Hey guys, I'm a junior and starting the college application process. Can someone please explain what reach, match, and safety schools are and how to identify them? I appreciate any advice you can give.
Hey there! It's great that you're starting to think about the college application process. To break it down for you, reach, match, and safety schools are categories used to classify how competitive a school might be for a student's application based on their qualifications. Let me explain.
Reach schools are those where your academic profile (usually GPA and standardized test scores) falls below the school's average for accepted students. Though this makes admission more challenging, it doesn't mean you shouldn't apply. Keep in mind that many factors beyond academics play a role in admissions decisions.
Match schools are those where your academic profile is similar to the average for accepted students. Your chances of being admitted to a match school are typically more predictable, as you're competing with other students who share comparable statistics.
Safety schools are those where your academic profile is above the average for accepted students. Your chances of acceptance are quite high. Keep in mind that a good safety school should also be one you would be happy attending.
When creating your list of schools, try to include a mix of reach, match, and safety options. Ideally, you should research each school's average GPA and test scores to gauge where it falls within these categories for you. Best of luck in your college search!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.