<p>D has applied to five schools -- 4 rd and one ed2. In an interview with one of the rd schools, the interviewer asked whether she had applied ed2 to any schools. Two questions: (1) is that an appropriate question for the interviewer to ask?; and (2) what is the correct response?</p>
<p>Yuk! I guess it's open towards interpretation if that's fair or not, but I guess the interviewer has a right to ask. I guess there's two ways of answering the question: honestly or untruthfully. Some colleges have relationships with each other, so it's more ethical and safer to tell the truth.</p>
<p>I don't think it is that appropriate to ask such a question. If this happened, telling the truth is the best policy I think. I don't think it would hurt your D. I interview applicants as well, and in fact am conducting one later this afternoon. At a recent interview, it came out that the applicant had applied ED to another school, but I did not ask her. We were chatting when we first met and how she was friends with a girl that my D is friends with in her area and I think I mentioned how that friend had just heard she was accepted ED to a particular college and this girl I was interviewing then mentioned that she was waiting to hear ED from that same college. I certainly did not take into account what she told me or did not reveal it in my report. She showed interest and enthusiasm for the college I was interviewing her for. When colleges are this competitive, we all know kids apply to several and can like more than one. I don't think an interviewer should ask and I don't think the applications should ask where else you applied (one application my D filled out asked this) but if asked, be truthful or elusive if it comes across honestly.....like if it is early in the season, an applicant can say he/she has not yet fully decided where else he/she is applying. Don't fret much on this as I don't think it had an effect. Still, I hate to hear this question put on the spot.</p>
<p>Depending on the college, it may be appropriate or even required for interviewers to ask such a question. When some colleges make admissions decisions, they take into account a student's interest, so where else the student has applied may be relevant.</p>
<p>The only ethical response I can think of to such a question would be the truth. Presumably, if she gets in ED II to the other college, she wouldn't be going to the college that she just interviewed for. If she is deferred ED II, for all we know the college that she just interviewed for might view her as being likely to have some nice offers from better colleges and, thus, they might consider using merit aid as an attempt to lure her.</p>
<p>My idea of an inappropriate question for a college interview would be something really off base such as an interviewer's asking an applicant about their sex habits.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, it is not like that was the worst question to ask but I still think it is best to not ask it. I think an interviewer can gauge interest in the college through other questions that ask about what the student has done to explore the college and why he/she wants to attend. The student can use that opportunity to state if it is a first or top choice. I have become more aware in recent years, due to my own kids being applicants, to not ask kids to divulge where else they have applied but if they do, fine, but I don't ask anymore. That is just my view. I don't think the answer is going to harm the kid but I think it is their business where else they applied. </p>
<p>Well, I am off to interview someone now and I will keep in mind how applicants feel about such questions. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Well, in the heat of the moment, d blurted out "no" when asked if she had applied ed2 anywhere. She had been conditioned by her counselor not to reveal the fact that she had applied ed2 to a school -- now she is suffering from severe angst and wants to withdraw her application to the offending rd school. The rd school is her clear second choice and would be easier for her to get into than the ed2 school. The other three schools are reaches. Advice??</p>
<p>"Well, in the heat of the moment, d blurted out "no" when asked if she had applied ed2 anywhere. She had been conditioned by her counselor not to reveal the fact that she had applied ed2 to a school"</p>
<p>My advice would be for her to call or e-mail the interviwer and tell the truth: that she was afraid to reveal the info because the college is her clear second choice school. If the college is stupid enough to reject her because she was honest about applying ED elsewhere, does she really want to get accepted to a place like that? It's no secret that most students apply to more than one school. If this bothers adcoms, she should set her sites elsewhere.</p>
<p>There is one other possibility, too, as to why the question was asked: Perhaps the interviewer wasn't even supposed to ask the question. If the interviewer includes negative info in the report concerning your D's answer, the college simply might totally discount the interview report, might even give your D a few points for having to cope with such a tough interview.</p>
<p>I bet, too, that the college wouldn't be surprised to know that your D is applying ED II elsewhere. More than likely she fits a profile of students who do that. It may not be a big deal at all for the college.</p>
