<p>Often the “reach” school is the university the student is barely qualified for or is just an average applicant. Thats why they are reaches. If you are perfectly matched for the school you want to attend, then the word reach does not apply to you.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>COMPLETELY DISAGREE!! While some reaches can be classified as reach odds due to the candidate not being solidly in the ballpark for that school…ANOTHER DEFINITION of “reach” is for schools with extremely low admit rates that even for a candidate who is perfectly matched with the profile of admitted students to those schools, they are reaches anyway because the odds are slim due to the very low acceptance rates even for those who are qualified to get in. Schools that admit less than 20% of the applicants, turn away a LOT of applicants who indeed match the profile of admitted students. For example, the Ivies should be considered REACH schools for ANY candidate including vals, perfect 4.0 GPAs, those with SATs over 2300 and so on. They are in the ballpark for those schools but their odds of getting in are still very very chancy as the schools accept a small percentage of those who are qualified. As well, for audition based programs, these are reaches for even the most talented students in the land, as many of these programs have single digit acceptance rates. </p>
<p>Speaking personally, I have a kid who had excellent stats and more who applied to some of the most selective universities in the land and while she was surely qualified for them, we considered these schools to be reach odds due to the admit rates. I have another child who applied to BFA in Musical Theater programs and these programs accept anywhere between 2-10% of those who audition and while she was very competitive for these programs, we considered every single one reach odds. Yes, D1 did end up at an Ivy and D2 ended up at a top BFA program, but both were VERY REALISTIC about the SLIM odds at such schools even though both knew they were solidly in the ballpark as candidates.</p>
<p>“If you are perfectly matched for the school you want to attend, then the word reach does not apply to you.” Huh?? And what planet are you from?? Sorry to be sarcastic but
that is not the case here on earth, I’m sorry to say…</p>
<p>My daughter wasn’t interested in highly selective privates, although she has the stats to be competitive there. Her brother (who had excellent, but somewhat less impressive stats than she has) opted for a small elite LAC, but her enthusiasm just wasn’t in that direction for a number of excellent reasons. She did one year at the regional state univ here in town and lived at home (she was only 16, so that was what I wanted), but now she’s headed as a transfer to where she wanted to be all along, the honors college at the Flagship state u. It wasn’t really uncertain whether she’d get accepted… so it would be a match/safety for her. But the univ. has a great department in her major, a very developed honors college, and strong options for her in her minor and a special certificate program she also wants to pursue. It’s a beautiful campus in a hip small city. It really is a great spot for her. And she’ll graduate without debt.</p>
<p>So, no, obviously I don’t think you <em>need</em> a reach!</p>
<p>I think you can easily love two very different schools! This makes perfect sense to me. I’ve taught at very different schools, loved two of them very very much but they are apples and oranges in terms of size, culture, public vs. state, student body, colleagues, research focus. Likewise, I’ve lived two of the best cities in the world, for me- and wish I could live in both, but they have very little in common. Nothing is objectively perfect, and some people like a lot of very diverse attributes and can see great things about a wide range of possibilities. Misfit can be very real and horrible, but fit is often an illusion.</p>
<p>I was really torn between University of Michigan and Northern Michigan. Those are pretty drastically different, too.</p>
<p>No reaches, all safeties=OK</p>
<p>All reaches, no safeties=disaster</p>
<p>In your case, I’m going to side with the guidance counselor. </p>
<p>I don’t think that everyone needs a reach. But I thought Alabama was a full-ride, not just full-tuition. Knowing you have stats that would qualify you for any school, come from a family that would qualify for a full-ride at the top schools, and have to pay all your college costs yourself, I still think you are doing yourself a disfavor by not applying to one of the top schools so you can see what kind of FA you would get there if accepted. An earlier post of yours led me to think it is fear of rejection that is holding you back from applying. That’s understandable. The FA is so good, though, that I do think you should go ahead and just tell yourself you’re not going to fall in love with the reach, you’re just going to see what happens. In April let the chips fall where they may, and take a look at what all the schools to which you are accepted will cost, then make your final decision on your best choice at that time. It may be Smith. It may be Alabama. Or it may be Yale or Brown.</p>
<p>I would not make my child apply to Yale or Brown if he/she was not interested in attending. Waste of money. Even if the fin aid is better, the student is happy with the current financial safety.</p>
<p>Our income is too high to receive need based aid and too low for us to pay full price for private schools for three kids. Son applied to schools where his stats were above the top 25% and received merit aid offers at all of them. There is one school that would have been a reach about which I’ve wondered “what if?” but since we could not have afforded to send him there, it really doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>Only HYPS will have need-based FA that could possibly match full-tuition at Alabama, IIRC rocket’s family income. If she wants to take an FA flyer, it should logically be one of those four.</p>
<p>Given her interest in neuroscience and theater, I suggested Yale and Brown. </p>
<p>She would get great FA at Yale. I don’t know enough about Brown’s to judge.</p>
<p>Mamabear, I agree if a student has no interest in schools, parents (or posters here who are rooting for a particular kid 
) shouldn’t push them to apply. But in this poster’s case, it’s a fear of falling in love with the school and then being rejected that is holding her back.</p>
<p>I would not suggest as reach jus tto help a GC achieve a more prestigious placement. Nor would I be seduced by rankings… However, I would not shy away from reaches out of fear of falling in love and not getting in.</p>
<p>A harder question is whether a not especially motivated student should attend a reach known for a tough workload and risk a GPA below 3 and feelings of academic failure.</p>
<p>wow…
thanks for all the responses</p>
<p>Although reaches are of course not essential, I like the idea of adding one reach school. From now until April is a long time, and your thoughts could change. Beyond the cost of applying and the work involved in preparing another application, there is absolutely no downside to adding one more school to your list. Think about what you like about Smith (which I am not knocking – it’s an excellent school) as you research reaches. My biggest concern: If you don’t add that reach and feel the sting in April, there is no solution.</p>
<p>My son’s best high school buddy graduated second in their class, with excellent test scores and ECs (including all-city honors in her varsity sport, repeated oratory competition wins, and lots of great roles in drama productions). Based on past results for the school, she would have been a shoo-in at at least one Ivy and competitive at any of them. Much to the dismay of her GCs, she didn’t apply to any of them. </p>
<p>Smith was always her top choice. She needed, and got, excellent financial aid, as well as a merit scholarship there. She is very happy (and stimulated) there.</p>
<p>S1 applied to three schools…all safeties. He just graduated. Loved his four years there.</p>
<p>we are in the same boat as missypie. will not qualify for FA but can’t pay full fare at privates.</p>
<p>my DD will apply to state u and schools where she is pretty much guaranteed good merit aid so that COA is in the ballpark of state u.</p>
<p>her dream school is baylor, which, after merit aid, is still about 10K too much $.</p>
<p>i will have her apply there to see if she gets more than the guaranteed merit scholarship, but we are not counting on it.</p>
<p>she doesn’t intend on applying to any reaches.</p>
<p>in your case rocketlouise, i think you should just because you will likely get generous FA.</p>
<p>it is ok to apply and get rejected. you won’t die. i promise. if you want, just keep it a secret, that way if you do get rejected nobody else will know about it.</p>
<p>It’s not necessary, especially if you have no desire to attend the school if you get accepted. If you even remotely want to check out the reach school, however, then it’s probably a good idea to apply.</p>
<p>You should apply only to schools that you are actually interested in attending if you are accepted; otherwise it’s a waste of time and money. If you’re happy with your current list and it has no reaches on it, just let it be. Tell your GC you have appreciate his suggestion but you don’t have any reach schools that excite you enough to bother applying to it.</p>