Hey folks, I'm putting together my college list and trying to figure out my reaches, matches, and safeties. Any tips on recognizing a reach school? Is it all about GPA and test scores, or are there other factors I should consider?
Hey there! When classifying schools as reaches, it's important to take a comprehensive look at your own profile. Certainly, GPA and standardized test scores are significant, but you should also consider the school's average GPA and test scores of admitted students for context. Your course rigor is a critical factor—ensuring you’ve taken challenging courses relative to what’s offered at your school.
For reach schools, you often find the average admitted student profile will be slightly above your own stats. Beyond academics, extracurricular involvement can play a role; reach schools might typically admit students with leadership roles or distinctive achievements (Tier 1 and 2 extracurriculars).
Another indicator of a reach could be the school’s overall acceptance rate—if it’s very low, the school could be a reach for many applicants. Lastly, don’t forget to consider if the school is known for a competitive program in your intended major. If it is, that might increase competitiveness. For example, if you're interested in engineering, and the school boasts a top-ranked program, it may be more of a reach.
Keep a balanced list and remember that reach schools are aspirational; it's great to have them, but balance them with match and safety schools.
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