While there is no set system to realizing what number of colleges it's best to apply to, Guttentag suggests that students apply to six or eight totally different colleges (software fees run from $10 to about $60), including a few "safety faculties" (locations the place you are almost sure to be accepted), two or three "goal faculties" (places the place your chances of being admitted are about 50 %) and a few "attain colleges," colleges you'd.