<p>I think it’s the Counselor-o-Matic on princetonreview.com. It used to be notorious for matching reach schools as “perfect fit”, but I think they reformatted it so the matching is more accurate.</p>
<p>Ok, I admit I have not read ALL the posts, but I wanted to comment as a student who went to a “reach” school. I was definitely below the average and was admitted on the basis of the school I attended and my ability to write and interiew well. It really worked out so well for me! I graduated from College with Cum Laude honors (nope still not the tops!), and actually did lots better than I did in high school, because I chose my classes (within reason). I also was in an atmosphere of students who really studied, so I also studied- it wore off on me. My parents were very against me attending the school as it was far away and they felt that I should be close to home and have an academic experience where I could always be successful.</p>
<p>A lot of my success had to do with the fact that my reach school was a good fit for me socially, academically and financially. I’d say if a Reach school fits with your child’s personality, learning styles, interests and might be a bit of a reach go for it- things like study habits change dramatically throughout the college years- and what I did in high school in no way reflects what I did in college. No, not everyone should head to a “reach” school, but it’s important to be open to the idea that your child might really excell if placed in the Right challenging environment, rather than a school where they can easily do well, or a challenging environment which isn’t right for that student. </p>
<p>Oh as for me, I’m on my way to a PhD now at a top ten school…</p>
<p>I’m going next year to a very difficult school where if I’ll not be average, I’ll be below average. And it’s disturbing to me to see all these people say that they don’t want to go to a “reach” school because people will be “smarter” than them. Well come on, these are your college years, don’t you want to be academically challenged? Don’t you want to learn as much as possible and actually CONTRIBUTE to your field? You can only do that in a program that is at the top of its game and where you’re sorrounded by the best. </p>
<p>I don’t want to spend my college years “finding” myself (ie. getting wasted) I have my whole life in front of me, I don’t want to lead another invisible existence; I want to make my mark on the world and on humanity… I need the best education possible, I need to be challenged. Am I too naive? Perhaps.</p>
<p>Scorp, I find it admirable that you are going to college with a desire to be academically challenged. But I question your assumption that this can only happen at a college where you are “below average” academically. </p>
<p>I would suggest that in fact the opposite may be true. At a match school there will be many studends who will be your peers and a good %age who are superior to you in certain areas so finding a group of friends who nurture and stimulate you intellectually will be an easy proposition.</p>
<p>In addition at a match school your may be in a better position to challenge yourself academically because a) you will be more likely to persue a dual major or dual degree program, b) you will be better able to choose coursework from the entire course catalogue, and c) you will be better able to handle a schedule overload if necessary. As an undergrad engineer at a “match” university I was able to take electives such as Serbo-Croatian Lit, Cybernetics, Urban Planning, Metallurgy of Ferrous Metals, Medieval and Rennaissance Music, and Microbiology. At a reach university I may not have had the freedom or compunction to take such a wide range of electives.</p>
<p>Also consider special academic opportuntites. These are often available to the better students. I talking about things like undergrad research, independent study, special programs(interdisciplinary studies, BS/MS programs). These require a special committment of faculty and physical resources which are usually offered to the better students. The best students are invited to attend academic conferences with faculty presenting research on which they have participated. And when applying to grad school, there is no better credential than being named as a co-author on published research.</p>
<p>And how about merit scholarships and academic honors? Again these are only available to the better students. Merit scholarships are not only offered to incoming frosh but most departments have merit scholarships which are awarded to upperclass students with stellar academic achievements.</p>
<p>And consider faculty mentors. We only have so much time to devote to students outside the classroom and we usually choose to specially mentor those outstanding students who show particular interest and promise in our field of expertise. In general I know my best students best because they are the ones most interested, most prepared and the most challenging in and out of the classroom. This may not seem fair to some but it’s reality. While I will write a recommendation for any of my student’s, I have gone the “extra mile” for my best students.</p>
<p>I believe that attending a match college and then working hard to achieve some distinction offers huge advantages to most students.</p>
<p>I am in a situation where I’ll be going to a definte “reach” school. I was recently admitted at Washington and Lee University after being on their waitlist. I was sort of schocked but estatic that I got in. I am a bit nervous about the difficulty of the coursework there, but I think if I simply worked as hard my Freshman and Sophomore years as I did this year and last year, W&L wouldn’t have been a real reach at all. And I think that is definately something people need to keep in mind: People do improve, sometimes only because of the environment the college has (often, colleges are a lot more condusive to the learning experience than high schools are).</p>
<p>Sometimes that reach school for admission is the match school for academic success. It is better to apply for a reach school because you know about the department than if you just remember the brand name from a movie or your uncle.</p>
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There is nothing wrong with being challenged … but, I believe, each person learns best in different environments … some kids love a challenge and step up when dealing with a lot of competition and are fine now being an “average” student (at least at their school) … other kids thrive where their confidence gets a boost from being on of the stronger students … neither is right or wrong … different “best fits” for different people.</p>
