I’ve got a pretty long list of colleges I'm considering, and I just realized the Common App has this limit of 20 schools. Has anyone been in this spot before? How do you manage or get around this limit if you're looking at more than 20 places?
The Common Application does indeed have a limit of 20 colleges, and that's intentional to encourage students to focus on applying to schools they're truly interested in attending. If you're considering more than 20, it's time to refine your list. Start by ensuring each school aligns with your academic interests, career goals, and preferred environment. Analyze acceptance rates, financial aid opportunities, and program strengths.
Directly addressing your query, there isn't a workaround to surpass this limit on the Common App itself. However, if you're set on applying to more than 20, you could look into whether any of your additional choices use alternative applications, such as the Coalition Application or the schools' own direct application systems. Keep in mind, though, that application fees and the considerable time investment required for supplemental essays should be factored into your decision to apply to numerous colleges. Ultimately, this limit is a helpful boundary that prompts a more thoughtful college selection process. It's crucial to prioritize which institutions best fit your criteria and have the most to offer you personally and academically.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.