What are the 3rd and 4th tier schools?

Please keep in mind, Reach/Match/Safety designation is not just a function of your GPA and test scores compared to the mean or 25-75% stats; you must also take into account the admissions rate.

For instance:

If you are at the 75th percentile stats for GPA and SAT, but the admit rate is only 10%, you cannot call that school a Match; if you are unhooked and applying RD, it’s a reach or, at best, a low reach. (ED improves chances pretty much everywhere, of course…)

If you are at the 75th percentile and the admissions rate is 35%, now i think you’re moving into Match territory.

Of course, we need to define the chance categories. I define chances like this:

High reach: <5% chance of getting in
Reach: 5-15%
Low reach: 15-25%
High match: 25-40%
Match: 40-60%
Low match: 60-90%
Safety: >90% chance

You should also factor in your ability to pay, because if it isn’t affordable, it doesn’t matter if you get in; which type of app you’ll be doing (ED, EA, RD…); different admit rates for different schools/programs (like Engineering, Business, etc.); etc.