<p>Having been through the college search process before with D, I am left with a simple question to ask but a more difficult one to answer. My S has seen a school which is a solid match for him and which he seems to really like. We have a suitable safe school lined up as well. The question is, why should we include a reach(s) school? His match school is a LAC in the USN&WR top 50. His reach school would be a rather large university in the top 25. If he feels happy and comfortable at his match, is there a good reason to take a chance he may not thrive at a reach school. He is likley to go on to law school and frankly, I am not sure it makes that much difference in law school admissions whether he gets a 3.8 a top 50 LAC or a 3.3 at a higher ranked University. This is close to but not exactly the same as the fit vs. prestige threads because this focuses on that issue as well as the likely drop in grades at the reach school.</p>
<p>If your son has already found his dream school and it happens to be a match, good for him. There is no required formula to college admissions; don't feel obligated to tack on reach schools if he doesn't want them (or if you think attending a university would poorly affect his studies). </p>
<p>I personally didn't apply to any reach schools. I did have a high-match, but not really a reach. And yet I'm still satisfied with the list of schools I applied to.</p>
<p>I think it would be good to apply to more than two schools, though. Three sounds better. Maybe two matches and one safety? Just in case something odd happens with the one match - that by some fluke he doesn't get in or he decides for whatever reason that it is not the school for him.</p>
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am not sure it makes that much difference in law school admissions whether he gets a 3.8 a top 50 LAC or a 3.3 at a higher ranked University.
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<p>Au contraire -- it will make a HUGE difference to law schools since they are first and foremost all about the numbers (gpa+lsat). While law schools might discount a gpa from Podunk U, they won't discount much at all if attending a top 50 Uni or LAC. And, any discount is gonna be small, not 0.5 grade points.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I might actually check with my alma mater (law school that is) and ask what they think of the particular LAC in question. I am aware that they have created what they call "power ratings" for most undergraduate schools and I will be able to find out what it is for the LAC in question. As for the reach, I just hate to have S reach just for the sake of prestige if he feels the fit is better at his match school.</p>