<p>We have been using College Board and Princeton Review to determine reach-saftey and match. How much leeway do you allow? What is the determining factor? Is it SAT scores? GPA? % admitted? EC's? Of course I know it's a combination, but is their a "window" or range she should look at?</p>
<p>My daughter likes SUNY Geneseo, Binghamton & Marist as her 3 matches but I think they could all be reaches in today's economy. She is in the middle of their stats for the most part. She is also a URM. We are having a hard time coming up with reaches and the safteys seem really low and like she wouldn't be challenged.</p>
<p>Can someone give me an example? I have not put her stats for any real "chance me"!</p>
<p>If stats are 75th%-tile and higher = safety
50th%-tile to 75th%tile = match
25th%tile to 50th%tile = reach (the closer to the 25th%-tile the bigger the reach)
Below 25th%-tile = Hope, Pray and Why bother?</p>
<p>Of course this is only my starting point, some will argue I’m too restrictive others are going to say I’m too optimistic. I suggest visiting some of the free-to-register “chance me” sites around the web, (I’d list them but CC just *** out the names - too much competition I guess).</p>
<p>Yea I think those chanceme sites are a good starting point for getting an idea of what your chances are at a given college, but don’t put too much stock in them. Remember, the people that use these sites are self-selected.</p>
<p>schools vary in rigor. thus the best route is to log on to your school’s naviance page(if they have one). you’ll see the average gpa/sat of accepted students from your high school.</p>
<p>or ask a guidance counselor for anecdotal info.</p>
<p>In addition to what vinceh said (which I agree with), you have to also consider the acceptance rate. If your stats are in the 75th percentile but the acceptance rate is 10%, then that school is a reach for everyone. A conservative approach would be:</p>
<p>Acceptance rate below 30%: Reach
Acceptance rate between 30-50%: Reach or match, depending on how your stats line up
Acceptance rate above 50%: Probably a safety, although it depends on your stats and the closer it is to 50%, the more it might be a match.</p>