College application season is fast approaching. Do you know how many schools you will you apply to?

One hotly debated part of the college application process is the number of schools to apply to. You undoubtedly have heard stories of students applying to just one dream school and getting accepted, and others applying to more than twenty. (And you might have heard horror stories of students applying to just one school — and getting rejected.) While you probably shouldn’t take either strategy, there is an ideal range for the number of schools that college-bound students should apply to.

First off, applying to college can be very stressful. With more applications come more supplemental essays and more time that you need to spend on them, not to mention more application fees. If you apply to more than a dozen schools, will you have enough time and energy to put in the effort and personalization to make each one the best it can be? Perhaps you can put in some extra detail if you apply to a smaller number of schools. This will keep your stress levels down and give you more time to enjoy the process–and your life–during application season.

You also need to know that applying to college has been, and never will be, an exact science. Thus, you need to have a balanced list of colleges. Talk to your school counselor about target schools. A good number of total schools to apply to is six to nine. Pick two schools that are safety schools—schools that you know you have a great chance of getting accepted given your GPA, SAT/ACT scores, high school courses, and extracurriculars. Next, pick two to three schools that are reach schools—colleges and universities that you might have a chance of getting into, but that are just a little out of your academic range. The remaining schools on your list should fall in the middle, where you feel you will fit in well both academically and socially.

Make sure to research all schools, and absolutely do not apply to a school that you are forced to, or that you feel would not be a good fit for you. After all, it is your decision, and you will be the one spending the four years there.

Of course it would be nice to get admitted to all schools — but admissions is very highly selective and competitive. If you apply to the right set of schools, you should be successful in getting admitted.

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