Schools How many grad schools to apply to?

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Determining the number of graduate schools to apply to varies based on individual circumstances, but a common recommendation is to apply to around eight schools. This number balances the potential for acceptance with the financial burden of application fees, which can add up significantly—approximately $400 for eight applications. It's crucial to focus on schools that genuinely interest the applicant, rather than applying broadly to many institutions. Personal factors, such as academic performance and research experience, also play a role in deciding how many applications to submit.
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I'm sure this is a question that comes up a lot but I can't find an old thread on it, and I've seen a lot of varying advice all over.

How many grad schools should I apply to?

Personally, I'm an junior (will be a senior in the fall) physics major with a 3.9 overall and about a 3.8 in math and physics courses at a major public research university, and I have one semester and counting experience as a research assistant. Will be taking the GREs this summer.

So is there a general number of grad schools people usually apply to or does it completely depend on your personal situation?
 
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Depends on a lot of things. It can be very expensive applying to a lot of grad schools. For instance, I think eight apps is about ideal, but that could easily be $400 in application fees alone. So don't apply anywhere that you don't really want to go.
 

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