COLLEGE AND BEYOND
How to Choose Your Dream, Target, and Likely Schools
Before you undertake the college admissions process, you need to ask—and answer—a critical question: which schools will be on the list?
According to recent Common App trends, college hopefuls are applying to six schools on average. When creating a list of your postsecondary educational options, it’s important to consider three types of schools: dream, target, and likely schools.
Since everybody is different and has unique preferences, you’ll want to do plenty of research to identify schools you would be over-the-moon delighted to attend (dream schools), schools that suit most of your needs (target schools), and schools that—given your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and other application components—you believe would be highly likely to admit you (likely schools).
- Pro tip: Only apply to schools you’d be happy attending.
Read on to learn more.
What are the differences in school types?
Dream schools are institutions that would be a dream come true for you to attend. With these types of schools, you may be required to work exceptionally hard to meet their rigorous admissions requirements.
While it’s important to be realistic, don’t sell yourself short. Remember that the combination of a powerfully written college essay, challenging college-prep coursework, glowing recommendations from your favorite teachers, and compelling extracurricular activities could translate into a coveted admissions offer! Keep in mind, too, that lots of dream schools are just that for many applicants.
Target schools often have admissions standards that align closely with your academic credentials. For instance, the GPAs and standardized test scores of admitted students at target schools would be closely in range with your own. These are schools from which you’re likely to get an offer of admission if you apply.
Likely schools—sometimes called “safety schools”—are educational institutions where your academic credentials are overall stronger than those of a currently enrolled first-year students, and you anticipate that you have a very high likelihood of being accepted. This doesn’t mean that these schools wouldn’t provide you with a great education. These are simply institutions that are likely to admit you—and that you would be happy to attend should you not gain acceptance to (or be offered less financial aid from) your dream or target schools.
How many applications should you send to each type of school?
Applying to college is not an exact science; we always recommend having a diversified portfolio of applications.
Here’s the strategy we would recommend considering if you intend to submit ten applications: apply to two or three dream schools, five or six target schools, and two likely schools. (If you’re applying to five, then a good distribution might be: one dream, two or three target, one likely.)
If merit-based aid is something you’re seeking, then you’ll want to ensure you apply to schools likeliest to offer you the most generous financial aid packages. Always consult with your counselor, who is best positioned to advise you given your personal circumstances.
Weighting your applications toward target schools is a solid strategy: your academics align with what these institutions are looking for, and because of that, there’s a good chance you will be accepted to at least one.
While this is not an exact science, by planning to submit 40 percent of your applications to likely and dream schools and 60 percent to target schools, you’ll give yourself a healthy range of options—both academically and financially.
