Every university filling out the Common Data Set (CDS) mentions standardised test scores cut-offs for 25%ile and 75%ile. My questions are as below and I hope forum members would provide specific answers against each one of them:
There are no safeties for international students except for the relatively small number of institutions that guarantee admission based on grades and exam scores, and also extend that policy to international students.
Generally speaking, what would be safe for a US applicant would be a match for an international, and what would be a match for a US applicant would be a reach for an international.
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If only a small number of institutions guarantee admissions based on grades and exam scores, then what do the majority of them base their admissions on…?? 
Essay, teacher recommendation, YOUR ABILITY TO PAY(except handful of need blind schools), extracurricular activities, awards/recognition.
But I suppose these factors are true for domestics too, right? … except FA probably.
Yes.
Many schools are need blind for domestic, but not for international kids.
Basically, if your stats are mediocre and don’t have money to study in the US, you are out of luck
Let’s suppose the International student doesn’t need FA - how does one interpret the standardised test score percentiles with a view to deciding SAFE, MATCH and REACH schools…?
Of course, de facto that should push the more expensive schools to the REACH category. But how about the others where COA is less than, say $40k - how would you use the test score %iles to decide SAFE, MATCH and REACH?
A good question. If you look at the distribution of test scores of admitted students the median figure would almost always be less than simply the midpoint between these two brackets. The score a student actually needs to get admitted depends on their unique circumstances. Are you an athlete, legacy or minority? If so, being in the bottom quartile or even below the bottom quartile and you might get in. If you are an unhooked applicant with middling ECs and financial need, you better be more towards the 75 percentile or higher. International students are in a completely different category because most colleges effectively cap international admits at somewhere between 5 percent and 15 percent of admissions. If you are applying to a less selective college you might be fine, if you are applying to say Harvard you are basically competing with the strongest students from India, China and many other countries
So, for an International student who doesn’t need FA and whose GPA, EC’s etc. are OK, can we say:
Moderately selective college (Acceptance rate > 50%):
SAFE: score >= 65%ile
MATCH: 50%ile <= score <= 65%ile
REACH: 25%ile <= score <= 50%ile
Selective colleges (Acceptance rate < 50%)
SAFE: score >= 75%ile
MATCH: 60%ile <= score <= 75%ile
REACH: 25%ile <= score <= 60%ile
Any comments on the above?
the term “selective” is not definite. I wouldn’t call 50% that selective, albeit not un-selective either.
However, just know that Int acceptance for very selective schools(<20%) is much lower than admission rate that shows up in CDS. For example, W&L is about 14~17%, but Int acceptance rate is 7.4% in 2014 admission perid.
OK… let’s simply go by the acceptance rates defined above. So, any comments on the SAFE, MATCH, REACH criteria ?
Safe: 100% confidence you will get in. NO financial trouble.
Match: Fairly confident you can get in, but money issue can be a problem.
Reach:
With selective schools, there is no level of score that is safe, even for domestic students.
Safety/Match/Reach for an international student who has no financial need, and can fully pay all costs of his/her education is very similar (but still not the same) as for a US applicant who can fully pay all costs of his/her education. Even when the money issue is removed, admissions remains a bit tougher for international students.
While many public universities do indeed guarantee admission for students in that state with certain grades and test scores, that guarantee does not always include international applicants who were educated in that state, or applicants from outside that state.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1562918-updated-list-of-schools-with-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria.html#latest
Yes, I agree with happymomof1… all other things being constant, the domestic will get preference over the International. But that’s fair too, isn’t it…? 
Still, how would you put your choices in terms of test scores? That’s what the OP is all about…
For an international who doesn’t need financial aid,
Moderately selective college (Acceptance rate > 50%):
SAFE: score >= 75-80%ile
MATCH: 60%ile <= score <= 75%ile
REACH: Any score that’s not in the top 40%
Selective colleges (Acceptance rate < 50%)
SAFE: score >= 95%ile
MATCH: 75%ile <= score <= 95%ile
REACH: any score that’s below the 75% mark
As indicated above, for internationals, what is a match for a domestic applicant is a reach. In addition, scores aren’t a good predictor at all, your country’s typical applicants’ profile rather is.
What about internationals INSIDE THE US already?
It doesn’t change much, unless you’re applying through Questbridge, to Pomona, to universities located in states that don’t care if you’re documented provided you graduated HS in their state, and universities with automatic admissions.
In the vast majority of cases, because the ultimate hurdle is financial aid, admissions are as tough for internationals who need aid regardless of where they went to school. If they don’t apply for aid, their odds are the same as domestic applicants.
@ MYOS1634
For smaller liberal art colleges, and some specific univ.s,which are need-blind towards US applicants, shouldn’t it be easier for intls. not applying for aid when compared to US applicants? I am not sure about this, but I always thought college welcomed intl. paying students, so that they could probably fund 1-2 more US students with the money.