How Many Reach Schools Should You Apply To?
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How many reach schools should you apply to? There’s not really a fixed number. I would say apply to as many as you’re willing to write supplemental essays for, and where the application fee isn’t cost prohibitive. This is a personal choice, often predicated on which tier of schools you’re targeting.
If your profile makes you competitive for top 20 schools, you’re likely applying to several Ivy League schools and a handful of others. Before you finalize your list, make sure you know all the supplemental prompts for each school. The total number of essays you’ll need to write may be larger than you expect, and that’s a real constraint. Worth knowing upfront.
Short answer: As many as you’re willing to write supplemental essays for and where the application fee isn’t cost-prohibitive.
Longer answer: This is a personal choice, often predicated on which tier of schools you’re targeting. If your profile makes you competitive for Top 20 schools, you’re likely applying to several Ivy League schools and a handful of others. Make sure you know all the supplemental prompts for every school before you start writing — it may be a larger number than you think.
Fun fact: Apply to schools you want to attend for more than just their name.
Reference: the Common App essay prompts.
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