I encouraged my son to apply to only 3 colleges even though his friends were applying to 12 to 15. He still got into his dream school.

• My son thought he had to apply to more than 10 colleges because everyone he knew was doing it.
• But he liked only three schools, so I encouraged him to apply to just those three.
• People were horrified he wasn't applying to more, but he got into his dream school anyway.

One afternoon in the spring of 2022, my son Ben, a junior in high school, and I got back in the car after touring yet another college. I asked him what he thought, and his answer shocked me.

"It was nice, and I'll apply," he said. "But if I get in, I don't want to go here."

Cue the record scratch.