<p>simply because there aren’t enough spots for everyone which really is the epitome of why you should apply to real reaches…that problem is the same for everyone, you’re not the only one, so while you are saying why does he/she get in over me, they are saying the same thing about you</p>
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<p>By the definition of “safety” college I use, a person shouldn’t be rejected from a safety college. If it’s really safe, there is no chance not to be admitted.</p>
<p>Well, what I guess we mean less selective schools rejected kids, whereas more selective accepted them.</p>
<p>They were accepted at true safeties.</p>
<p>bonmar said–
…but no true reaches yet.</p>
<p>bonmar, I am curious: what do you mean by reaches?</p>
<p>joecollegedad, I am thinking reaches would be schools that the acceptance rate is low and your admission stats fall in the very low end. Am I right?</p>
<p>For example, my S is applying to BC which is (according to GC) is a realistic reach. The reason is that all of his stats fall within the 50% range.Also, based on the stats of the students accepted last year from his school, my S also falls within these guidelines. However, due to the sheer amount of applicants, BC is not a shoo-in by any means. We are praying he gets in but realize he may not.</p>
<p>Basically, I am thinking of any ivy league school as a true reach. It would be shocking if he got in but you never know.</p>
<p>Why would someone be rejected at a safety? If they are applying for admittance to a potentially impacted program within the safety school then all bets are off.</p>
<p>I’m guess I’m a little more conservative than tokenadult – my definition of safety is 90% acceptance chance.</p>
<p>bonmar: I would suggest that BC’s only a match stat-wise if your S is above the median.</p>
<p>Unfortunately (or fortunately?) having SAT scores within the range does not necessarily predict whether a school is a reach or not. My S has SAT scores at the top of the range for some schools (1380, 2000 if you include writing), but we were told by one admissions counselor (LAC ranked by USNWR in the 30s or 40s) that he would probably not get in because his cumulative GPA (unweighted) was 3.1 after Jr. year.</p>
<p>Many schools are looking at grades first, then scores…</p>
<p>Fortunately the HS has Naviance and we’ve started looking for schools based on his GPA, not his scores…</p>
<p>reasonwhy: throw in a few wild cards. I know of cases schools took kids
(boys) with high board scores in the face of much less impressive G</p>
<p>reasonwhy: throw in a few wild cards. Sometimes schools want to boost their SAT averages and accept kids with higher SAT and less impressive GPA. I can’t promise, of course, but I personally know of cases in which this has occurred.</p>
<p>Look at Ursinus. This might be a school of interest that will often stretch to admit a student of interest to them.</p>
<p>Reaches arent always places where students are too academically weak. It could be perhaps due to certain ‘fluke’ red flags in the application that make those places a reach, even when the student is academically qualified and ready to excel in those places. </p>
<p>Of course, most students wouldnt really care as long as they could get to harvard, but harvard knows they wouldnt ‘excel’ there (that was so mean >_<)</p>
<p>“Why would a person be rejected from a safety school? If the grades/SAT/recs/EC’s/essays all fall far within range, how can they reject you? …especially if you show interest.”</p>
<p>My grades fell below the range of every school I applied to. (But my recommendations, SATs, and essays where in range.) My bad grades didn’t stop my first choice with a 30% acceptance rate and the highest academic standards of any school I applied to from accepting me. I only applied to art schools, so my strong portfolio got me into the good schools, while my safety school couldn’t see my potential. </p>
<p>Also, they probably didn’t think very highly of me because I argued with the tour guide when we did the tour. He kept lying about the school to make it seem less terrible. This is massart by the way.</p>