In trying to decide which schools are reach, target/attainable, or safety, should I be looking at the school's reported average SSAT scores, or at the acceptance rate? For example, if my score is in the 89th percentile, would I consider a school whose average SSAT is 89% and acceptance is 16%, to be a target or a reach? Thank you for any advice you may offer.
It really depends on who you are.
Let's say the school has a 80th percent and a 31% acceptence rate. For a genius, and a person that has LOTS of ECs and is pretty much a fantastic applicant, that would maybe be a target. But if the school had a 94th percent SSAT and a 14% acceptence rate, that would be a reach for the genius.
Otherwise, for a not-so-genius person, but still very smart, that 2nd school would be near impossible, and the first would be more of a reach/target. Between the two.
