Recently, I heard an admissions story that illustrates exactly why every student should have a balanced college list. Highly motivated student has a 1550 SAT, 4.0 unweighted GPA, and 12 AP classes with a score of 4 or 5 on all exams. He manages the college application process independently and creates his own list. He applies to ten schools, all of which have an acceptance rate below 20%. With his academics, why would he be concerned? He is not accepted to any of the ten schools. This is a prime example of a student who did not create a balanced list, and instead only applied to highly selective schools.
How To Create a Balanced College List
When creating their college list, students must not only consider the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores for last year’s incoming freshman, but also the school’s rate of acceptance.
College lists should be divided into at least three categories:
Reach: any school with an acceptance rate below 25% (regardless of your academic performance)
Target: coursework, GPA, and test scores on par with the average student, mid-range acceptance rate
Likely: schools where your credentials exceed the average student, higher rate of acceptance
The other aspects of your application that can impact your chances of acceptance include:
- Your unique story or experience that helps you stand out
- Are you a recruited athlete?
- The competitiveness of your major (computer science and other STEM majors tend to be competitive)
- How you spend your time outside of school (extracurricular activities)
- Whether you are applying Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision