<p>You might want to read “The Price of Admission: How America’s Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges – and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates” by Dan Golden. </p>
<p>And then read this: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/47867-were-picking-up-pieces-but-what-went-wrong.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/47867-were-picking-up-pieces-but-what-went-wrong.html</a></p>
<p>I define a match as a school where your chance of being accepted is about 50%. </p>
<p>I think students should apply to reach schools, they should be optimistic and they should have hope. But recognize when a school is a reach. Why assure someone a school is a match and get their hopes up unnecessarily?</p>