Reach, Target, and Safety Schools: What They Really Mean π―
If youβve spent some time starting to craft a college application list, youβve likely heard the terms βreachβ, βtargetβ, and βsafetyβ, or perhaps another variation. If you havenβt, no problemβthatβs what weβre going to dive into right now!
βReachβ, βtargetβ, and βsafetyβ are 3 categories that people generally group by when creating a college list. Theyβre designed to make sure you get a balanced mix between schools that give you the best chances of admission, while also ensuring you still aim high. Which school corresponds to which category depends entirely on the individual student, but the main concepts stay the same.
At Eritus, we also created a 4th category, what we call βSuper-reachβ. This is typically reserved for students who are targeting Top-20 schools (i.e. schools that have incredibly low acceptance rates and are known for being very difficult to gain admission to).
When it comes to classifying each college into one of these categories, you have to remember to take into account your holistic application. Not just your test scores, not just your GPA, not just your transcript, but your experiences, your extracurriculars, your volunteering, your work experience etc. are all critical components that affect the calculus of admissions.
So, how do we define Safety, Target, and Reach? π§
β What is a Safety School?
As the name suggests, this group of schools should be schools that you feel confident youβll be accepted to. In general, if you look at the acceptance statistics for a given college over the past several years, our rule-of-thumb is that your numerical stats (i.e. your GPA and SAT/ACT) should be above the 75th percentile of accepted students. Of course, the more youβre beyond that threshold, the stronger your application will be. Beyond this, a true safety should also be a school the student would actually be willing to attend, that the family can realistically afford, and where a studentβs intended major isnβt dramatically more selective than the university overall (e.g. CS, nursing, business, engineering, etc.).
That said, academics arenβt the only criteria and you should also take into consideration your extracurriculars (ECs). For example, if youβre in the top quartile of accepted students academically, but you donβt have any strong extracurriculars, then it may not be a safety school for youβit may in fact be a Target or even a Reach. (Remember that itβs a holistic application!)
Regardless, the takeaway here is that you should have strong confidence (ideally >80%) that youβll be admitted to this school.
βοΈ What is a Target School?
This slew of schools will be for those whose stats you are approximately a match for, i.e. your numerical numbers are around the 50th percentile / median of those students admitted. Our hope is that you should be admitted to roughly half of the schools that are a target for you, or in other words, a coin-flip: realistic, but far from guaranteed. Bear in mind that the same caveats apply as to the Safety schools insofar as your application is holistic, not just numbers.
Moreover, the more selective a school is (approximately <30% acceptance rate), the less important just meeting the stats is going to mean. For example, if you apply to UC San Diego (~27-28% acceptance rate), your GPA is going to be one of only many components of your application. As schools become increasingly more selective, the numerical stats start to act more as a consideration minimum rather than a competitive trait. In other words, if you donβt meet their numerical criteria, youβre already going to be rejected, but meeting the numerical criteria just means you now have an opportunity to really showcase yourself.
π What is a Reach School?
These are schools that you have low confidence in. Usually these will be schools for which your stats would place you in the bottom 25% of admitted students, or maybe marginally higher. Beyond this, at Eritus, we also believe that any school that has less than a 20% acceptance rate is always going to be a Reach for almost any student. (Of course exceptions apply such as recruited athletes or Nobel Prize winners, but for most students this is applicable.)
Reach schools are often where your βDreamβ school might be. Theyβre difficult to get into, and you likely have a small chance of admission, but that doesnβt mean itβs impossible. Thatβs why preparing your application as best you can is so important; you have to paint yourself in the most flattering light!
For your Reaches, you likely will only be accepted to 10-20% of them if you are lucky. Itβs very common for most students to receive entirely rejections from their Reaches, but itβs also possible to get 1 or 2 acceptances.
π What is a Super-reach School?
This is our own category that we created as schools have become more and more selective over the past several years. We believe that any school that has less than a 10% acceptance rate (overall) falls into this category. Similar to Reach schools, this applies to almost any student, regardless of how strong the application may be (with the same notable exceptions as above).
This category often includes the top-20 schools, like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, University of Chicago, etc. With this tranche of schools being so difficult to get into, we generally try to prepare students for the likelihood that they may be rejected by most, if not all, of these schools. Ideally, similar to your Reach schools, you may get into 1 or 2, but thatβs the exception more often than not.
That said, itβs still worth it to try, especially if you have a strong application! With good grades, commanding test scores, and in-depth extracurriculars, itβs always a possibility. We always say, donβt close the door on yourself by not applying; give yourself a chance by letting others close it for you, since sometimes, they may just keep it open.
So, how many schools should you apply to? π
This is a question we get a lot, and the answer is: it depends. But it primarily depends on your appetite for doing the applications as well as the rigor of the colleges youβre applying to.
In general, we recommend the following:
| Category | Recommended School Count |
|---|---|
| Safety | 3 colleges |
| Target | 6-7 colleges |
| Reach | 3+ colleges |
| Super-reach | 0+ colleges |
The Safety and Target numbers are fairly robust. But the Reaches and Super-reaches are somewhat flexible. Weβve had students who apply to exactly 3 Reaches, and students who apply to 6-8 Reaches as well as 5-6 Super-reaches.
A lot of balance depends on what schools youβre applying to and where you want to go (as well as your application strategy, e.g. early vs regular etc.) The right number also depends on how many supplemental essays each school requires, application fees, and how much time you can realistically spend without sacrificing quality.
Common Mistakes to Avoid β οΈ
Not applying to enough schools. This happens every year, where someone applies to only a few schools and maybe gets into only 1 or even none. Make sure you have enough breadth to feel comfortable once decisions roll out.
Overestimating your application. Many students believe their application is stronger than it actually is, and thus misclassify what their Safeties, Targets, and Reaches are. This can result in very minimal admissions, which causes a lot of undue stress and anxiety.
Underestimating your application. Conversely to the above, some students undersell themselves and donβt apply to enough Reaches. In other words, they self-eliminate. Never do this! Believe in yourself, and put your best foot forward.
Following your friends. Both in terms of applications and decisions, students sometimes emulate their friendsβ strategies. But you are different from your friendβyou need a bespoke strategy. Take the time and make a list that makes sense for you!
If youβre feeling stuck or overwhelmed, or donβt know how to gauge yourself, donβt worry. Itβs a common thing to struggle with. If you have questions or want to get a better understanding of where you stand, feel free to contact us via the button below, or send us an email at hello@eritus.co.
