How many colleges should I apply to was basically the question running my whole fall, and for me the sweet spot ended up being 9. I tried 12 at first, but once I looked at deadlines, supplements, and scholarship apps, I realized I was spreading myself too thin.
I did 3 reaches, 4 matches, and 2 safeties. That felt manageable and gave me enough options without making every essay rushed. My counselor originally said 8-10 is pretty normal, and honestly that lined up with my experience.
What helped most was cutting schools I only liked “in theory.” If I couldn’t picture myself actually going there, I took it off the list. My applications got way stronger after that because I had more time to tailor each one.
So if you are stuck on how many colleges should I apply to, I would say enough to give yourself choices, but not so many that the quality drops.