How to Build a College List: Reach, Target, and Safety Schools

Short answer: Start with safety schools, then target, then reach.

Longer answer: A safety school should not be “well, I’ll go there if all else fails” — it should be “I’d be happy going there.” Choose two of those. On average, students choose 3–4 target schools and 3–4 reach schools. That said, if your stats put you in T20 range, your list will likely be longer.

Fun fact: The Common App allows you to apply to up to 20 schools.