<p>Tom, the admit rate is never 100%, and especially not (in my opinion) if all or most of the performance scores are "in the mid-50% range." To me, for a school to be a "safety" the critical scores (test, GPA) must be in the top 25%, but that's only a necessary condition, not a * sufficient* condition.</p>
<p>Obviously, the "average" admit rate can be taken into account, but there's no a priori level at which you can say someone with scores and grades in the mid-50% makes admission a "safety." (And of course in highly selective schools all students may well be "reaches" even if their scores are in the top-25%.)</p>