By JANET LORIN Bloomberg News April 10, 2021 32 Many high school seniors looking to attend the most competitive U.S. colleges are about to have their hearts broken after an already difficult year. Students on average applied to 9% more colleges as of March 1 compared with last year, according to data from the Common Application, a nonprofit that lets individuals apply to multiple schools. Yale students and others spend a fall afternoon on Yale University’s Cross Campus in New Haven. (Associated Press) Colleges have already begun informing students about their decisions for the fall semester. The eight Ivy League schools started notifying students this past week, later than usual because of the deluge of applications. Harvard, for example, saw a 42% increase from 2020.