Reach schools have low and very low admit rates; they are competitive schools where many talented students are denied admission. Limit these to a couple of schools on your college list. A solid selection of 4 – 6 target schools is vital to good admission results. (Targets are those colleges where your GPA and test scores fall within the mid 50% of applicants and you are on track with other admission requirements, like having a strong set of extracurricular activities). For students with weaker profiles, the list should include some anchor schools—these should be schools that you would be happy to attend, where your academic profile places you in the top 25% of applicants. Some colleges offer guaranteed admission for a given GPA and test score. These are great anchors, if you qualify. Once your list is balanced you can rest easier.