Did you look at UMass Lowell? It has a good program and may be rolling or closer to it.

Good luck