Safety Schools: Why you shouldn’t bother
Save yourself the trouble and don’t bother applying to a safety school. You have expectations and standards, so why would you settle with something less than you want? Safety schools are giving up these expectations for less.
You may be telling yourself, “That’s crazy! What would I do if I don’t get into my dream school?”. The alternative is simple, convenient, and smart. You can initially go to a nearby community college, transfer out, and go to one of the schools you wanted to go to if you don’t get into the school of your choice. Within two years your dreams would have been realized and you would be happily placed right where you belong while saving yourself a nice fat pile of cash.
“But I don’t want to hurt my future!” Don’t worry about it, you won’t. By attending a community college for two years and attending one of the schools you were originally planning on later you would be at nearly the same position you would have been earlier and you would be happy at one of your preferred schools. There are tons of college professors willing to help their students fulfill their goals and move onto the school of their dreams.
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program allows community college students to apply to one school early, receive an acceptance, and continue working towards meeting the requirements for transferring to the school while knowing that they have a spot guaranteed. Used by six University of California schools, the program helps college students continue their preparation for transfer while knowing that they will be able to transfer to a school of their choice.
If you like your safety school and think that you would enjoy being there, go ahead, but I don’t recommend going to a school where you feel like you settled for less. Not all professions need an Ivy League school to do well in. Often times a smaller “safety” university may be better by saving you money while helping you build connections necessary to prosper.
You are a winner, make yourself happy and don’t worry about going to a university if it doesn’t make you feel fulfilled.
