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Yep, that’s what the “veterans” told my daughter, too. </p>
<p>The best advice I got was from some delighted cc kid who had managed to be accepted at a dream college despite scores 100 points below range for her school: You can’t get in if you don’t apply. </p>
<p>I think the counselors get jaded because they work with groups of students, so they see the big, statistical picture and not the exceptions. They are also probably frustrated by having to deal with prestige-obsessed parents and students with unrealistically high expectations. So I understand why they might say, “don’t bother”. </p>
<p>But from the point of view of the individual with high aspirations … that’s dumb advice. The “include safeties” part is excellent advice. The idea of making it an equal distribution between safeties/matches/reaches is questionable since (a) the odds of getting into a true safety are so much higher that there is no particular benefit in applying to many - two are plenty to hedge bets unless the student is hunting for merit aid, and (b) as between matches & reaches, there is no guarantee of being admitted at either, so it makes more sense to simply apply to the colleges that the student most wants to attend. </p>
<p>I suppose my d. fits the “unusual talent” or “particular set of circumstances” exception in the veteran counselor’s statement… but only because she created that circumstance through her own efforts through high school. So that exception is big enough to eliminate the rule, which might be better stated: “don’t apply unless you can articulate a compelling reason why your dream college ought to accept you”.</p>