How Many Colleges Can I Apply To?
There’s no right answer about the number of colleges you should apply to, but submitting your admissions materials to more colleges than ever is easy thanks to the Common App. Discover how you can improve the odds of getting into colleges you’re passionate about and streamline the application process.
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In all things, it’s good to have choices.
That’s something especially true when deciding which colleges to apply to. But with thousands of higher education options in the United States, how do you narrow it down?
What if you didn’t have to?
Applying to colleges has never been more accessible, and with the hundreds of institutions making use of the Common App, you can apply to multiple colleges at once with ease.
But how many colleges should you apply to? While there’s no magic number, giving yourself the best chance for success often includes hitting submit on quite a few university applications.
Whether you are just finishing high school or getting ready to pursue an advanced degree, we can help you navigate the process of applying to multiple colleges at once.
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How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?
There’s no set number to the number of colleges you should apply to, but most prospective undergraduate students narrow their focus to 5-10 schools included with their Common App.
This range allows you to cast a wide net of potential landing spots where you can hone your skills and kickstart a lifelong career.
While there are no hard and fast rules for determining how many colleges to which you should submit applications, here are a few tips to help guide your search:
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Apply Far and Wide. In the vast majority of cases, applying to a college or university does not automatically mean that you need to attend that college if accepted.
So take advantage of the multitude of schools included in the Common App and find programs that have the potential to put your passions into practice, regardless of geography.
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Watch for Early Decision. Applying to colleges using early decision will result in having to decline all outstanding responses if you are accepted.
This inflexibility is why Pacific offers early action deadlines instead, where you can still get a fast admissions response without any external pressure.
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Don’t Apply to Any College You Wouldn’t Want to Actually Attend. Depending on your situation, many people may have opinions on where you should attend college.
That said, you should prioritize only applying to colleges that meet your specific needs and have degree pathways that match careers that interest you.
You can help discover what these are through campus tours, which give you the opportunity to speak with students and faculty as well as explore university resources.
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Keep an Eye on Application Fees. College application fees — which can range between $30 to $70 — add up as you apply to more and more schools.
But there are colleges you can apply to for absolutely free. Pacific does not charge an application fee, making it easy to add to your Common App submission.
Colleges with free applications, like Pacific, empower you to broaden your school search and discover universities where you can thrive.
How Many Graduate Schools Should I Apply To?
Generally, prospective grad students apply to fewer colleges or universities as compared to would-be undergraduates.
This is due not only to the increased complexity of graduate school applications, but also because of the intense specialization of many Master’s and Doctoral programs.
Finding the right graduate program for you will often require more investigation into faculty, research resources and local professional opportunities.
Part of the reason many students apply for fewer graduate-level programs is because the centralized application services (CAS) are often program-specific.
Future optometrists use OptomCAS, the next generation of physical therapists use PTCAS and getting your MBA starts with submitting the BusCAS.
Graduate school admission timelines frequently include interviews, campus visits and longer applications, which makes it harder to apply to as many as when you were applying for undergrad programs.
Pacific has addressed this difficulty by making applying for graduate school easy with Guaranteed Graduate School admissions!
Apply for Pacific’s advanced pathways in healthcare, education and business as soon as your first undergraduate year in college and secure your spot in some of the region’s top graduate and professional programs as soon as possible.
Can I Apply to More Than One College with Early Action?
Yes!
While both early action and early decision help demonstrate your interest in a specific college or university, only early action allows you the flexibility of not having to accept the first offer you receive.
For those that have their application materials ready, this means that you can apply for multiple early action schools without fear, making admissions decisions only when the time is right for you.
Applying for an early action decision is no different than submitting a normal Common App — just adjusted earlier for your school’s admission timeline — and can be done through the very same portal.
How Many Colleges Can I Apply to on the Common App?
The Common App allows you to submit to up to 20 distinct schools per admissions cycle, all in one consolidated application that includes transcripts, recommendation letters and more.
For schools that don’t use the Common App for admissions, you can apply to as many institutions as you’d like, although that process will take considerably longer.
It’s also important to remember that completing the Common App does not immediately make you eligible for most financial aid, and additional scholarship applications and the FAFSA are still required.
Both the FAFSA and Common App are free services, and will never charge you for their use outside of school-specific application fees.
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