Why You Need a College Safety Net?

 Why You Need a College Safety Net?

Getting into the college of your choice is often a challenging experience for many students. Ivy League colleges and universities like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, or Stanford and even some public universities like the California and North Carolina systems are highly competitive. Some students make it, but many do not.

That’s why it’s very important to include on your college application list a couple of reputable “safety” schools whose entrance requirements are not as challenging as those in the Ivy Leagues.

Safety schools are reputable 2 & 4 public/private year colleges and universities that offer you a great opportunity to sharpen your academic skill set and adjust to college life.   Let’s examine the following student scenario on how going to a safety school can help you achieve your ultimate goal of transferring to your dream school:

Yale University was Scott’s #1 choice for the fall term.  He was valedictorian and captain of the football team. He wanted to become a journalist and Yale had one of the best undergraduate English programs in the country.  So in early December, he applied to Yale University.  He also applied to two safety schools, the University of Denver and University of New Hampshire, also nationally known for their undergraduate English programs.  On April 15th, he received a rejection notification from Yale University and acceptance letters from the University of Denver and the University of New Hampshire.

He attended the University of New Hampshire and by the end of his sophomore year had earned a GPA of 3.75.  He spent his first two years adjusting to college life, satisfying general education requirements, and earning a great GPA. He’s now ready to apply for transfer to Yale’s English program.

Scott’s excellent academic record and his periodic contact with the Yale admissions staff updating them on his progress at the University of New Hampshire dramatically influenced his chances for acceptance.

So, if, in fact, you’re going to transfer to your dream school, then you need to plan for it:

1. First, don’t personalize your rejection letter.  Use it as a motivator.
2. Apply to a couple of reputable safety schools; check with your high school counselor, family and friends for recommendations. (Princeton Review)
3. If your major is unknown, then apply as an “undecided” major and focus on completing general education requirements.
4. Collaborate with your dream school’s admission counselors and your safety school academic advisor to ensure proper course selections.
5. Use the time to adapt to college life, earn good grades, and prepare for success at your dream school.

So, while preparing your list of colleges and universities that you intend to apply to, make sure you add a couple of reputable safety schools to that list.   You just might find that the safety school meets all of your academic, personal, and professional needs. You might even be surprised at the number of undiscovered opportunities that do exist there.

P.S. By the way, Scott loves the UNH campus and skiing in New Hampshire.  Going to Yale has morphed into a graduate school option…Good Luck!