Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 15:24     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
VCU has a very good biology program. Ranks only behind VT and UVA in state for biology now and in top 10% of biology programs nationwide. Carnegie R1 funded research institution with a medical research campus in downtown Richmond. Urban campus.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 13:56     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Richmond and Holy Cross were targets for my kid, but you need to show demonstrated interest.

UMD was a slam dunk if you have strong stats (we are OOS). DI not necessary. Fordham a safety - but they may yield protect if you’re exceptionally strong.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 13:53     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Good to pick a city school those are in demand. Look at the problem with Colgate, Bucknell, and others with drops in applications.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 13:32     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Add Tufts to the Holy Cross suggestion. For pre-med both are fantastic.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 12:30     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
For my kid, reaches were colleges that accept less than 20%, targets were ones that accepted 20-50% and likelies were ones with over a 50% acceptance rate. It’s different for every kid and every school. Gender, major, male-female ratio, geography etc. can tilt things. My kid is a boy and a humanities person - I think that helped at the female-majority colleges where he applied.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 11:47     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Anonymous wrote:Obviously this will depend on the high school, students’ stats, etc., but for our high-stats kids we framed 20%–40% admit rates as “targets”, >40% admit rates as “likelies”. We didn’t use the word “safeties”, for all the normal reasons.

We did something similar using this matrix from College Kickstart, which combines test scores and admit rates to categorize schools: https://support.collegekickstart.com/hc/en-us/articles/217485088-Differences-Between-Likely-Target-Reach-and-Unlikely-Schools

It was really helpful!
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 11:18     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Obviously this will depend on the high school, students’ stats, etc., but for our high-stats kids we framed 20%–40% admit rates as “targets”, >40% admit rates as “likelies”. We didn’t use the word “safeties”, for all the normal reasons.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 11:15     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Anonymous wrote:Typically, your state flagship is your safety. However, it is probably not true in Virginia, and definitely not true in California. Michigan in-state yes a safety for their strong kids. Every other state, Ny, NJ, probably all true that you can use in-state flagship as a safety.

Private high schools are different, many do not apply to any state schools. DC used schools like Richmond, Rochester, Case as their safeties. Full pay, all accepted.

Richmond has like a 22% acceptance rate. It’s not a safety. Maybe for ED.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 10:46     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Interested in this:
"The tippy top student should apply to merit scholarships at Emory, Vanderbilt, WashU, etc. to overcome yield management."

Does applying for scholarships change the calculus for admissions?
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2026 08:47     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Anonymous wrote:Holy Cross and Richmond would check off a lot of boxes. Both fun schools.


Yes, Worcester is a hoot.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2026 18:53     Subject: Re:For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What is good safety for pre-med for top stats, UMass? Pitt?


Case if they show demonstrated interest. Case is also good with merit.


Money matters here, too. No way is Case a safety who students who need financial aid.


Most schools in the T100 are not safety schools if financial aid is a concern

Anonymous
Post 06/12/2026 17:29     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Anonymous wrote:Typically, your state flagship is your safety. However, it is probably not true in Virginia, and definitely not true in California. Michigan in-state yes a safety for their strong kids. Every other state, Ny, NJ, probably all true that you can use in-state flagship as a safety.

Private high schools are different, many do not apply to any state schools. DC used schools like Richmond, Rochester, Case as their safeties. Full pay, all accepted.


Except Rochester and case both have acceptance rates around 35-40%. So not yet at "safety" level.

My kid used them as their top targets and got into both, case gave $42K/year (4 years ago).

Anonymous
Post 06/12/2026 17:01     Subject: For strong students (grades, tests, ECs), what are your child's safeties and targets?
Anonymous wrote:Several students this year into ivys (mainly Cornell) but rejected from Emory. Emory is a Reach for everyone RD.


lol