<p>i know this is a stupid question but can someone describe to me reach, slight reach, match, etc. i know it's pretty obvious but just making sure :D thanks!</p>
<p>Reach = there are two kinds of reaches; 1. where your grades/test scores/ ECs are not quite on par with other accepted students, but maybe they'll like your app anyway for any number of reasons, so it's still worth applying, and 2. some schools are just so sought after (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Williams, Amherst, Pomona, and schools in that catagory) that even students with stats that are as strong as any other applicant might not get in because they just can't accept every qualified student who applies.</p>
<p>A slight reach is a reach but where the odds might be a bit more in your favor.</p>
<p>Match = your stats are right in there, or in the even in the high-middle range of accepted students. You basically have a good shot at getting in, but it's not a slam dunk.</p>
<p>Safety = these are usually schools that accept a very high percentage of applicants, and/or your stats are well above their median range.</p>
<p>A lot of people here will tell you --and they're right-- that finding a safety school that you would be happy to attend and that you can afford is worth its weight in gold as you go through the application process and deal with financial aid, etc. You can apply to all the reaches you want, but you will be on such solid ground no matter how things shake out if you have that on your list of schools. A couple excellent match schools are also a wonderful thing. It's really worth the investment of time and energy to identify those match and safety schools.</p>
<p>I think there is a nice overview by Tokenadult somewhere on CC regarding the categories, try to dig it up.</p>