College 101: Target Vs. Reach Vs. Safety - Shmoop

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Safety

Important Stats
  • A SAFETY school is what it sounds like: a school where you are very confident that—barring some sort of catastrophe—you are going to be accepted.
  • Your stats exceed all the requirements, and the subjective parts of your application will blow them away. This isn’t a “throw away” school, however. Make sure it is one you want to attend if need be.
Pros

You’re going to get in. And since you did your research, you would be happy attending Community Fishing College of the Puget Sound (home of the Plankton-Eating Killer Whales!) if it came down to that.

Cons

You didn’t put in the research, and this school ends up being your only option and it isn’t for you. Gap year (bring your shirt-folding skills), here we come…

Bet on a School as a Safety If: You feel very confident about your chances of getting accepted, you wouldn’t be embarrassed to tell people about it, and you would genuinely enjoy attending that college.

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