Which Reach Schools Should be on a College List TKG

Which Reach Schools Should be on a College List Reach schools: a sensitive topic. We know. Every year, we have to talk our clients down from 8 to 3 reach schools on their list, and it’s rarely pretty. Sometimes, there are tears. Often, there are large exhales. We understand that it’s challenging to whittle the “reach” category of your list down to a realistic size and scope because the college application process is probably one of the most challenging and stressful times in your life thus far. And making decisions when you’re stressed out is hard. We don’t envy you, but we do want to help you and remind you that with this blog post and every other one that we are on your side. We want you to go to college just as much as you do. So, which reach schools are appropriate to have on your college list? It depends on your test scores and GPA, of course. Everyone is different and thus, everyone has different reach schools. Take a look at median test scores and GPAs of accepted students to the various schools in which you†™re interested and place your scores and GPA along those spectrums. Are your numbers near the bottom or slightly below the lower end of those spectrums? It’s a reach for you. If your scores are way way below (like, more than 2 points on the ACT or 100 points on the SAT, we’d really encourage you to reconsider if it belongs on your list). We want balance. And that might mean reconsidering a dream school. As we said, we want you to get into college. And if you’re applying to 8 reach schools and 2 targets or safeties, you’re not setting yourself up for success. There are thousands of colleges in the US. Keep an open mind and remain flexible throughout this process. Easier said than done, we know.There are some schools, however, that are reaches for every single person, regardless of test scores and GPA, just because of their acceptance rate. The acceptance rate is # of total applicants divided by # applicants accepted. This seems obvious but it’s important to remember that th e chief determinant of universal “reach” status here is the sheer # of applicants. Of course, you might be qualified, but because there are just so many people applying, the odds that you’re accepted are not on our side. There are exceptions to every rule, but our best practice is that the following schools are reaches for almost everyone and really we aim for students to not have more than 2-3 on their list:HarvardStanfordYaleBrownCornellColumbiaDartmouthMITPrincetonDukeGeorgetownPomonaUC BerkeleyUSCJohns HopkinsTuftsNorthwesternIf you find yourself wanting to add more, really ask yourself why. Be specific. And “because it’s, like, it’s Harvard!!” is not a reason. Nor is, “well I’ve just always dreamed of going to Yale and everyone seems super happy there.” Insufficient. We grill our students on why they want to go to every school on their list and we expect them to have specific explanations and to have done their research. This is the same for these highly sel ective schools. As always, let us know if you need help figuring out the specifics on your reaches and overall college list.