safety school
3
3.7
- noun
- /ˈseɪfti skuːl/
- Jargon
:
universidad de seguridad
- A safety school is a college where a student feels confident they will get accepted.
- apply to safety school
Examples
-
Remember, there’s nothing wrong with applying to "reach" schools, so long as you apply to "safety" schools too.
Blog text (34) -
I just, uh-- I want you to pick a few safety schools, you know, as insurance.
-
One of my biggest concerns is not only being rejected by my top schools, but also by my safety schools!
Blog text (2) -
I thought Tufts was just my safety school.
-
My only worry is that the article says never be too sure of yourself, but isn't that how you pick your safety school?
Blog text (2) -
Many students apply to a safety school to ensure they have a good chance of being accepted.
-
She decided to include a safety school in her college applications for peace of mind.
How Selective
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'safety' (being protected/secure) and 'school' (an educational institution) give a partial clue — namely the idea of something being 'safe' — but they do not directly yield the specialized admissions meaning of a backup institution you expect to be admitted to. This is a metaphorical extension of 'safe' to mean 'secure choice' that B1 learners might not predict without exposure, so the item is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Safety school comes from the idea of a safety, like a 'safety net', and a school you are sure to get into. Students apply to one as a backup so they have a guaranteed place, and that is why it means 'a college you are confident of being admitted to'.