Is it inappropriate to apply to a long list of PhD programs? So I plan on applying for a PhD program pretty soon. I’ve done quite a lot of research into the people who do interesting things in my area and I’ve come up with a list of universities that I want to try to get into and people in those universities with whom I’d like to work. My problem is that the list is too long...

Is it wrong if I apply to too many places? I’m a good student and I can get pretty impressive recommendations, so there is a good chance I’ll be accepted in more that one place and I don’t know if I’ll look bad if I turn down offers after having talked to several professors and everything.
There is no such thing as "too many places", except if it is compromising the quality of your applications (or your other life activities). Start applying at your most wanted places, making sure to polish your application to your best effort, and keep going until you run out of time, energy, or programs you would actually want to attend.