<p>Does anyone else feel really awkward when a student tour guide or interviewer asks what other schools you are applying to? Does anyone have a good way to get passed this awkwardness? I've already visited 5 schools (E/A, Deerfield, Choate, and Groton) and at two of those schools the student guide started (rudely, in my opinion) bashing other schools. Others were highly respectful but it still felt weird. I'm leaving tomorrow to visit Hotchkiss, SPS, and Middlesex, so I was wondering if someone had a good way around this, so that interviewers know that you're very interested in their particular school.</p>
<p>"A couple that have interested me so far are abc and xyz." No need to regurgitate the whole list. It's a time waster. Generally, it tells me more negative things about the school that I'm touring to hear the guide diss another School and has the opposite effect when she or he is positive. In any case, remember that they're just kids, filled with strongly held opinions and very little experience. </p>
<p>Pay particular attention to how other kids treat one another, do they seem happy or not, do they say hello or not. If you can eat a meal in the dining hall, you get a great view of this. Or, if you can watch a game, you can see how supportive the kids are on the sidelines, get a sense of sportsmanship all around. The tour guide view is usually pretty scripted so try to spend some non tour time to get a better flavor.</p>
<p>It didn't feel awkward at all for me. I know that schools want to know their competition, and who they may eventually be fighting when it comes time to yield students.
My interviewers were very respectful about it, too.</p>
<p>My interviewer for Exeter just plain out said this to me "Are you applying to Andover?". She didn't care about any of the other schools beside Andover.</p>
<p>Hahaha, Senay, that's hysterical. Are you applying to both? And when did you interview?</p>
<p>I don't get why any would care telling a fellow student where there applying to. If they ask me it won't be akward at all, I can understand an adult. But not some random student..</p>