How many schools do you suggest applying to?

[dead-men-talking]

I definitely learned one lesson from my failed applications for this fall: I only applied to two schools!  I was concerned about application fees and also a bit too confident about my chances, heh.  I've upped my list to four now (down from six since one's deadline has passed and the other doesn't offer a master's, just straight PhD).  Of course there are all sorts of reasons to apply to a large number of schools - but what's the minimum number of schools to apply to, you think?

 

Thanks!

[victorydance]

I don't know what the minimum amount should be. But I would say a general rule to follow is this: apply to any top ranked program where you can demonstrate a solid fit.

 

I am applying to ~14 for my first cycle.

[smg]

I'm applying to 4 or 6.  I'd apply to more if there where more that fit.  I'd apply to as many schools as fit.   A lot of it depends on what you plan on researching. 

[juilletmercredi]

I don't think there's a minimum; it depends on the field.  In my subfield of psychology (social) it's common to apply to ~7-15 PhD programs, although most people probably apply to between 9 and 12.  But in other subfields like experimental and quantitative, the average number is lower because there are fewer programs in those subfields and fewer applicants to those programs.

 

I'd say less than about 4 is a gamble, but that might be okay.  If you would rather not go to graduate school at all than go to any other program besides the perfect #1 choice, then 1 might be fine for you.

[bsharpe269]

I think 7-10 is a good number.

[jhefflol]

It depends on the field I think. Right now my list is fluctuating at around 15, but my recommenders think that's a little on the low side even. I've been told to cast a wide net by every one of them. The more the merrier, if you can afford it!

[TakeruK]

I don't think there's a minimum; it depends on the field.  In my subfield of psychology (social) it's common to apply to ~7-15 PhD programs, although most people probably apply to between 9 and 12.  But in other subfields like experimental and quantitative, the average number is lower because there are fewer programs in those subfields and fewer applicants to those programs.

 

I'd say less than about 4 is a gamble, but that might be okay.  If you would rather not go to graduate school at all than go to any other program besides the perfect #1 choice, then 1 might be fine for you.

 

Definitely agree with this. How many schools to apply to depends strongly on your situation and goals (e.g. you might be geographically constrained, or trying to get into top tier programs only or trying to get into a school in the same area as someone else etc.)

 

That said, I do think a good safe number for most cases is about 7-12. Yes, that's a big range but it depends on the field! Some people split their schools into "reach", "match" and "safety" schools and like to think about their applications in that way.

 

In my opinion, graduate school admissions are a crapshoot because there is a lot of unpredictable factors involved. For example, you don't have very much information to estimate the other applicants. What is good enough for a certain school in 2012 may not be good enough in 2013 as both the number of spaces change and the quality of the applicant pool change. That is, for a typical applicant, I believe you should select your "match" schools so that you has a good chance of getting in 2 or 3 out of the entire set. Usually, I'd estimate the chance of getting into any one particular "match" school would be around 30% so choosing something like 6-9 "match" schools is a good idea. I think it's also important to select tough "reach" schools too! This would make up the remainder of your application set. If you would rather attend any school instead of no school at all, then one or two safety schools is a good idea too. I'd characterize a "safety" school as one where you know you will get in...like >95% chance! But if you want extra insurance in case you picked "match" schools that weren't really "match" schools, then perhaps you would want more than just one safety.

 

Overall, if you can afford the time and money in submitting "typical" numbers of applications, then you should not be afraid of rejections! Applicants who get 0 rejections may have been aiming too low (of course, there are exceptional candidates that will get into the top schools)! Grad school is a place for us to challenge ourselves and push our limits. 

**However, all of this is predicated on the fact that you are also picking schools that are great fits for you in terms of personality and research, too! Don't pick schools just because they are hard/easy to get in

[Between Fields]

My advisor insisted on 10. The school I ended up attending was the 10th, that I scrambled to find to make her happy, and actually ended up being the best fit I could imagine. Push yourself to find a lot of schools and you might discover programs you'd never even thought about.

