Defining a reach college?

Can someone explain what a 'reach' college is? I've heard the term used quite a bit but don't have a clear understanding of what it means. Thanks in advance!

A 'reach' college refers to a school where your chances of being accepted are relatively lower than your target or safety schools due to the institution's selectivity and the strength of their typical applicant pool. When applying to reach schools, your academic profile, test scores, extracurriculars, and other application components may be slightly below or on the lower end of the accepted students' ranges.

This doesn't inherently mean you have no chance of being accepted, but it does mean that admission would be more challenging. For example, if a college reports a middle 50% SAT score range of 1400-1500 for admitted students and your score is 1350, that college would be considered a reach school for you. However, keep in mind that schools often adopt a holistic approach when evaluating applicants, so a lower score in one area might be compensated for by exceptional accomplishments in another.

When creating a balanced college list, it's helpful to include a combination of reach, target (where your profile aligns well with accepted students), and safety (where your chances of acceptance are high) schools. Including reach schools allows you to aim high and potentially gain admission to a prestigious or highly selective institution, while target and safety schools ensure you have strong backup options.

Remember to research each school's specific admission criteria and consider factors beyond scores, such as extracurriculars, essays, and recommendation letters, to better gauge your chances of acceptance.