Banish the Term #SafetySchool
During Harvard vs. Yale games, amped up Harvard students chant “safety school!” to their rivals. They’re obvi taunting in jest, since calling Yale, one of the world’s leading (and also Ivy League) universities a “safety school,” is preposterous.
The term “safety school” describes the way less-selective options applicants toss in the hopper in case the worst case scenario occurs: they’re not admitted elsewhere. Affordability, of course, is also a crucial component. These options are often added without much familiarity or real excitement about the school. They hope it doesn’t come to it, so they’re not enthusiastic about what they (spoiler: incorrectly) think is a “meh” option. But hope is not a strategy.
I’ve been frustrated for years by a classic scenario where students apply to a few very selective schools, and then one “safety.” It’s like a barbell; there’s no middle. Star students with dreams of Stanford might apply there, USC, and UCLA, then half-heartedly bang-out an app to Cal State Something, without any knowledge of the university’s programming, features, or strengths.
#facepalm
It doesn’t take an economical philosopher or a professional gambler to recognize the risk in this model. What with staggering selectivity and unpredictability of her dream schools, it’s highly likely the student will end up at the state school, setting foot on campus with a bitter taste, and a general sense of disappointment regarding the four best years of their life. What’s a greater shame, is that what many students deem “safeties” have outstanding programming, affordability, opportunities, making them perfect fits for thousand of students.
I have two cardinal reasons (and heaps more that I’ll spare you) why the concept of “safety schools” should be banished.
C’mon, kids, show a little effort!
There are over 3,000 outstanding colleges and universities out there I dare a student to work hard (or, I must say, work with me) and not find a handful of affordable, less-selective options that fit them famously. I encourage students to cast a wide geographical net, and delve into research about the vast opportunities available to them.
Students should be encouraged to apply to a deep and broad spectrum of colleges so they can ultimately decide among several offers, none of which are “safe,” and all of which are exciting.
Hey! Who you callin’ “safety?”
Students often fail to consider that if they attended a highly-selective college that they might not stand out in a department, connect with professors, or be competitive for special opportunities. I am a firm believer in campus life, activities, housing, diversity, and the general vibe of a college being as important as the specific academic programming and curricula. They will be living there for four years after all, and happiness with one’s living situation no doubt impacts success in the classroom.
Back to academics, when students are seeking the advanced academic excellence and attention of a name brand private instution, they would be remiss to not check out “Honors Colleges.” Many large state-run universities like the State University of New York system are flipping the script on what used to be considered less impressive than the name brand private universities. And let’s not ignore the issue of affordability! A growing number of scholarship opportunities and initiatives like the Western Undergraduate Exchange and its counterparts are designed to broaden in-state tuition benefits, making the search for multiple less-selective schools prove remarkably affordable in comparison.
I’m really into the idea of “fit,” in which case what some students deem a “safety” could be too big, too close to home, or too something, but my point is to expose the flaw in applying a college without any level of excitement to attend. I always tell my students that we won’t sleep until we find several less-selective colleges that they’re truly stoked about. They may have to bend a bit, but it’s an inherent mistake to just toss something on the list for “safety’s sake.”