[lyrehc]

As long as you have the funds to apply and don't apply to any school you would be unwilling to attend, 7-10 is good.  I only applied to one but I had decided to back door my way into the program if they didn't accept me.

[ShadowFairy]

I'm applying to about 12, and even that's pushing it for me. I think ten is a good number, with at least three back-up schools (or schools which you are positively confident you can get in). If the main concern over applying are the fees, then I would suggest contacting each department for a fee waiver if you qualify (if you come from a low-income background, receive federal pell grants from FAFSA, did an REU over at that university, or participated in selected graduate school preparatory programs).

[Crucial BBQ]

I definitely learned one lesson from my failed applications for this fall: I only applied to two schools!  I was concerned about application fees and also a bit too confident about my chances, heh.  I've upped my list to four now (down from six since one's deadline has passed and the other doesn't offer a master's, just straight PhD).  Of course there are all sorts of reasons to apply to a large number of schools - but what's the minimum number of schools to apply to, you think?

 

Thanks!

I intended on applying to 11 programs last year; whittled down from a list of 22.  Only managed to do four from my list and then a 5th program out of the blue (it was not on either of my lists). The reasons were largely financial. 

 

This year I got a solid 11 programs on my list again.  The list is different from the last by about five programs.  I got two programs waiting in the wings; one potentially being too far of a reach.  I hope to apply at least to those 11 programs but can probably afford to send out ~14 this year. 

 

There is no minimum.  There are posters on this site who claim to only have applied to one program, and got in.  And then there are others who say they were denied by all 10+ programs they applied to. 

 

I have no real reason to limit or max my applications to 11.  It's an arbitrary number really.

[dead-men-talking]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!  I'm really alone in this application process; I graduated from college 3 years ago and my advisers have never been helpful anyway, so this is really wonderful.  

 

Yeah, my interests are pretty niche, but there are certainly more than 4 schools that interest me.  I particularly like what someone said about "would you rather not go than go to some schools" - definitely NOT true!  I've been eliminating a lot based on location, which is honestly silly.  I'd much rather be in Texas right now than be bored and frustrated at home in Chicago lol.  Still, I'm only applying to schools that I'm pretty certain I'll get into.  I have a much better strategy this time around!

 

Thanks again everyone!  I'll definitely be coming back with more questions.

Edited September 15, 2014 by dead-men-talking

[Catria]

Beyond a certain number, there are diminishing returns in submitting additional applications... or so my advisor says. Even in particle cosmology, my advisor told me 10-12 would be about right and close to the point of diminishing returns.

 

So I am applying to 11.

[bobbyDukes]

There's really no right or wrong answer to this. I've heard many admission reps say five schools at least. Two reach, two with a pretty good chance, and one fallback. I personally will be applying to seven schools. From my understanding this is the norm, although I've known people who applied to 12 schools (this is probably too many).

 

Source: Grad Fairs, extensive internet research, conversations with faculty.

[maelia8]

I applied to 6 schools because I honestly felt that those were the only ones with a stellar advisor fit, and also because I was financially limited and couldn't have paid for application at 10. It depends on your individual situation, but I agree with the general statement that it should probably be more an 4 and that more than a dozen is probably overkill.

[BeatrizBear]

I'm applying to a Spanish PhD program and honestly I can't find more than six schools that fit my research interests. I guess it all depends on what you want to study for. My friend was applying for Economics and she had a long list of schools she was applying to at the insistence of her adviser.

[Catria]

Applying to 10-12 schools really is as much work as a 3-credit senior-level course in the field of one's PhD (or MA if one's field is one of those who prefer a MA first before embarking in a PhD, or if one is applying to graduate programs in countries where direct PhD passage is not encouraged) but, really, you have to do the bulk of the work with the first application, at least as far as US STEM graduate programs are concerned...

 

Maybe the effort required to apply in humanities or in social sciences (due to the need for a writing sample) is more dependent on the number of schools applied to than in STEM disciplines.