I feel like a safety is something that has been well established: a school that you can 100% get in and 100% can afford (although, you really should be able to afford all the schools on your list, so I’ve been told).
A reach is anything that you have a low chance of getting into, but still have a chance (for example, let’s say you are at the 25% for scores and GPA at Purdue, then it would be a reach)
Out of reach is anything where your chance is so low that it doesn’t even make sense to apply because it’s a waste of money (a kid with a 25 ACT, and a 3.0 applying to harvard).
So then…what is a match? Is that when the average gpa/scores of that school line up with the prospective applicant? But this doesn’t hold up for the top 20 school. Are all of the top 20 schools inherently reaches (if not out of reach) due to the low acceptance rate? Is a match when you have a 50/50 chance of getting in…and if so, how would you be able to know?
Is it possible (hypothetically speaking: I’m not like this) for a person who is valedictorian of a competitive high school, and has a 1600 to not have match schools? (Since they would be applying to the top 20 and maybe their state school as a safety)
Any insight would be appreciated, as I’m repeatedly told that I don’t have any match schools on my list, just reaches and safeties, and I’d like some guidelines to finding some.
^^^That article sums it up very well. I would think that a terrific student, say 30-34 ACT or similar SAT, and compatible achievement in the classroom and in EC would have lots of match schools on the Forbes or USNWR college lists from say 20-100. The top 20 or so, more or less, are reaches for almost every student without something exceptional on top of great grades/scores. But beyond that there would be many matches, depending on state of residence, interest shown in a school, etc. How about Rochester, Oberlin, Case Western, WPI, RPI, Wellesley, Wisconsin, Washington (Seattle) (if not from CA/OR), SMU, Boston College, Holy Cross, Santa Clara, and Kenyon. I would think there would be others if a student applied ED/EA, like William and Mary, UVA, NYU, Wake Forest, Colgate, Brandeis, Boston University, Northeastern, maybe Michigan and Wesleyan (though Wesleyan has about pushed into reach-for-everyone range). There are others. Of course, some might be debatable and depend on the specific student–i.e. a male with a 30 ACT from CA vs. a female with a 33 ACT from TN. Of course, there’s the affordability issue with many of these.
There is no school that is absolutely garaunteed entirely. But I’d say the easy way to calculate what a match school is in specific terms is the following:
-Your SAT scores falls inside of the school’s 25%-75% range.
-Your Unweighted gpa falls inside of the schools 25%-75% range.
-The school’s enrollments falls inline with your particular category. For example, your [geographic location](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/01/30/is-it-an-advantage-or-a-disadvantage-to-be-an-out-of-state-applicant-to-a-state-school/?utm_term=.4b04bc8548b0), your intended major, etc.
-Your EFC after aid/grants shows potential to be comfortable with what they intend to charge you. If they think you will need large loans, they might get turned off by you because you may turn their acceptance down, or you may try it for a semester and then transfer away. This looks bad on their numbers so they’d prefer not to offer you a spot.
If you just give us your efc, sat-math, sat-criticalreading, unweighted gpa, intended major, geographic location preference, we might be able to suggest a few schools to you.
“So a match school is one where it’s likely that the student will be accepted (75%+ chance), but it isn’t guaranteed?”
Yes, well said. It is also a school where it is very likely that it will be affordable. For example, a match might be a school that typically awards a merit scholarship to students with greater than some particular GPA and SAT. If you need the scholarship to attend but expect to get it then it is a match. If you need the scholarship to attend and getting it is a long shot, then it is not a match.
Hmm. I’m in one of those interesting high score, lower GPA. My GPA is a 3.5-3.6 (it’s between those two and my first semester of my senior year will move it up or down), however, my school is extremely competitive and known for grade deflation and this GPA does put me in the top 10% of my class (Where in that 10% I do not know). My ACT score, on the flip side, is a 36. I’m often in the interesting situation in which my scores are often above the 75%, but my GPA is below it. As such, finding a match is kinda tricky.
How would you go about looking for a match when you have a high scores, “low” GPA profile?
I would look at the common data set and maybe weigh the percentage that are in the top 10% of their class to see if you are in the range. A school where 50% of their students come from the top 10% of the class would probably be more of a match for you even if your GPA was what you deem on the lower end. You will be reviewed in the context of your HS school. AOs know that a 3.6 at a highly competitive magnet school that doesn’t weigh GPAs is not the same as a 3.6 at your average HS.
Your stats look familiar. Merit aid schools look for high scores IMO because they compare themselves to others’ scores. For example, an ACT of 36 will get excellent merit aid at Jesuit schools that are not named BC or Georgetown.
It is not just test score and GPA but the chance with that stat. For schools that has a below 20% admission rate, it is likely a reach or low reach no matter what score or GPA you have. So don’t just look at the mid 50 and assume it is a match because your stat is within or in the upper range.
Schools which have assured or automatic admission for known in advance stats that the student has, and which are known to be affordable, are as close to guaranteed as possible.
@ConcernedRabbit, we just went through the process with twin DD’s and found that schools where they were at the top 25% were matches until you delved into the top-20 schools and then they are reaches for everyone.