Hey, I've been doing a lot of college research lately, and terms like 'reach', 'match', and 'safety' keep coming up. Can someone please explain the differences and how I should classify schools? Thank you!
Hi! I'm glad you're taking the time to research colleges and strategize about your best options. The terms 'reach', 'match', and 'safety' are used to classify schools based on how likely you are to be admitted, taking your academic profile and the college's selectivity into consideration.
A reach school is one where your academic accomplishments fall below the school's average admitted student profile. It's not impossible to be accepted, but the odds are less favorable. An example might be a student with a 3.5 GPA applying to an Ivy League school.
A match school is one where your academic profile closely aligns with the average admitted student's profile, meaning you have a good chance of acceptance. This might be a state university with similar average GPA and test scores as your own.
Safety schools are ones where your academic profile is well above the school's average admitted student profile, and you're highly likely to be admitted. It's smart to apply to a couple of safety schools to ensure that you have options in case the others don't work out.
Make sure you have a balanced mix of reach, match, and safety schools on your list. Good luck!
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