<p>I imagine this has been discussed before, but what is everyone's take on those pesky "what other schools are you applying to?" questions?</p>
<p>My kids went with honesty and just told the truth.</p>
<p>Why do they ask that?</p>
<p>If we have to answer that question, I think we should be able to ask who else the school is interviewing too :)</p>
<p>What if it is a lot of schools? Just pick a few to mention?
I hate that they ask it, too.</p>
<p>Here are a couple threads from the past on this topic:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/657407-what-say-when-asked-so-where-else-you-auditioning.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/657407-what-say-when-asked-so-where-else-you-auditioning.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1133478-still-wondering.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1133478-still-wondering.html</a></p>
<p>We went to a master class and the instructor conducts acting auditions for her school. She said she asks that question sometimes just to make conversation and really doesn’t care all that much where else you are applying. Easy question to answer- trying to help them relax.</p>
<p>Maybe you don’t need to answer the whole truth. Just much of the truth. We may have made a mistake in listing everything, which pretty much covered almost every type of possible MT school in existence, because at application time, D wasn’t all that sure what she preferred. She was just praying to get accepted somewhere. I think now, being older and wiser, I would suggest not listing every school, but just those schools that are similar to the school at which you are applying at the moment.</p>
<p>I don’t know why some schools ask it, but I am rather certain one popular school in particular asks it to see if you care very much for a certain type of education. If you are all over the map (as my D was), then that school in particular thinks you may not value their program style as well as you ought. Just my hunch.</p>
<p>The simple truth is the simple answer. I’ve addressed this before - it is not an evil insidious question. When asked after you audition, if it means anything, it is a compliment - you should feel great if that question is asked of you - it means the school though you auditioned well and is interested in you. There are, of course different motivations from different programs: Conversation, as Classicalbk says - sizing up your value placed in that school’s program style, at a decidedly second tier program they might be trying to access if they have any shot at “landing” you. In any case - it is because they liked your audition! The question after that question is the one that might be a bit more scary - “Are we your top choice?” That is the question, if asked, is the one that is hard to answer. It still means they really liked your audition - but some programs might be influenced by your answer here. If you cannot say “yes - you are my top choice”, you might say something like “Blank has been on my wish list for a long time”, or “I am a big fan of blank” - because at a few programs, they’d like to think of themselves as as either a top choice or, at least, a top choice of the people they admit. Good luck with this, don’t sweat it, and remember - it is a compliment. When asked prior to your audition, a lot of the same ideas apply - still honesty is the best policy.</p>
<p>Ithaca College take things one step further. At the audition the student fills out paperwork that not only asks which other schools you are applying to, but it also asks you to rank them in terms of preference. We had the heads up about that because of CC last year.</p>
<p>In the spirit of the truth being the simplest answer, I wonder if anyone has ever gotten into Ithaca while ranking it low on the preference list. I suppose it is possible but how many applicants would actually dare do that?</p>
<p>TCU has this on their application for audition form:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>We were also aware of the Ithaca question. As the boards often suggest - it is perhaps best not to have a #1 “be all and end all school”. Ithaca was definitely one of my D’s top 3 favorites (no particular “must have” school) - so she had no trouble writing that it was her #1 choice at the audition. The bottom line is that there are so many factors that can affect a final decision - that sometimes you may choose not to attend your #1 school. In the end she was accepted - but chose not to attend because of financial considerations. She wrote a very heartfelt letter declining the offer. Now would she have received an offer it she had placed Ithaca 5th on her list? - I don’t know.</p>
<p>My son was asked by one of his schools DURING the decision process. He had three acceptances, and all were very close contenders. We called to visit and see a show, and told them that this was one way to help him decide. They asked who they were competing against. We told them honestly about the two other schools he was considering. They asked again when he called them to decline his offer who he had decided to go with and why.</p>
<p>I thought this was a smart question both times…they were getting feedback on who their competition was and who beat them out. Probably also just curious.</p>
<p>He didn’t hesitate to answer because acceptances were already in hand and there was no peril (really, they could’ve come up with another incentive if they had wanted to…) But had it been asked on an audition form, it would’ve really thrown him. </p>
<p>Can’t imagine how that information would help them see if the kid is a "fit"or not, which is really their only job. Many kids get multiple offers…that’s what waiting lists are for. Surely they can’t count on most kids to answer fully and truthfully, so what good is the list anyway?</p>
<p>Personally I think the question of ranking is very premature to ask. If there was a place where one could write, “well all else being equal… these are my choices and this is why” that is one thing. But all else is not necessarily equal and things like financial awards, being wooed, where your friends decide to go and what your final list of acceptances etc. can in the end sway a decision one way or the other. </p>
<p>So when my daughter leaned over to me and whispered “what am I supposed to do with this question”, as she was filling out the paper work I told her to go ahead and put Ithaca on the top even though, all else being equal, it was nowhere near the top. (No offense to the school… it was geographically undesierable for us.) But an acceptance accompanied by a large merit award would have meant things were no longer equal and it absolutely could have changed the position on the list. I think it isn’t a relevant question but I get the colleges’ urge to ask it.</p>
<p>In contrast, I have no problem answering the question of “where else are you applying” honestly.</p>