<p>Whether or not it's a good question to ask, it's a common question that gets asked. There was another thread some time ago started by Taxguy in which this issue was discussed.-</p>
<p>I had a similar pause on my D's apps where it asked where else she was applying. I wondered if this might be a school's way of determining, "oh, look, she'll get in there why should we admit her, she won't come here."</p>
<p>I told her to not to list each school by name but to say ''a variety of LACs with strong X,Y & Z.''</p>
<p>I thought that the colleges enforce ED (as contrasted with EA) partly by agreeing with one another that it's really supposed to be a meaningful commitment, so I would figure a question like this is completely legitimate (and would advise my children not to apply ED anywhere).</p>
<p>In the right situation, ED can work out very well. If the school has a good reputation for providing adequate financial aid, and the student is completely clear about their choice, why would you advise against it?</p>
<p>Nan, just because a school has a good reputation for providing adquate financial aid, it is not a good idea to apply binding ED if you need financial aid. "Adequate" is quite relative, and even if the aid is generous, if you do not get what your parents will pay, it can be a serious problem. And it happens all of the time. I saw a post that broke down the % of kids who break ED contracts, and it is sadly higher than it should be, and I doubt all of them had pressing reason other than finances. You also cannot compare offers, and you preclude any possible merit awards. Depending on the school, you can be stuck with an inadequate aid package or one loaded with loans and work study with very few grants. Better you compare what the market has for you. Also parents often change their minds about the "anywhere you want, dear" when they see those final numbers and realize what they are going to have to pay. My S has a friend now who is sitting on the fence right now not registered for the semester as his parents just cannot come up with the money. Parents are humans too and we often overestimate what we can do when we want it so badly for our kids, and can make some big mistakes that way. The reality of paying for college is a brutal one and many parents have trouble making those payments believing that things would work out somehow. </p>
<p>I am surprised with the number of schools asking where else S2 is applying. It was not such a prevalent question with my other kids. He does not seem to have a problem with it, but I do wonder if it can affect the outcome in close cases. Sometimes the info goes right on the main sheet. And that ED2 question does seem unfair to me. There is no good way to say that you really don't want to say. It does not look good anyway you answer, other than "no", and if you have applied ED2, that is not really an option. It would really make me uncomfortable, I can tell you.</p>
<p>My daughter applied ED to a selective school, knowing she would not be able to attend without excellent finacial aid. She had her heart set on attending this school, and clearly was within the range of students they accept. We were prepared to do whatever it would take to make this work for her, short of mortgaging the house, and saddling her with crippling loans. If we were going to have to negotiate with the school on these points, we were prepared to do so quickly. We were very clear about what amount would work for us and our daughter knew it might not work out. </p>
<p>The result was that she was accepted and received a generous need-based aid package. It's a very expensive school, but nearly all her tuition will be covered by a school grant. In addition, she received manageable loans and minimal work study. We'll still have a substantial chunk to pay, but it is within our means. It's going to work out, even though she doesn't qualify for federal grants.</p>
<p>I don't think families should make this choice lightly, and I agree that it can go wrong if you do not understand the risks. But I think it's unreasonable to say nobody should apply ED if they need financial aid. If you've done your homework, and know the school has a good endowment and has a record for covering their students, and you know your income falls in the range that should be covered, it can work.</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that a school would ask about ED2 applications elsewhere, and doing it in the interview is particularly disconcerting. However, this seems to be a problem specifically related to ED2, since these applications overlap with RD applications. The question might be asked for the purpose of enforcing the ED2 commitment, but what admissions officer could help but be prejudiced by knowing the student has obligations elsewhere? It seems ED2 has it's own specific risks distinct from regular ED, and maybe these shouldn't be lumped together.</p>
<p>In general, I think it is appropriate for schools to enforce the ED commitment. They need to minimize the unknown attendance factor somehow, and ED is how they do it. It's not a perfect system, but if they can't enforce that commitment, then what good is it? That's part of the choice you make when you apply ED. </p>
