Should you encourage your child in their reach schools or gently advise them against a reach?

[Anonymous]

Encourage your child to apply to their reach, or not?

[Anonymous]

Of course! Your child doesn't want to wake up at 40 and wonder..."what if I had gotten into x"...

Why wouldn't you? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Anonymous]

That was my thought as well. Thank you for the advice.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you encourage. A reach isn't supposed to be a pipe dream, it's suppose to be a school that's a possibility, even if unlikely. If you encourage them to only ever take the safe course, you send the message that you don't think they're capable of more, and shouldn't strive for things.

[Anonymous]

As long as they have safeties - ideally will have a choice, sure apply to the reach.

I think it's silly when parents brag that their child got into all schools they applied to - like they are happy their child didn't face any disappointments.

[Anonymous]

OP, why not? Is this about finances? Meaning that the reach schools will offer less than the safeties?

[Anonymous]

I only let my kids apply to schools we would pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, why not? Is this about finances? Meaning that the reach schools will offer less than the safeties?

The schools are only ones we can pay for.

[Anonymous]

Yes, always include some reaches, but encourage your child to be realistic about his/her chances.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I will encourage a reach for the stars then.

[Anonymous]

Encourage, yes. Build expectations of attending, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only let my kids apply to schools we would pay for.

Exactly. There were some reaches that my DS might have actually gotten into, but for us, it comes down to finances. Much more practical to go to an excellent in-state school than go into debt trying to pay for the dream school.

[Anonymous]

Applying to a TRUE reach school is not a good strategy, but you shouldn't consider schools a "reach" too quickly. The key is identifying and applying to multiple elite schools that you COULD “fall in love” with and not just fall in love with one "reach" school. With this approach it is statistically easier to get into a top school than it was in the past (provided you apply to multiple top schools):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2dkeYnEzA

[Anonymous]

And obviously don't make DC apply to schools just because they are highly ranked if DC doesn't like them. My DC got a bad vibe at the two most highly ranked schools we visited, although he could probably get into both of them. Shockingly, not every kid wants an "elite" school even if he is in the range for it.

[Anonymous]

Of course!

Maybe not one of those schools that takes 6-7% of applicants, if your kid doesn't have straight As and SATs over 2200. If he does have these stats, however, then let him apply to 2 or 3 of these.

But other PPs are absolutely right:
- Let him apply to 2-3 reaches, 2-3 targets (his stats are in the 50-75% range of accepted kids) and 2-3 sure things (he's well over the average stats for kids who are accepted)
- Don't let him fall in love too hard for the reach. Don't let him start building his identity about going to the reach.
- If he's applying ED to the reach, the odds are more in his favor (but this isn't true if he's applying EA or SCEA to the reach).

Here's or experience. DC really wanted to apply ED to a reach (a 6-7% overall admit school). I advised DC strongly to apply ED to a certain still-very-good target school where that ED bump would really ensure acceptance. DC insisted on applying to the reach, I let DC do it because I figured s/hed have a second crack during the regular admission round, but DC did get into the reach.