<p>I’ve heard it said that the most important school on any student’s list is the safety (or safeties). The student should make that decision first, and should put serious time and effort into researching it. Once that is settled, several well-chosen matches. Only then should the student think about the “candy” of a reach. </p>
<p>Guide her toward creating a list that’s balanced, not top-heavy. If she ends up with a list of, say, eight schools, it should break down as 1-2 safeties, 3-5 matches, 1-2 reaches.</p>