<p>Again, I wouldn't make that choice lightly, but it can work. You can tell me we were extremely lucky, and you're right. We were lucky our daughter set her goals on the school she did, and lucky to have good information available so we could make an informed choice.</p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your daughter. I'm glad everything worked out so well for her!</p>
<p>I don't think its right to ask this question for the report. Its different if interviewer talks off-record, perhaps offering info about the schools. I'm sure someone like Sooz would only use this infor to help the student. She understands that students need to apply to several schools at same level, and would be foolish to pin all their hopes on one school.</p>
<p>Whether or not it's an appropriate question doesn't seem to be the issue here; the dilemma is whether or not Reggie's daughter should contact the interviewer and tell her that she wasn't truthful in answering one of the questions. This is a tough one. Although I am usually scrupulous in setting the record straight, in this case I am leaning toward letting it go and living with the consequences. The chance that this ED information would be matched up with the girl's application at the interviewer's college is slim and I think the phone call or e-mail would be helplessly awkward. As I said this goes against my tendency toward honesty as the best policy, but I think it's better to leave the situation alone and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Since this question seems to be "normal" in many interview situation, I guess kids need to be prepared to answer honestly and frankly. I wish there were a polite way to say none of your business, but I can't think of any graceful way to dodge the question. Colleges know that they are not the only school that the student is applying to. Whether they apply ED/EA or RD it really doesn't matter. There's absolutely wrong with having other choices, although it's difficult to tell the college at hand that they are #1 when there's an early application somewhere else. I guess if the early choice was a super reach and the interview school more realistic, the student could say something flattering like, "Harvard is my dream school, but I think that I could get as good an education at xx."</p>
<p>nan, welcome to the cc board and congratulations to your daughter. Since the issue of ED financial aid packages is a major topic here, would you mind sharing the name of her college? I'm very supportive of your points and feel that the ED success stories need to get out there (along with the problematic cases.)</p>
<p>As an interviewer for an Ivy school, I do ask students where they are applying. I don't report it to the college. Rather, it is part of a conversation where I am trying to determine the interest the student has in the college and the fit. For example, if a student is applying primarily to small LACs in more rural settings and I am interviewing for a large university in a very urban setting, I might want to follow up and explore why this university is of interest. When I interview I am trying to get a sense of the student beyond the info contained in the application. This involves conversation, not rotely asking a pre-established list of questions. Alum interviewers are human and sometimes just curious. As a rapport is established with the student, some questions just flow. I doubt this info is even relayed to the college except generally as it pertains to interest level.</p>
<p>Reggie, it's hard to say for sure, but if it were my daughter, I think I would probably encourage her to wait, and not punish herself dramatically by withdrawing her RD application at this point. Nerves are wound tightly during the waiting process, and it's not a good time to make a decision like that. If she still feels uncomfortable about her interview after the decisions come down, she could always go talk with someone then.</p>
<p>MotherOfTwo, and momrath - thanks! I've been reading CC for a few months now, and am deeply appreciative of the information I've found here. A few days ago I started posting under the username, numum, where I mentioned my daughter's school, then I decided to start over on this account so I could discuss ED financial aid more anonymously. </p>
<p>Well, that didn't last long. After our short exchange here, I've decided it's important enough to dive in and talk more openly, and my daughter agrees. So, I'll go ahead and tell you - she was accepted to Northwestern University. And since you're right, momrath, about this question popping up in many threads on the Parent Forum, I just created a new thread, "ED financial aid success? Problems?" Maybe I'll see you there!</p>
<p>Most students who apply ED, unfortunately sit back and wait for the results, and then scramble madly to do RD. With ED-2 having later deadlines, ofcourse a student will have RD apps in at the same time. Now when my D was interviewed by her EA colleges, she was asked what other schools she had applied to, but not specifically if she had applied ED-2. It is certainly not an inappropriate question, but I would not worry about your daughter's reponse of "No". Because really, they should be not deciding on whether to admit her based on that. At this point, I would leave it alone. She is going to hear from her ED-2 school way before any of the RD schools anyhow, and if she gets in, will just withdraw the RD apps. Relax.</p>