How do Adcoms figure out which other schools you're applying to?

Applying to College
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<p>So I've heard that adcoms know which other schools you're applying to. First of all, is this true?</p>

<p>Also, how do they do it? They don't have enough time to send lists of their 20,000 applicants to all the other colleges and figure out which applicants are repeats. I was thinking maybe common app tells the colleges which other colleges each applicant applied to? But then what about the UCs, Columbia, Georgetown, etc, which use their own non-common app system?</p>

<p>Another thing I've heard is that this is related to financial aid. If you check off the fin aid box then the adcoms can see which schools you're applying to, if not then they can't see. Is this legit?</p>

<p>Just looking for someone to clarify. Thank you!!</p>

2

<p>they have their ways... like tracking your posts on CC 0_o</p>

3

<p>Haha def.</p>

<p>10 char</p>

4

<p>Haha
I know that the Ivies stay in touch with each other, so they're bound to know where you apply to, and I know that Rice asks you for every university/college you've applied or will apply to.</p>

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<p>^ Where does the information that Ivies talk to each other come from? They are kind of rivals.</p>

6

<p>The HS guidance counselor could tip them off especially if the adcoms are trying to protect yield.</p>

7

<p>Sometimes they simply ask you. The Rice application, for example, requires you to list the other schools to which you are applying.</p>

8

<p>They trick you into telling them</p>

9

<p>They don't always know, and they don't always care. Many colleges ask, but some others don't. Here's a FAQ about what to do if colleges ask you where else you are applying on their application forms: </p>

<p>APPLICATIONS TO OTHER COLLEGES </p>

<p>You could quote chapter and verse from the Statement of Principles of Good Practice of the National Association for College Admission Counseling:</p>

<p>


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<p><a href="http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/9A4F9961-8991-455D-89B4-AE3B9AF2EFE8/0/SPGP.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/9A4F9961-8991-455D-89B4-AE3B9AF2EFE8/0/SPGP.pdf&lt;/a> </p>

<p>and once you have done that, you could say, based on whatever is the truth, "Not wanting this to be construed as a statement of my order of preference, I am applying to"</p>

<p>a) "other colleges that appear to offer some of the same features as your college"</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>b) "a varied list of colleges to ensure that I carefully consider what is the best fit between me and each college"</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>c) "small liberal arts colleges with a focus on undergraduate teaching" (or whatever summary characteristic applies to all colleges on your list)</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>d) "a list of colleges developed according to policies of my high school counseling office"</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>e) "[actual list] but this list should not be taken to be in preference order"</p>

<p>or</p>

<p>f) "a list of colleges that I would rather not mention here, so that we take extra care to follow NACAC principles of good practice."</p>

<p>Your own creativity can probably come up with some more choices. I do NOT see this question on many of the college application forms I have downloaded from the Web this year.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/9A4F9961-8991-455D-89B4-AE3B9AF2EFE8/0/SPGP.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/9A4F9961-8991-455D-89B4-AE3B9AF2EFE8/0/SPGP.pdf&lt;/a> </p>

<p>One student mentioned that a college that he was applying to online allowed only fifty characters in its online form for listing other colleges that he was applying to. That would allow for lots of fun possibilities, such as</p>

<p>Q: To what other colleges are you applying? </p>

<p>A: [in online form:] I am applying to other colleges that share some of the great characteristics of your college, for example </p>

<p>To sum up, if you are applying early decision somewhere, OF COURSE that college is your first choice, and you plainly signal to that college that it is your first choice by applying for a binding early decision program. But if you are applying for nonbinding early action, for rolling admission, or for regular action admission, no college should care much where else you are applying, and you are certainly not obligated to tell the college where else you are applying, especially not in a rank-ordered list.</p>