Build a Balanced College List to Have Options Next Spring

Last month, I got a call from a friend whose son went through the college application process last fall.  A senior with almost perfect SAT scores and extracurriculars related to his (competitive) intended major at an excellent public high school, he seemed a well-qualified candidate for any of the highly selective universities to which he’d applied. So, I shared my friend’s frustration when she shared that he’d been waitlisted or rejected from every reach and target school on his list.  Luckily, this boy had also applied to three fine “safety” institutions, all of which accepted him. As an IEC (independent educational consultant), I know that without them, this student’s story would’ve had a much grimmer ending.  (I didn’t work with this student, but to find out the results of those students with whom I did work, click here.)

Every IEC will have different guidance on what a balanced college list looks like.  But as admissions to the most highly selective colleges gets, well, more selective, all IECs will tell you that every student’s list contains a mixture of reach, target, and safety schools. 

In this post, I’ll describe what characteristics define an institution in each category.  I’ll also enumerate how many of each you should add to your list.  By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what reach, target, and safety schools look like for you, and how many of each should go on your college list – whether you’re working with an IEC or not.

Many IECs Now Prefer the Term “Likelies”

The term “safety school” connotes to some an institution lacking academic rigor and therefore undesirable.  Perhaps that’s why many IECs now prefer the terms “likely” or “opportunity” schools.  Acknowledging the unpredictability of college admissions, IECs (along with parents and school counselors) help reframe less selective schools as not just necessary additions to a student’s list, but attractive options in and of themselves.

No matter your GPA or test scores, include at least three “likelies” on your list.  A “likely” school is one that accepts more than 50% of students who apply and where your test score falls into its upper quartile (i.e., above the median).  As a more cautious IEC, I include four “likelies” on the lists that I curate for students with whom I work privately.  While none of my Class of 2025 have chosen to attend one of these schools, having them there helped the student, the family, and me as the IEC to all sleep better once applications were out of our hands!

Image by Mauro Gigli on Unsplash

IEC Commandment: “Target” or “Match” Schools Should Be the Most Numerous

In my private students’ lists, I include five target colleges.  By definition, a target college should be one where your GPA and scores should fall within the median of last year’s admitted class and where the acceptance rate is greater than 20%. Nevertheless, because admissions these days is so unpredictable – and because this category is the largest of the three – as an IEC, I recommend populating this part of your list with variety.  Your test scores might be in the high end of the median of one college you add, but the low end of another’s.  Additionally, one university’s acceptance rate might be 49% while another might be 25.  

Of course, how strong of a candidate you are for any given school might dictate whether a school with a 25 or 49% acceptance rate even belongs in the “target” category.  If your scores and GPA are below the median, even an institution with a 49% acceptance rate belongs in the “reach” category for you.

Image by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

IEC Golden Rule: For Every Reach, Add Another Target or Likely

When I build lists for private students, I often don’t need to research or add any reach schools.  Most students arrive at my Zoom door with a long list of Ivies, “alt Ivies,” or top 20 colleges to which they want to apply.

What qualifies as a reach school?  Any school that accepts less than 20% of its applicants – no matter where your GPA and scores fall relative to its median – renders it a reach in this IEC’s book.  In addition, anywhere your GPA and scores fall into the bottom quartile (i.e., below the median) is also a personal reach for you.

While I recommend applying to just three reach schools, most families with whom I work choose to apply to more.  For this reason, I’ll advise that for every reach school beyond three added to the list, they also add another likely or target.  In this way, the list maintains a rough balance. Hopefully, my advice also underscores that, by definition, reach schools are long shots.  To have a wide array of schools from which to choose in April, it’s crucial to have about twice as many target and likelies on your list as reaches.

Conclusion: These IEC Guidelines Are Just That

There’s no magic formula for creating an ideal college list.  However, with planning and knowledge about the current state of admissions — and introspection — you can build a list that’s both exciting and realistic. And of course, if you’re thinking that you might need a little help, feel free to drop me a line!