<p>I understand the reasons colleges ask that question, but I still don’t think they should. First, the colleges on the list are likely to change as kids’ thoughts on specific schools become more developed and concrete, but mostly because although there are inferences a college may draw from that list (we’re the first choice, we’re not the first choice, the kid wants a bigger school, the kid wants a smaller school, etc.), those inferences may very well be dead wrong. They don’t know what factors that particular kid is juggling, they may just THINK they know.</p>