Creating the College List: Reach, Target, and Safety Defined

As discussed last week’s blog 7 Myths About College Choice, a quality college applications process is driven by data not emotion, fact not fiction.

In a world where prolific publications profit by sensationalizing—often with misleading data—having a strategy to help cancel out the college admissions noise will ensure that a strategic, data driven, and successful plan is generated and executed. #BeStrategic

Good Fit: Defined

The core component of a data driven college applications plan is the list of good-fit colleges. When discussing colleges, the term “good fit” is used often.  But what exactly does “good fit” mean? In many ways, it is completely subjective. That said, within the subjective messiness, I believe that “good fit” comes down to four criteria: academic fit, social fit, emotional fit, and financial fit. In the absence of “good fit,” students end up unhappy, unfulfilled, and unsuccessful, while parents may end up with so much debt that retirement becomes that thing only other people do.

#GoodFit = #AcademicFit + #SocialFit + #EmotionalFit + #FinancialFit

Unlikely, Target, Likely: Defined

Every college list should contain good fit schools across 3 categories—unlikely, target, and unlikely.

ONE: Unlikely

While you have a shot, statistically, it is not probable. "Unlikely" schools include schools where:

•        Your standardized test scores and/or GPA are in or near the bottom 25% of previously accepted students
•        The school has an acceptance rate of 30% or less

TWO: Target.

You have a decent chance of acceptance, but it is by no means a done deal. "Target" schools include schools where:

•        Your standardized test scores and/or GPA are in the middle 50% of previously accepted students
•        The school has an acceptance rate of 50% or more

THREE: Likely.

You should feel reasonably assured that you will be admitted to "Likely" schools. "Likely" schools include schools where:

•        Your standardized test scores and/or GPA are stronger than 75% of previously accepted students
•        The school has an acceptance rate of 60% or more

Note: Based on individual profiles, the acceptance rate may vary in the safety category.

Final Thought: Check your Mindset

As you create your list, it is important to be open-minded and resist the temptation to hyper-focus on one school or a single type of school (e.g., only highly selective). Doing so can lead to disappointment and will prevent you from being a truly informed consumer. If you have a top choice, great; but don’t allow that to prevent you from learning about new possibilities and generating a list that reflects your aspirations and interests, and importantly ensures that you gain admissions to a handful of schools you can then choose from. #BeOpenMinded

For more information on how to define good fit for YOU, making an informed college list, and on how we take the stress out of your college application process, please contact me at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com. #SayNotoStress