Um, I think you are agreeing with me, not pointing out an error in thinking. My point was, for a high stats kid, if the schools that match your credentials are all crapshoot schools, you can’t just pick 2-3 you like, and 2-3 a notch below, and think you are all set with 6 applications. If you have more average stats, though, this may be all the applications you need to submit to end up with somewhere that would be a good fit.

I don't think they limited, as far as I recall. Oldest applied to 3 or 4, but knew they wanted to go to UVA. Attends UVA. Youngest applied to 10 or 12, praying for an elite. Currently at an elite, after getting off their waitlist last May.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ironically, a higher stats kid may need to apply to more schools than a lower stats kid to be assured of getting in anywhere. For a high stats kid, the schools that may be a “match” for his/her credentials may also have admit rates of 10% or less. Schools where his/her credentials are in the 75th percentile may still only have an admit rate of 15-20%. The only schools that are really “safe” might not have the level of peer group he/she is looking for. So it would be really hard for the high stats kid to pick 7 schools that they would both have a reasonable chance of getting into, and that they would be excited to attend.

I totally agree with thick. I have a good student who applied only to 4 colleges, and I have a high stat student who ended up applying to 16 colleges.

The error in this thinking is that no school with <10% admit rate is a match. It makes far more sense to consider every low admit rate school as a reach, regardless of stats. For straight A, 1500+ applicants, their matches should still be in the 20-30% admit rate range. Even much maligned Alabama has something like 250 National Merit scholars, so any top student can find a strong peer group at almost any college.

+1000
Exactly! I was just going to say this, but you definitely said it better than I would have!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ironically, a higher stats kid may need to apply to more schools than a lower stats kid to be assured of getting in anywhere. For a high stats kid, the schools that may be a “match” for his/her credentials may also have admit rates of 10% or less. Schools where his/her credentials are in the 75th percentile may still only have an admit rate of 15-20%. The only schools that are really “safe” might not have the level of peer group he/she is looking for. So it would be really hard for the high stats kid to pick 7 schools that they would both have a reasonable chance of getting into, and that they would be excited to attend.

I totally agree with thick. I have a good student who applied only to 4 colleges, and I have a high stat student who ended up applying to 16 colleges.

The error in this thinking is that no school with <10% admit rate is a match. It makes far more sense to consider every low admit rate school as a reach, regardless of stats. For straight A, 1500+ applicants, their matches should still be in the 20-30% admit rate range. Even much maligned Alabama has something like 250 National Merit scholars, so any top student can find a strong peer group at almost any college.

Surprises:
1. That an in-state sure match wasn’t the sure thing we expected. Tho there was a happy ending.
2. Some money was offered from both in-state second tier and out of state good state school. Not big amounts, but the out of state made it competitive and the in-state would have been an incredible bargain with funds to put toward travel or anything else. Kid didn’t wAnt these despite the offers.

So, unless you are a sure match with a certain program/ department,Virginia top 3 schools aren’t sure matches or safeties despite seeming so. I can see why the number of applications are so high.

Also, if you are upper middle class, applying to more increases the probability of financial aid. We have so far heard from 6 schools and got financial aid from 3, two with significant aid.

Anonymous wrote:Ironically, a higher stats kid may need to apply to more schools than a lower stats kid to be assured of getting in anywhere. For a high stats kid, the schools that may be a “match” for his/her credentials may also have admit rates of 10% or less. Schools where his/her credentials are in the 75th percentile may still only have an admit rate of 15-20%. The only schools that are really “safe” might not have the level of peer group he/she is looking for. So it would be really hard for the high stats kid to pick 7 schools that they would both have a reasonable chance of getting into, and that they would be excited to attend.

I totally agree with thick. I have a good student who applied only to 4 colleges, and I have a high stat student who ended up applying to 16 colleges.

You'd be surprised how it can add up. Assume you want 2 in state schools (in Virginia, it's often 3) - just to explore the cost/benefit from instate tuition, if nothing else. Assume you apply to a California university- by the time you do that application, it's all the same to apply to 1 or 10 of those - from College Confidential, it looks like most students do 3-4 (some combination of UCLA, UCSD, UCSB and Berkeley seems most common). Assume parents have 2 decent undergrad alma maters where legacy might matter (make this 4 if the parents went to grad school and really liked the experience, even if not treated as legacy). You are already at 2 + 3 + 2, conservatively, and haven't added other schools DC might be interested in ... or taken into account adding a couple of safeties.

Kids on the low end are even in a tougher spot with the increase in applications. These kids (mine included) will likely have to spread a very wide net. We will likely apply to main MD state schools (UMD, UMBC, Towson, Salsbury, Frostburg and St. Mary's), there is 6 applications alone.
We have to do this to hedge our bets since any OOS options will hinge on the merit aid package offered, if any.

Anonymous wrote:We are planning for 6 applications next year. 2 reaches (one ED), two matches, and two safeties.

That’s about what my private school DD did. No schools under 20%. 5-8 apps seemed to be the norm at DCs school but there were no limits. DC 2 went to MCPS and applied to 11 schools, with many schools under 20%. Apps at DCs school seemed to range from 2-25. Lower end of numbers was for kids applying only instate. No limits.

Anonymous wrote:We are planning for 6 applications next year. 2 reaches (one ED), two matches, and two safeties.

sounds about right. I just can't see applying to a school you'd never want to attend - even if it is a safety. That's the problem with safeties -- you have to do it, but I'd never apply somewhere I'd never want to attend even if accepted.

We are planning for 6 applications next year. 2 reaches (one ED), two matches, and two safeties.