Hi everyone! So I'm a junior starting my college search, and I'm a bit confused about reach, match, and safety school classifications. Could someone give me a rundown of the differences? Thank you!
Hey there! I understand that these terms might be confusing at first, but let me help you break it down. Reach schools are colleges where your academic profile falls below their typically accepted range. These schools are considered a 'reach' because getting accepted might be a bit of a long shot, but is still possible. Match schools, on the other hand, are schools where your academic profile is in line with the average accepted students. You have a solid chance of getting accepted into these schools, but it's not guaranteed. Safety schools are colleges where your academic profile is above their average accepted students, meaning you have a high likelihood of getting accepted.
For example, if you have a 3.5 GPA and 1200 SAT score, the reach school might be one with an average acceptance range of 3.7-3.9 GPA and 1300-1450 SAT, match school could be 3.4-3.6 GPA and 1100-1300 SAT, and safety being around 3.0-3.3 GPA and 1000-1150 SAT.
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