College List vs. GC

ucbalumnus
Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:36:24 +0000

alynor:

Is there a general consensus on which schools are always reaches?



Beyond the usual super selective schools where an applicant with “near maximum” academic stats will be rejected more likely than not, there is also another category of reaches for students who need a lot of financial aid: schools which usually give insufficient need based aid, where the chance of getting enough need based aid and/or merit scholarships is low (but greater than zero). Beyond that, schools which have no chance of being affordable are out of reach and should not be applied to.

Cost safety: definitely affordable at list price or under minimum possible financial aid awards based on stated policies.

Cost match: more likely than not to have sufficient financial aid to be affordable.

Cost reach: more likely than not to have insufficient financial aid to be affordable.

Cost out-of-reach: definitely unaffordable.

Any real safety must be a safety for both admissions and cost. When classifying reach, match, and safety, use the higher of the admissions and cost categories to get an overall classification (i.e. admissions reach + cost safety = reach; admissions safety + cost match = match; admissions match + cost reach = reach; admissions match + cost out-of-reach = don’t apply).