<p>I am new here and I was wondering what exactly match and reach signify. Is there maybe a percentage or something quantitative attached to these terms? Or are they merely subjective?</p>
<p>a little of both. Generally reach means you are near the bottom of the middle 50% SAT range or below and match means you are somewhere near the middle and safe means you are somewhere near the top or above
assuming of course that your GPA and ECs match up with your SATs</p>
<p>thank you very much. My other question is this. Exactly how much weight is placed on SAT scores in relation to other parts of the application. I have seen/heard/read many varying answers, ranging from not very important to one of the sole determining factors. I have also heard that colleges don't care how many times you take the SAT. Hypothetically speaking, if someone took the SAT 5 times and got above a 2350 is it better than someone who took it 3 times and got a 2200+? Does it really matter once your Math and Verbal scores hit a point of about 1500 or above? While my SAT scores are not stellar, I wouldn't say that they were particularly bad. So I was just wondering how worried I should be about this matter.</p>
<p>Well I think a perfect 1600 will always put you a notch above 1500 something no matter what just because it is perfect!</p>
<p>I think you have to worry only if your SAT score is below the range for the particular college you are applying to. It is nice to get 2400, but if you can't and if you manage only 2200 after three tries, it is time to stop taking the test and move on to something else, such as concentrating on your school work. If you give a summary of your stats and indicate which colleges you are targeting, knowledgeable people here will tell you about your chances.</p>