<p>I noticed that some applicants designated one school as their first choice, but I don't recall there is any one place during the application process you can specify that. My daughter applied to five schools that are quite at par, so for her, it is more about finding the right fit vs. already having a first choice in mind. Can someone help explaining this "first choice" thing in case I missed something?</p>
<p>There are some who believe that if you do have a first choice school that you should make that clear via an extra letter included with or sent separately from the application.</p>
<p>There are others who believe that such a letter does not help (how is a school to believe that you haven’t sent similar “first choice” letters to all the schools?).</p>
<p>I’m a believer in submitting a first choice letter. Whether or not it makes a difference, I don’t really know but figure it can’t hurt. As I have stated before, there’s 20% they know they want, 20% they know they don’t want and the other 60% they just don’t know. If a student is sure on one particular school, then I see nothing wrong in letting the school be aware of the preference. As for writing all the schools a first choice letter, that’s a matter of integrity and one probably should not be applying at all. Having said all that, there is absolutely no obligation or loss whatsoever in not writing any first choice letter.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies, and I now understand what “first choice” is and both sides of the argument. Since the five schools my daughter applied are all very distinguishable, and have their own pros and cons as she gets to know them more, I believe she won’t get to know her “first choice” till at least the revisit days, at which time her “first choice” would also be her “final choice” as she makes up her mind, or “no choice” if she ends up where she is now :-)</p>
<p>WBJ - I agree with 7dad. I would also add that if she’s wait listed at her first choice and accepted at say her 3rd and 5th choices, it’s a very good idea to let the school that wait listed her know immediately in writing (I favor separate student and parent letters) that while she has other options, she will accept an offer from the first choice school as long as it comes before a final commitment is required by her next highest choice.</p>
<p>I know that there are some on this site who would send that “first choice” commitment letter, and then accept (and even send a deposit) to the second choice school, and then blow off the second choice school should the first choice school offer admittance at a later point. I think that’s sleazy. Love the school that loves you or risk bad karma. :)</p>
<p>Over many years of boarding school experience, if there is one bit of truth you can take to the bank 99% of the time, it’s that your kid will LOVE the school he or she attends and after some time has passed will say things like, “if I were admitted to St. Grottlesex today, I wouldn’t go.”</p>
<p>GemmaV is an admissions officer whose response to the question of “first choice” letters is here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1060488-go-ahead-ask-5.html#post1066160373[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1060488-go-ahead-ask-5.html#post1066160373</a></p>
<p>Bump for mamakiwi.</p>
<p>Go Ahead and Ask…#75
(I had to scroll thru a lot of postings to find it). Hope this helps.</p>