Suggestions for reaches, matches, and safeties?

Sure:

  • Emory's admit rate (Emory College) was 18.5% this year -- lower for RD.
  • Tufts' admit rate is around 15%, also lower for RD.

My Low Reach chance range is 15-25%. Now, your stats are above average, so based solely on stats you’d have an above-average chance of getting in, probably – but you’re looking at a starting point in the teens at both schools.

Regarding BC and Wake, I’m taking privatebanker’s word for it, though BC’s admit rate (27%, lower in RD) probably makes it a borderline high match/match for you, given your awesome stats. Wake was at 25% last year, prolly a bit lower this year. (my High Match range is 25-40% and Match is 40-60%). I did not check all schools’ 2022 stats. I’m going off previous experience. You can typically find last year’s admissions stats at just about any school in their Common Data Set.

For all of these, we can only “chance” based on what we know, chiefly: their admit rates (overall and by round, if we can get those stats…), the average GPA and test score stats of admits/entrants, your stats and how they compare, and whether any hooks are in play (and then try to guess how much hooks move the needle…). The limitations of trying to do this are immense: we don’t know how they would view the qualitative portions of your app, we don’t know what exactly they need in their class and whether you fill a need, and we don’t know if they’ll pick up on the vibe you emit generally. Some things just aren’t knowable to anyone but the adcoms reading your app, designing the class they want, etc. You could get into Harvard but not Tulane, Yale but not Wake… and never really know why. We’re just arranging them in terms of selectivity based on the information we do have.

To me, the purpose of putting these schools in these groupings is to help you put together a balanced app list comprising reaches, matches, and safeties (at least one!), if you desire a balanced app list. The only thing you must do is apply to at least one safety. What I think you should do on top of that is to only apply to affordable schools that fit your preferences.