According to the College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, you should apply to six to eight colleges. After researching schools and narrowing down your possible selections to those schools that are a good fit for your goals and budget, you should apply to three "safety" schools that you're certain you'll be accepted into, two "match" schools that you're fairly sure you'll get into, and one "reach" school that may be a long shot for you. If there's a school you'd like to attend but you don't quite fit their typical student profile, you should still submit an application, as admissions counselors usually strive to select a diverse pool of incoming students.