Building your college list is an exciting time! You’re exploring your options and thinking about what your future could look like. While it’s important to dream big, it’s also crucial to make plans for all possible scenarios so that you aren’t left without options come graduation. When building your list, focus on a well-rounded set of safety, target, and reach schools. Aim for two to three safe or likely schools, four to six target schools, and two to three reach schools. Not sure what that means? Let’s dive in!
Safety Schools
Safety schools are very similar to how they sound: a safe school choice that you are likely to be admitted to. You should be above the academic averages of the institution, making you an easy acceptance. Just because it’s a safe school though doesn't mean it doesn’t have much to offer. In fact, it might be just the opposite! If you are above the average, you may receive more in school scholarships, admissions to honors colleges, or even preferential housing because they want more students like you to come to their school.
You might choose to attend your safety school because of lower overall tuition costs, proximity to home, a great social life, lots of student activities on campus, or because it just feels right. Do your research and plan to apply to two or three safety schools that offer degrees you’re interested in, feel like the college experience you’re looking for in terms of class size, location, etc., and with tuition rates you can manage.
Target Schools
Target schools are places where you look like the students who were admitted last year. You should have a good shot of being admitted this year! You might find it helpful to look at the school’s acceptance rates, and average GPA and test scores of students accepted when doing your research. However, just because you fall within the average keep in mind these schools are still competitive and there’s no guarantee you’ll be admitted.
Continue building your resume with extracurriculars, volunteering, taking the right classes, and finding mentors who can help write you a letter of recommendation. Spend time getting familiar with your target schools through in-person or virtual campus tours, connecting with students, and doing research via their website and social media channels. Plan to apply to roughly four to six target schools on your list to give yourself a better chance of acceptance at one of these schools.
Dream Schools
A dream school, or reach school, is somewhere that is more selective, including for students with high GPAs and those with amazing extracurricular activities on their resume. You might also consider a certain college a dream school because of family ties, always envisioning yourself there, or the prestige of a certain program.
While it’s a great idea to add two or three dream schools to your college list, these schools will be difficult to get into. You will have to work hard and even then, it’s not a guarantee. You may find that these dream schools come with higher tuition costs which may not be realistic, especially if you plan to pay for college on your own. Depending on the school, they may also be in more expensive city locations that come with higher rent, travel costs, food costs, etc.
However, a dream school is a dream school for a reason! If you find yourself weighing the pros and cons and would still attend, then add it to your list and see what happens. Make connections with the campus by attending a campus tour, meeting alumni, speaking with admissions representatives and more. Consider applying early, creating an outstanding resume with a mix of extracurricular activities and strong leadership roles, using your summer to attend camps or other activities hosted by the school, and earning a high ACT score to stand out from other applicants.
Want to keep exploring how to research and choose the right college? Watch the Finding Your Fit: Researching & Choosing the Right College My Journey event on-demand now!
