If you want to attend the best school possible, you need to make sure your college list is balanced. This means that you will still have a shot at your reach schools, but you will also have some great match or target schools lined up. You don’t want to skimp on your safety or likely schools, either.
Here is what each of those terms mean:
- Reach – Reach schools are your dream colleges that usually admit students whose profiles outweigh yours. While you are not as likely to get into one of these schools, they are the ones that you want the most, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. Many students receive a surprise acceptance letter, so don’t give up on your dream university program.
- Match (or Target) – These are your target schools. Your student profile matches up to the average profile they accept. You’re not a shoo-in by any means, but you definitely should be able to get an acceptance letter from one of these schools if you nail the application.
- Likely (or Safety) – You are likely to get into a safety school because your student profile is stronger than the average student they accept. But don’t think that means you can write just anything on the application. Take these seriously, just in case you need to fall back on them.
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