Seniors, before you apply to your chosen colleges, please show your list to your high school counselor. Ask what she (or he) thinks your chances of admission are, and give them permission to be honest. Listen to what they have to say, even if you don’t like the answers. It’s fine to ask for clarification so you can better understand. But you are not allowed to let your feelings be hurt if every school on your list only accepts 15 out of every 100 students who apply and your counselor tells you your odds of admission are slim.
Your college list can and maybe even should include a few reach schools. But applying to a list of schools that are all reaches puts all the admissions power in the colleges’ hands. It leaves you crossing your fingers just hoping to get into one. And it presents you with a very real chance that you won’t get accepted anywhere. You deserve better than that.
Talk to your counselor and make sure you have a balanced college list. And please don’t accept the same advice from friends, hearsay, or any other source that isn’t A) your counselor, B) an admissions officer, or C) a qualified private counselor.
Your college list is too important not to ask the question.