Strengthen Your College List
About the Scholarship
Students in the class of 2024 who strengthen (or update) their college list to have at least three reach colleges, two match colleges, and one safety will earn entries in monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 scholarships.
The goal is to help students like you make sure your list has a range of schools to consider for your future. You can use your SAT or ACT scores or your GPA to determine which schools are right for you.
How to Qualify
- Login to your College Board account.
- Review your college list to make sure it has least 3 reach colleges, 2 match colleges, and 1 safety college.
- If you’re missing any category, simply click ‘Start Now’ above to see how your GPA, SAT or ACT scores compare with students at different universities. From there, you’ll be able to see which schools are reach, match or safety for you.
Dates and Deadlines
Scholarships for $500 and $40,000 are awarded monthly until February of your senior year. Completing any step enters you in the drawings on the first day of every month. For $500 scholarships, we select 150 winners from the class of 2024 and 150 from the class of 2025 every month. For $40,000 scholarships, we select a total of two monthly (one from class of 2024 and another from class of 2025).
Tips for Strengthening Your List
- How can I balance my list?
Once you’ve made a list of colleges you’re interested in, narrow it down to the colleges that are a good fit and where you plan to apply. You’ll need a minimum of six colleges on your list, including three reach, two match, and one safety. Your school counselor is a great resource as you evaluate colleges and choose those that you’ll apply to. - How are reach, match, and safety colleges defined?
This scholarship defines reach, match, and safety based on SAT scores, ACT scores, and estimated GPA, but remember that past achievement is only one factor for admission. Consider coursework, extracurriculars, potential major, and available financial aid to decide if a college is right for you.
Compare your highest SAT score, ACT score, or estimated GPA to those of last year’s first-year class. If you don't yet have an SAT or ACT score, you can estimate your score based on a previous PSAT-related test score or take a practice test on Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy.- REACH: Your SAT score, ACT score or estimated GPA is lower than the average score range of last year’s first-year class—but don’t let that stop you! Colleges consider a range of factors during the admissions process.
- MATCH: Your SAT score, ACT score or estimated GPA is solidly in the same score range as last year’s first-year class.
- SAFETY: Your SAT score, ACT score or estimated GPA is higher than the average score range of last year’s first-year class.
FAQ
How do you find reach, match, and safety colleges?
Strengthen your list by sorting colleges on BigFuture based on your GPA or SAT or ACT scores. You can sort your list by reach, match, and safety colleges to help you make sure your list has different kinds of schools that interest you. Remember to also consider size, location, campus life, available financial aid and other factors as you update your list
Why is a balanced list important?
By adding a mix of reach, safety, and match schools, you may add colleges you may not have considered before. As you narrow your list, make sure to consider location, campus life, cost, size, and majors. These other factors can help you determine what colleges are an overall good social, financial, and academic fit for you. Your strengthened list should reflect a mix of schools where you will thrive, academically, and socially.
What if my counselor told me I’m a match for a certain college but BigFuture says it’s a reach?
BigFuture identifies schools as a match based on your GPA or SAT or ACT score. However, past achievement is just one factor that schools consider during the admissions process. Your counselor may have advised you that you’re a good fit based on other factors. To strengthen your list and earn an entry in the scholarship drawings, we recommend adding another match college based on your GPA or SAT or ACT score.