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Ivy Leagues</a>. Their academic programs, athletics, social activities, and campus captivate you. If the school asked, you’d pack up your stuff, move there tomorrow, and start classes.</p>
<p>The name <em>reach</em> also implies that it might be a bit of a stretch for you to get accepted. Your SAT scores, ACT scores and/or GPA are likely below their set range or maybe your scores are okay, but the school has extremely low acceptance rates. At these schools, your in-person interview, recommendation letters, and personal essays make all of the difference. To get in, you’ll need someone to see your potential.</p>
<h2>What are Match Colleges?</h2>
<p>At match colleges, your academic record is a perfect reflection of their average freshman student. Your GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and classwork meet or exceed the average scores of students typically admitted. Match schools might also be called 50/50 schools. You have a 50/50 shot of getting accepted because your academic record is exactly what they’re looking for.</p>
<p>You can find match colleges by looking at average test scores, acceptance rates, and other <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"https://plexuss.com/news/article/finding-and-understanding-college-statistics">college statistics</a>. Since match schools are your most realistic option, you should choose them carefully.</p>
<h2>What are Safety Schools?</h2>
<p>Safety schools, or fallback schools, are those where your academic achievements far exceed the average student. These are the schools where you have the best shot of being accepted because on paper, you look like a star compared to their standards. For example, say the college’s average GPA is a 3.0. You earned a 3.9 GPA, took five AP classes, and scored well on your SATs. When admissions look over your application, you’ll be a shoe-in.</p>
<p>When deciding on safety schools, make sure they’re schools that you like. Your safety schools could end up being your only options. You don’t want to feel stuck going somewhere you don’t even like. A safety school should still have the academic program you’re interested in, be in a location that you like, and fall into your price range.</p>
<h2>Application Fees</h2>
<p>Colleges devote a lot of time to reading through applications. To make that time worthwhile, they only want serious students to apply. That’s why many schools charge an application fee. Fees range from around $50 to $100. It might not seem so bad, but for 10 schools, that could mean $1,000 in fees. Consider the fees as you consider how many colleges to apply to.</p>
<p>Thankfully, you can sometimes get out of paying the application fee. Many colleges waive fees throughout the application cycle or if you come to campus for a visit. If you’re tight on money, an admissions counselor at the college might also waive the fee for you. Some high schools even have grant money or other funds to help students pay college application fees. Speak to your guidance counselor to see what options you have.</p>
<h2>Time Commitment</h2>
<p>Filling out applications also takes time. You need to collect recommendation letters, send your SAT/ACT scores, AP scores, and transcripts, and <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"https://plexuss.com/news/article/how-to-write-your-college-admission-essay">write personal essays</a>. While the Common App does make applying easier, not every school uses it and those that do usually have supplemental essay questions. It can take anywhere from two to five hours to apply to each college and longer if you’re not the best with writing.</p>
<p>Be realistic about how much time you can devote to college applications. Applying to six schools could end up being 30 hours of work. This just isn’t realistic for a busy high school student with work or family commitments. If time is tight, focus on your match and fallback schools. These are the applications where your time spent will likely pay off.</p>
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