<p>Just a vignette about my law school roommate. His SAT’s were very low by Ivy standards (barely 1300), but he did get into Dartmouth based on h.s. grades. He went on to get a 4.0 at Dartmouth, transferred to Princeton, got a 4.0 there, went on to Oxford, graduated with first class honours and then took his LSAT’s. Again, relatively horrible and well below any cut-off anyone could imagine (about 620). Nevertheless, he applied to Harvard Law. Not only did he get in, he worked very hard at school and excelled. He is now a nationally known lawyer. </p>
<p>Point being: REACH and if your scores are “too low” or your grades are “too low” but the school admits you-- they see something in you that leads them to think you can succeed. Accept the challenge, realize you may need to work harder than some for whom it “comes easier,” and you can excel.</p>
<p>Someone has to be at the bottom</p>
<p>I was accepted and chose to attend my reach school, Northwestern University. </p>
<p>My SAT was slightly below average but my SAT II’s and AP scores really made up for it in terms of the application process. </p>
<p>It’s not that I feel less smart than the people around me, but that no matter how hard I work my grades never improve and I don’t get a response for my greater efforts. I was a very big studier in high school and have become even more of one here. No matter how hard you try your best is never enough. I’ve managed to keep a 3.5 here but it’s rough and I feel that if I had chosen to attend another school I would be getting a greater benefit out of it in terms of both a social and academic experience. </p>
<p>When selecting a college I would suggest that students evaluate what is important to them before allowing the prestige of a university determine their choice for them. I really wanted to go to a small school where I could do outdoor activities. I chose Northwestern because their film program and because I felt that I would mesh with the bright students best even though the rest of the school didn’t really fit my needs or desires. If the reach school has everything the student wants and values, go for it. If the shadow of pristige is bluring the vision of what is best for the student, I would suggest attending another school that fits their personality better.</p>
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<p>Corhacol, I would like to know exactly who you are referring to. The fact of the matter is that very few people graduate from Princeton with a perfect 4.0, because almost everybody invariably runs into one class in which they don’t get an A. Maybe an A- or a B+, but not an A. In fact, of all the Princeton valedictorians that have ever existed, very few have had 4.0’s. If what you’re saying is true, then your roommate should have been named valedictorian of his graduating Princeton year. So who is he and what year did he graduate from Princeton? If he really had a 4.0 at Princeton and was not named Princeton valedictorian (or at least salutatorian), then why not?</p>
<p>arent schools like harvard, yale, and princeton reaches for anyone? there is not guarantee to get into any…u can do whatever you want and unless you are the presidents son or something, i doubt anyone can claim that harvard is a match
thus my question to the poster is do u believe no kids should attend such fine universities???</p>
<p>I always thought you needed to go to a very good undergrad school if you wanted to go to a good grad school… I’m hoping to go to Northwestern or Georgetown for grad school–is it possible to get into one of those places if you only go to someplace like Winthrop or Guilford (places that have really good state/regional reputations but are virtually unknown nationally)??? I feel like if I go to one of those places, even though they’re the only ones I can really afford, I’ll be doomed to state and regional jobs and never be able to do what I really want…</p>
<p>Yes, of course it is possible, although I am a little surprised that you believe either of the schools you mention has a particularly strong “regional” reputation. You would need to do very well overall (near top of your class and excel in your major) and have particularly strong GRE or similar scores (depending on graduate course of study).</p>
<p>Let me suggest, though, that you explore financial aid at other institutions before you decide those schools are the “only ones you can afford.”</p>
<p>I think Guilford is well-known nationally, probably as a result of Loren Pope’s inclusion in his “College that Change Lives” book, web site, and national-touring college fairs. It’s pretty hard to miss – and I think it has succeeded in bringing a wider range of students to each of the featured colleges, and also in getting the message across that these colleges offer strong undergraduate programs.</p>
<p>I also think times are changing. With the frenetic competition for top colleges, and the insane rise in costs, more and more highly qualified students are going to focus more on applying to safeties and end up following the money. That in turn will help the smaller, lesser known colleges rise in the esteem of graduate departments – they are just going to see more highly qualified applicants coming from those places over time.</p>
<p>One advantage that a small, less competitive colleges is a better chance that as an undergrad, you will get to work closely with faculty and have strong recommendations for grad school when you get to that point. Of course, it is especially important to do well at such a college --the grad schools will definitely be looking very closely at grades and GRE scores.</p>
<p>I think that’s great, but it is important, as you point out, when attending a school that is ranked by USNWR, for example, behind 250 other liberal arts colleges, that you do extremely well and score very high if you want to attend a top flight grad school. That is not to say that the education might not be a good one for the right person, but the schools mentioned are hardly springboards to excellence in graduate education.</p>
<p>i wuz accepted 2 my reach school (Colgate) and that ook me by surprise. Then I started questioning y they even let me in. Seriously i dont need hand outs from some elite LAC just because i’m a minority. So i decided to go to Northeastern University instead. Personally i think that I will get close to the same education at Northeastern anyways.</p>
<p>kimibee, I agree. People are around Boston can be obnoxious about Northeastern, and it has kind of a “bad” rep because of all the fancy schools in the area, but I know people who’ve gone there and it’s just dandy. Good luck!</p>
<p>talk about a backhanded compliment, anticat.</p>
<p>“talk about a backhanded compliment, anticat.”</p>
<p>Oh dear! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be obnoxious! I was absolutely serious, Northeastern’s cool. My apologies if I sounded mean!</p>