College Matchmaker compares your academic profile against historical admissions data from thousands of successful applications to categorize colleges as Reach, Target, or Safety schools.
What the algorithm considers
The algorithm weighs several factors when generating your matches. It looks at your GPA relative to admitted student averages, test scores (if provided) compared to school medians, course rigor, and class rank. It also considers extracurricular strength in relation to school values and historical acceptance rates for students with similar profiles.
Match categories
Reach schools are where your profile falls below the typical admitted student range. Target schools are where you fall within the middle 50% of admitted students. Safety schools are where your profile exceeds the typical range. A balanced list usually has 3 to 4 schools in each category.
Your match categories update automatically as you update your profile. Adding a higher SAT score or new activities can shift schools between categories.