Applying to 5 Colleges - too many?

[malfee]

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I've narrowed down my list of potential post-secondary schools to five (Rutgers NB, Long Island University BK, Hofstra University, Kean University, and CUNY Hunter College, in that order), however, I do not know if I should narrow this list even further. I really have my heart set on attending Rutgers, and I do exceed the credentials for acceptance there, however, it is still my dream school. LIU, Kean, and Hunter are all "safety" schools -- not to say that they are bad institutions. Finally, Hofstra is my "ehh, why not" selection, as they have majors I would be interested in taking, but the school is more expensive than Rutgers and a bit farther away (ironic, being I live in NY and not NJ).

Is applying to five schools unheardof, or is this pretty normal? I understand that applications cost money, so obviously I'd rather not spend more than I need to. I'm fairly confident that I will be accepted to just about all of these schools (Hofstra is a maybe, as it's a well-known private university), but I do not want to be left hanging dry without a school to attend next year.

Thoughts?

 

[engineeredout]

Five schools too much? Not even close. I knew people who applied to dozens of schools.

Personally though I only applied to six. Got in all of them two, partial scholarships to two of them.

Looks like you're checking out LI, think of applying to stony brook?

 

[mwitiiram]

in my opinion, 5 is few. You don't want to limit yourself. I'm submitting about 10. The way I see it, I have an interest in the schools to which I'll apply and then when decisions are mailed in April, I'll look at the ones I was accepted into, their scholarship offers, and go from there. I calculated it, and the fees for me will come to just around 1,000 dollars. My parents have said that its not an issue, I can do what I please, but if you're not financially able to submit a lot, try for a fee waiver.

 

[malfee]

engineeredout: Well, I live in Staten Island, and I'd rather not travel too far, even if I'm living on campus. I limited my searches to be within 100 miles of my zip code, and out of the 48 or so that were hits, I came up with about 8, 5 of which I could see myself attending. While Stony Brook doesn't seem bad at all, these other schools offer majors more suited to me (Exercise Sciences, Athletic Training/Sports Medicine).

mwitiiram: Hmm, you are probably right about the financial aid for the applications.

Thanks.

 

[dienekes88]

Eh. I only applied to two colleges. However, I don't suggest copying me. Five is a pretty low number.

Don't write off a school before you visit.

Why are you limiting yourself to being within 100-miles of your current zipcode?

Don't commit yourself to a major. You could... major in French, go to medical school, and end up matching PM&R or Orthopedic Surgery.

College, generally speaking, is fun regardless of the school you attend.

 

[malfee]

Eh. I only applied to two colleges. However, I don't suggest copying me. Five is a pretty low number.

Don't write off a school before you visit.

Why are you limiting yourself to being within 100-miles of your current zipcode?

Don't commit yourself to a major. You could... major in French, go to medical school, and end up matching PM&R or Orthopedic Surgery.

College, generally speaking, is fun regardless of the school you attend.

I've only seen Kean's campus (I don't like the location all that much, but I'm very adaptable), and I plan to visit Rutgers within a month or two.

I'm limiting myself to within 100 miles because I simply do not wish to travel abroad. I like being within reach of NYC and my family, and if I were to dorm at Rutgers, I would be within 18 miles of my home.

Also, I'm not necessarily committing to a major. I do understand that a pre-med can major in literally anything, however, I'm really interested in Exercise Sciences. Everything about the syllabus sounds amazing to me, so it seems counter-intuitive not to get attached.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

If you can afford private, dont bother with CUNY. The cuny applications gives u the opportunity to apply to CUNY honors + 6 (your choice) Cuny Schools.

If you are looking for a great school, that is well-rounded.. I suggest Fordham University. There is a lincoln center campus in the city, and a bronx campus.

I should also add, that Rutgers NB might be your "dream" school, but you have stats to get into better. If you are interested in knowing about better schools PM me. If you want NJ, look at Stevens Institute of Technology, i got accepted there and its an engineering school, which i have always believed provides a better science background then liberal arts. Stevens however has a 85+ % acceptance rate for US medical schools, and its only 30mins from the city. (hoboken, nj)

 

[ylrebmik]

Five is fine. I know a few people are applying to like 20... which is crazy to me. I'm applying this year to 2. Maybe 3 if they fix their online applications. I visited 5 schools and liked 3 out of 5... so that's where I'm applying.

 

[Depakote]

I'd consider expanding your horizons unless you're limited by finances. I'm not saying you have to apply all over the country, but 100 miles from home is a pretty small bubble.

College is a time to grow and get out from under the wings of your parents. Anywhere within a few hours drive will let you come home easily on the holidays (or more frequently during that first year away if need be), but 100 miles is barely enough to need a bathroom break.


At a glance, you're within striking distance of Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, anything within NYC, Philly, Boston, Washington DC.

Tons of great schools in all those places. I'd skim through a college guide and see if nothing there appealed to you before limiting yourself.

Side note: I didn't wind up going there, but I really liked Colgate (Hamilton, NY) and I know they have a Sports Medicine program. It would be worth looking into.

 

[metalhead1023]

I got around 17 on my list from California to New York.

Oh and apply to Georgetown.

 

[pressmom]

It was a long time ago, but I applied to 4 colleges and got accepted to 3, but I wouldn't recommend it. I had no real safety schools--all were top 20 institutions, and if I had it to do over again, I would have applied more broadly.

Strangely enough, I actually applied to more vet schools than undergraduate institutions....guess I'm a wacko!

 

[Electrophile]

I had an odd case for undergrad..I applied to 10, but got into 11. I sent the wrong application check amount into Vanderbilt, they told me to send them a new check, I was like, eh, pass since I knew I wouldn't get much money out of them, then April came with a "Welcome to Vanderbilt!" packet. 🙄😀 Still couldn't afford it, but hey, I saved $50. I applied to one grad school (got in) and one vet school (got in).

Edit: got into one law school too, didn't go though obviously...

 

[littlealex]

Why not apply to more? Also you should consider adding some top tier schools too.
NYU? Columbia? Be willing to step out of your zipcode for a little bit, you can still go home on the weekends.

 

[malfee]

I actually updated my list in the other "What undergrads are you applying to?" thread, and I am applying to schools in PA and MD now. I'm really interested in the Exercise Science/Kinesiology major, so top-tier schools such as NYU and Columbia don't really fit into the scheme of things. Also, both are ridiculously expensive, and I'm in no position to be paying such monies.