How many PhD program should I apply to for fall 2023

[BKalev]

Hey guys,

I am getting ready to apply to PhD programs to start next year and I was wondering how many programs I should apply to? What`s a good number? I heard some people applied to 20-30 programs... 

[Hugh_]

On 5/25/2022 at 5:24 PM, Maxdaguy said:

Hey guys,

I am getting ready to apply to PhD programs to start next year and I was wondering how many programs I should apply to? What`s a good number? I heard some people applied to 20-30 programs... 

Hi,

 

I think 5 or 6 is a good number. If you are considering more programs than that, something tells me you may not be targeting the right programs.

[ladydobz]

I started talking to PhD programs about applying starting a few months ago. What you need to look for is the right fit. I had five schools on my list, but two kind of hinted that they wouldn't be the best fit for me. I'm still applying to one, as the professor seemed interested and eager in my proposed dissertation topic, but that school will be the bottom of my list. As Dr_Hugh_ said, it's all about the fit, and many professors at potential universities like seeing that you've done your research and have found a school that is a good fit (in my limited experience). 

[lenagator1997]

Hey There,

I am also currently trying to figure out how many PhD programs to apply to. When I was applying to both law school and MFA creative writing programs, I focused not on the number of programs but the ones that were the best fit. I personally applied to 13 law schools and 13 programs in creative writing. I got into 2/13 law schools and 3/13 creative writing. I also know PhD programs are different in the way that every program is rather competitive to get into, but my approach is probably going to be similar.

Edited May 26, 2022 by lenagator1997