Anonymous wrote:She doesn't need a reach.

Right now my DDs list (a little bit higher stats than OP) is all safeties and matches. We're visiting W&M soon and she may add that as a reach but she isn't interested in any others. And that's all for the best since any other reach will be too expensive (you don't get good merit aid from a reach).

+100

Finally someone makes sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you care about applying to a reach just because it’s a reach?

Look for schools that have her major. Look for schools with people she likes, where she would be a fit, where she would be excited to learn.

Hobart and William Smith
St Mary’s of Maryland
Goucher
U Delaware
Juniata
Ohio State
Allegheny
College of Wooster

There are literally thousands of colleges in the US. Why pull this random of 7 or 8 out of your a$$? I'll never understand why posters do this. Ohio State and Hobart and William Smith in the same sentence? HUH???

Omg, it doesn’t make sense to you, so that means it doesn’t make sense to anyone. We should all listen to you!

Please shed your wisdom upon us, o Great One.

The list is a mix of big / small and private / public because who knows what OP’s kid wants to study or what they like?

Applying to a school because it’s a reach doesn’t make sense.

But please. We are all ready to sit at your feet to listen to your great wisdom.

Anonymous wrote:Is she willing to retake the SAT? My DD had a 1290 summer after junior year and that went up to 1390 in October of senior year with no additional prep. She got into W&M ED (4.1W GPA).

What year was that? Just wondering if the same might hold true now.

FCPS I wish DS had some safeties. NE, BU, CWRU, UVA, W&M, UMD, Lehigh, Pitt and GW. Refuses to ED VA schools. Merit is necessary for OOS, privates. 3.97/4.5, 1560. He may have to learn the hard way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She doesn't need a reach.

Right now my DDs list (a little bit higher stats than OP) is all safeties and matches. We're visiting W&M soon and she may add that as a reach but she isn't interested in any others. And that's all for the best since any other reach will be too expensive (you don't get good merit aid from a reach).

No reach on my kid's list either. He's well in range for his first choice (W&M - we're VA residents), so that's a target, even though we know it's not a guarantee. While he might have a decent shot getting into an even higher ranked school OOS, there's no way he'd get merit to make it affordable for us so what's the point?

This, if the kid knows where they want to go, there's no reason to add reaches just for giggles. My DS wanted UVA first choice, W&M second and knew we couldn't afford Georgetown, Middlebury or Ivies. He was well in range to both of those schools, and was pretty confident he'd get into either. He applied ED to UVA and was done. Absolutely loving UVA and its affordable.

My DD applied to one reach test optional just to see... and did not get in. Well at least we only wasted one app fee.

interesting question, as many of us have sort of the opposite puzzle (making a reach-heavy list)

Having a list of schools you're happy with and know you have a good or great chance of being admitted to is an enviable position to be in. Don't spend too much time on something that doesn't need to happen.

Don't forget a safety. Plenty of matches have suddenly become reaches the past few years.

Anonymous wrote:She doesn't need a reach.

Right now my DDs list (a little bit higher stats than OP) is all safeties and matches. We're visiting W&M soon and she may add that as a reach but she isn't interested in any others. And that's all for the best since any other reach will be too expensive (you don't get good merit aid from a reach).

No reach on my kid's list either. He's well in range for his first choice (W&M - we're VA residents), so that's a target, even though we know it's not a guarantee. While he might have a decent shot getting into an even higher ranked school OOS, there's no way he'd get merit to make it affordable for us so what's the point?

Have you looked at these kinds of lists?

https://www.cappex.com/colleges/sat/1300

I am aware that because of the region we're in here, there's always one poster who cranks out the same old list.

I would recommend also looking at College Confidential and running those numbers, seeing what comes up.

So my DD, a 21 HS grad, had slightly higher stats but was very clear on what she wanted, both as a field of study and in a campus. She applied to one low reach ED (she was on the lower end of their range) and 1 target and one safety. Got into all of them (and attends the ED choice). The point is that she tailored her list to what she wanted and had the stats to match her choices. She did not want to apply anywhere else. If you are not shooting for those highly competitive schools, you can focus your energy on finding the best fit options instead of making longer lists.

Is she willing to retake the SAT? My DD had a 1290 summer after junior year and that went up to 1390 in October of senior year with no additional prep. She got into W&M ED (4.1W GPA).

Anonymous wrote:I think there are reaches - could be University of Miami or Emory or Wisconsin or something like those? Not Ivy league but still she has a shot. But try to figure out what she likes and then level up.

Or, just take the application fee to these three colleges and throw it out the window. These are beyond reach. Maybe if one was the true “dream” school.

My kid had a 3.8uw (4.5w) and test scores that weren't as strong. Not terrible, but in the TO world, anything that isn't absolutely top of the pack is not helpful. We nudged him toward schools that have historically been TO, even before the pandemic. That way, you know they're not just giving lip service to TO. There are more schools like this than you'd expect.

Reaches might be schools with optional SAT score submission?

My kid did Bowdoin and Hamilton, did not get in. But I was glad she gave her favored schools a shot.