<p>Obviously, this is not a hypothetical situation, but i'm going to pretend it is :)</p>
<p>If a kid's absolute, no questions asked first choice is a match(almost a safety) and they have a financial safety and a few other "match" choices, do they need a reach? If they probably won't get in anyways and wouldn't go even if they got in, is it ok to omit one?</p>
<p>Basically, is a match and safety only list ok?</p>
<p>A student does not NEED a reach school. If he is happy with his matches and safeties, that’s fine. Matches are where many end up anyway and that is why they are “matches”. 
I encourage reaching high, but it not a necessity at all to do so.</p>
<p>"Basically, is a match and safety only list ok? "
Absolutely!</p>
<p>thanks…
i wish you two were my GC…
he doesn’t agree</p>
<p>It’s absolutely OK. We focused on matches/safeties because even if they were accepted into reaches, we wouldn’t have been able to send them anyway (EFC is too high). Why bother wasting the time filling out the apps and the application fees?</p>
<p>If the GC doesn’t agree, just respond by saying that you will gladly have your child apply to reaches as long as he/she (the GC) picks up the tab for the application fees.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t have my child apply to any schools they wouldn’t attend regardless of whether they were reaches or not. If they do not want to attend, why would either of us assume debt to send them?</p>
<p>BTW - what school does your child want to attend?</p>
<p>I didn’t have a reach when I applied out of high school, I had like four matches and two safeties-- one of which was an open admissions community college, the other an affordable in-state 4 year. The second time I had two reaches, a match, and two safeties, or something like that. I applied to the two reaches because they were REALLY where I wanted to be, I wanted to keep challenging myself and they were good schools. The only thing you REALLY need is a couple safeties and a match if none of the safeties are especially thrilling, the reach is just for students who happen to want to apply to schools that are reaches. Though I have met a lot of students who thought they wanted to go to a particular school and didn’t apply much of anywhere else, and ended up discovering it wasn’t challenging enough for them-- so it doesn’t hurt to throw one in if there’s any interest at all in the school.</p>
<p>I for one also took great pride in being accepted at the more prestigious schools even if I was unable to attend them. I appled to Umich even though my parents told me no way in hell because I needed to know whether or not I could have gone otherwise, I couldn’t have looked back and wondered if I could have even gotten in. Turns out I ended up going anyway, but I wasn’t expecting it so I had some other schools I liked on my list too.</p>
<p>Unless the GC is going to pay for your reach school, he should not be overly pushy about applying to one. </p>
<p>Like nysmile our EFC would have been too high for most reach schools. DD knew this and choose not to apply to a reach. We did encourage her to do so, and even indicated we would try to find a way to pay the high cost if she could convince us it was the best place for her. In the end she didn’t apply to any reaches. It wasn’t worth the potential debt to her.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids applied to a reach school. The earth didn’t open up and swallow them whole.</p>
<p>If the school that appeals to you most is one that you have a good chance of getting admitted to, what’s the problem?</p>
<p>Your GC may be pushing because the school wants to be able to add a few more prestigious places to the list they compile of “Places where recent graduates were offered admission”.
My oldest visited his school, fell in love with it, got automatic admission and never looked back.
I do suggest that you apply to more than one school just so that you have a choice if your criteria and needs change.</p>
<p>I don’t see the point of wasting time or money applying to a school that your child is not interested in, especially if he already has matches and safeties he’d prefer to attend. I also don’t think that every student is benefited by attending a reach school to which he or she is accepted.</p>
<p>My son’s best friend applied to one school only. It was definitely a match, maybe safety. His said that was the only place he wanted to go (State U) and if he didn’t get in he would go to the local community college until he got in. He did get in and is happy as can be. Some kids are very certain about where they want to go and know they will probably get in. When I was growing up, you applied to 1 or 2 schools and that was it. There is no good reason to apply to reach just for the sake of doing so. In some ways, it seems silly to apply to 8 or 9 schools (as my son is doing). He will get into at least 3-5 of them and will have to choose one anyway. Eventually, you do need to make a decision - reach or not.</p>
<p>No reach needed if you have happy matches and safeties. GCs want to maximize the school’s “score rate” on highly ranked schools–and they don’t want students to somehow change their mind later and have “missed” an opportunity. But have the courage of your convictions and only apply to places you really want to attend.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice
The first choice school is Smith to answer that question…a very fine school if you ask me :D</p>
<p>If there is just one school that excites you, and you will get into that school easily, then you are lucky indeed! Your GC is wrong; you do not need a reach if you are truly happy with your “match/almost safety”. Good for you!</p>
<p>Now, the caution: Smith is a very good school and is probably not truly a safety for anyone. Your confidence is probably well-founded, but do yourself a favor and have a good backup or two, just in case.</p>
<p>^^have one
UAlabama…also in love with</p>
<p>Then you are in good shape! :)</p>
<p>Agreed that Smith is an excellent option. I obviously know nothing about your D but I cannot think of calling Smith a safety for anyone really. I know you only said “almost safety.” My D applied and got in and was selected as one of 50 Stride Scholars there. If I must say, my D is a high achiever who had what many would consider an excellent or very competitive profile. Even then, she considered Smith a Match school on her list. She visited twice and liked it a real lot. In the end, she chose Brown but I just don’t think of Smith as a safety school even for top students. </p>
<p>That said, it sounds like your D has several matches and has safeties and so that is no issue. </p>
<p>I must say, that is seems unusual that someone loves Smith and U of Alabama at the same time as they are SOOOO different.</p>
<p>UAlabama-loves football and warm weather…plus full tuition
Smith-loves just about everything</p>
<p>Full tuition can’t argue with. </p>
<p>If she loves football and warm weather, Smith has neither! </p>
<p>While my D was offered full tuition (agree…nothing to sneeze about!!) at our state’s flagship, she had no interest in it even though it is a great school because it did not fit her selection criteria…Smith surely fit way more things she wanted in a college than our state U fit. That is why I am saying that I can’t imagine if someone has a list of selection criteria (she did), how two schools so utterly different both met that criteria.</p>