<p>Where do you draw the line? When should a kid just say, "nope, I'm not even gonna try for that school." ?</p>
<p>never under estimate yourself. Too many kids under estimate them selves and never apply to schools they don’t think they will get in.</p>
<p>Look at me. I have a 2.65 GPA with a 1200/1600 SAT and I applied to 5 schools. So far I am 3/3 with 1 Wait List and my stats were low for all the schools I applied to. Spend time on your application and it will show.</p>
<p>What’s important is to have a practical list that includes safeties, matches, and reaches. As long as you have those bases covered, there’s no particular harm to including a couple of super-reaches except for (1) the cost (2) the time and hassle, including for the school and the recommender and (3) the risk of disappointment.</p>
<p>That being said, if you are below the 25% percentile in terms of grades and scores for a school, and don’t have any particular hook that is likely to make up for that, it is very, very, very unlikely that you will be admitted, and your time is probably better spent broadening your list of schools that are better matches.</p>
<p>hunt: jw, do you think the classifications for “reach” will change after this year for full pay students? applying ED?..we have heard of a number of students, like soccrdave, who applied to what they thought were reaches and were accepted (EA and ED)…yes, this is not necessarily within the group of schools that most CC peeps would care about (down one or, even two tiers), but nevertheless…</p>
<p>good point rodney.</p>
<p>Since we are as close to full pay as makes no difference, I wonder if a super reach (even supposedly a need-blind one) is only somewhat of a reach.</p>
<p>queen’s mom: I don’t really think a need blind super-reach will change, but I’m curious to hear other’s opinions on this…need to leave the house; maybe you can try to start another thread; still having trouble with CC internet connection today…</p>
<p>sure thing, rodney.</p>
<p>You have to look at the whole picture. At an ivy or equal, if you’re unhooked, it’s highly unlikely to get in if all stats are not close to the 75th percentile. So personally I wouldn’t bother with stats hovering near the 25th percentile. If stats are solidly at the 50th percentile, they’re worth a shot keeping in mind they are high reaches.</p>
<p>For a school accepting 40% plus, it’s worth a shot with 25th percentile stats IMO.</p>
<p>I think hmom has a good point. The admissions percentage need to be a factor.</p>
<p>OK. Thanks for the input. </p>
<p>My kid’s coming in right at the 25% threshold for Colgate on his SAT practices. Before starting this thread, I was ready to rule it out. </p>
<p>Now we’ll wait and see what the real test brings before deciding which side of the fence to be on. Maybe it will end up as a “WTH, just for kicks” app. :)</p>
<p>what factors are considered as ‘‘hook’’???</p>
<p>Recruited athlete, URM, legacy, development candidate. These folks make up minimum 40% of the class at any ivy and top LAC. The schools bend for them leaving the unhooked to pull the medians up.</p>
<p>are first generation,low-income,immigrant considered as hook? :(</p>