College application season exists beyond the guidance counselors’ office at Staples. It happens in the cafeteria, hallways, libraries and group chats, more notably over comparing college lists. Questions like “Where are you applying?” and “How many schools are you applying to?” are no longer small talk. They’re a measuring stick. The college application process has become a highly visible and shared experience where students’ college lists are frequently discussed, compared and reshaped through peer interaction.
According to the College Board, five to eight applications are usually enough to ensure that a student is accepted into a suitable institution, although this number can vary based on an individual student’s record and circumstances. This number should be made up of a combination of “safety,” “match” and “reach” colleges. However, many students at Staples have admitted to submitting applications to nearly a dozen or more schools, with some lists stretching past 20.
“As of now, I’ve applied to 22 [colleges] and I’m planning to apply to 10 more,” an anonymous Staples student ’26 said. “My strategy is just I want to apply to as many schools as possible to see where I can get it because I know a lot of it is luck.”
The increase in the number of applications submitted by students is not unique to Staples. Nationally, application numbers have risen in recent years, particularly among highly selective colleges. According to Forbes, the latest report from the Common Application points to a 10% increase in total applications to college as of November 2025 (4,716,352), compared to last year at the same time (4,268,736). Applicants were also applying to more schools in 2025-26 than in the prior year (from 4.68 to 4.90 applications per applicant), a roughly 5% jump. In response, some students choose to apply to more schools as a way to broaden their options.
Furthermore, college lists, which were once a private reflection of interests, location and affordability, are also now increasingly influenced by comparison to other applicants. A student hears a friend added another top 20 school and wonders if their own list is “ambitious” enough. At the same time, some students’ lists become even more private in fear that others will apply to the same schools and “take” their spot.
“When I saw that people on a similar academic level as me were applying to a certain school, it made me think I should apply there too,” a second anonymous Staples student ’26 said. “At one point it wasn’t about whether I liked the school more but whether my list made sense compared to everyone else’s.”
At Staples, where students frequently discuss deadlines, supplements and early decision outcomes, the application process unfolds in a shared environment. While each student’s list is ultimately personal, it is often developed in conversation with peers navigating the same affair. This also leads to many students already knowing what others’ top choices are and what decisions they’ve received, contributing to a cutthroat environment.
“The other day, one of my friends came up to me and told me there was a rumor going around about my college application,” a third anonymous Staples student ’26 said, “coming from people who I didn’t realize even knew who I was.”
As application deadlines pass and decisions begin to arrive, discussions about college lists continue, reflecting how the process at Staples has become increasingly communal but also competitive.
