Reach/Match/Safety

<p>Generally speaking, is this how you should set up your college list into reaches, matches and safeties with regards to SAT scores?
Looking at the schools 75%, Average (50%), and 25%</p>

<p>Over 75% then pretty much in.</p>

<p>If at 75% (give or take 20 points) then it is a safety.</p>

<p>If at 50% (give or take 20 points) then it is a match.</p>

<p>If at 25% (give or take 20 points) then it is a reach.</p>

<p>Under 25% then extremely high reach. </p>

<p>*for lower ivy's, schools ranked in the 20's and 30's by USNWR, and some a little lower (60's, 70's, etc) </p>

<p>also, i know that obviously if you are over 75% for an ivy it is never a pretty much in or a safety </p>

<p>Thankyou</p>

<p>I just did: scores way above high end of range = Safety, scores a bit above/at high end of range = Match, scores in low end of range = Reach.</p>

<p>75% chance is not a safety. Safeties need to be at least 95%.</p>

<p>Likewise, I wouldn’t call under 25 percent an extremely high reach. That would be more like 2-3 percent.</p>

<p>Edit: I thought you were using the percents as chances, not the percentile ranges for SAT scores. Even in that case, though: being in the 75th percentile rarely, if ever, renders a school a safety.</p>

<p>Reaches, matches and safeties also take into account the percentage of applicants accepted. Even if you’re in the 95+% range, if the school only admits 8% of applicants it is a reach. If the school admits over 50% then I think your % are fairly accurate. Needless to say, a safety should also be someplace you can afford to attend.</p>

<p>Also take in consideration any hooks or anti hooks. A school that would be a match for a person in an underrepresented state might be a high reach for a white male in NY/NJ…also a school with a high female to male ratio might want more guys…you have to look at the context of you within the applicant pool.</p>