By the end of your junior year, you and your college counselor will have developed a list of colleges in which you have an interest. There are thousands of colleges with wonderful resources to give you a great education. The college counseling process is all about finding the best match for you!
What is meant by the term “selective” colleges? Guidebooks generally follow this breakdown:
Most selective – acceptance rates at these schools is less than 25%
SAT-V= 750-800 SAT-M= 700-800 ACT 33-36; weighted GPA 4.0 or higher; 8 or more AP/Honors courses
Highly Selective – acceptance rates at these schools are between 25 and 50%
SAT-V= 670-800 SAT-M= 600-800 ACT 29-36; weighted GPA 3.6 or higher; 6 or more AP/Honors courses
Very Selective – acceptance rates at these schools are approximately 50%
SAT-V =or>550 SAT M=or> 550 ACT 24-28; weighted GPA 3.0 or higher; 1-2 AP/Honors courses
Selective – acceptance rates at these schools may go as high as 80%
SAT-V= 480-540 SAT-M= 450-540 ACT 19-23; 2.5 weighted GPA or higher
Less Selective – acceptance is based primarily on space available
SAT-V= around 400 SAT-M- around 400 ACT 11-18; weighted GPA approx. 2.3
***Because the SAT is new in 2005, there are no established norms upon which to base an average score for the writing section ***
Looking at your academic transcript, standardized testing, extra-curriculars, and family parameters (cost, distance from home, etc.) college choices may be grouped into the following categories:
Reach Schools (Highly Competitive): There is a real difference between a reach school and one where you have absolutely no chance of admission. In general, there is only a 10-15% chance of admission.
Target Schools (Competitive): These schools match your profile fairly evenly. The chances of your being admitted are probably 50-50%; however, there is no guarantee of acceptance.
Likely Schools (Probable Admission): These colleges are where you are likely to be admitted; the odds of admission are strongly in your favor and you could be happy and productive for four years.
Points to Consider:
- Spend as much time thinking about “likely” schools as you spend thinking about “reach” schools.
- Just because the chance of admission at a particular school is greater than at another does not mean the school’s programs are of lesser quality. Selectivity is dependent on the size of the applicant pool. Research carefully. Just because there are more students applying to a particular college does not mean it is a “better” place.
- Where you go to college will not get you into graduate school. What counts most is your performance at the school you attend. A distinguished record of achievement and taking advantage of opportunities that come your way are the strongest determining factors.
- Steer clear of the magazine rankings. Rankings have little to do with what you are looking for in a college. These articles only serve to confuse; they do not convey a clear message.
- The determining factors for admission are grades, course selection, standardized test scores, the essay, and extra-curricular activities. The worst scenario for a student is to have high standardized test scores and low or mediocre grades.
- What you are thinking of majoring in is likely to change. Most colleges wait until the end of a student’s sophomore year before asking the student to declare a major.