<p>Please help! When colleges ask an applicant to list the other colleges to which he/she is applying - and make it an "optional" item - do you recommend listing some, all, or none of the "other" colleges? My initial (parental) response to this is that it is none of their business (I liken it to certain "illegal" job interview questions) - and suspect that this is a way for schools to determine the likelihood that an applicant will attend if accepted. I really want my kid to be considered on the merits of her application and academic/EC record alone, and not on whether or not she is applying to any given school as a reach, target, safety, outlier, etc. On the other hand, an admissions team could be asking this to determine how much they need to sweeten the pot of an offer of admission, i.e. via merit aid, etc. What say you? We're really tired of trying to climb into the admissions committees heads...!</p>
<p>You always have the option of not answering the question. However, if you choose to and if your child is applying to a “peer school” you can put in that school, and you can put in the state university in your home state (expected response).</p>
<p>I think some schools don’t want to be viewed as a safety and really want kids who want them.</p>
<p>At this juncture, there are no pots to be sweetened. Don’t about being wooed by someone until you first have an offer in hand</p>
<p>Agree with Sybbie - I would advise to put in 2-3 schools - no need to reveal your whole list. And put in schools that are at the same level or lower. Avoid listing higher. more prestigious schools that are being applied to as this will give away the school’s place as a safety - and that is what you want to try and avoid.</p>
<p>If you are from Ohio, there is no harm in listing Ohio State. I agree with sybbie - your home state flagship is a natural, expected response.</p>
<p>Thanks, “Moms” and Sybbie. You’ve given us food for thought…since it is the “safety” (I hate that designation) school that has asked for the other schools list, we’ll have to finesse this a bit. In NYS, there is no clear state flagship school, given the extensive SUNY system. D. is not applying to any NYS schools, preferring to spread her wings and spend at least 4 years in a very different part of the country. Since I don’t want her to lie on any app, we won’t be listing a NYS school. Safest strategy may be to leave this optional item blank…</p>
<p>My S listed his reach school which is considered to be tops in his field of study. Although the money was not a major factor in his decision, the reach school does not give merit aid and the school that he chose (because of fit) does give merit money. We guessed that the merit money was offered to entice him to attend the lower ranked school. Another school which has stats slightly lower than the one that he chose, offered no money.</p>