<p>So one of the schools i'm applying to asks me to "list other colleges and universities I will be applying to"
am I obligated list every college i'm applying to? I dont really want to because this school is more of a match/safety (i really like it its just that when they see Stanford written are they gonna think that i dont actually want to go to their school)?</p>
<p>HELP!</p>
<p>I'm having the same issue... bump.</p>
<p>I would put the schools that are in the same ranking as the one you apply to but you don't have to list everything. They should not ask this type of question in the first place.</p>
<p>Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuump</p>
<p>I left it blank. :]</p>
<p>seriously? well i'm not gonna leave it blank otherwise they'll wonder.. id rather fill it in i just dont know... areyou OBLIGATED to list every school?</p>
<p>I think leaving it blank might make you look like some type of cheat.</p>
<p>my feelings exactly</p>
<p>I agree with 99cents. First of all, never leave any section on an application blank (unless it is completely optional but even then you should still fill it out). That is an easy excuse for an admissions officer to toss your app. Even if you think that the question is a bit unethical, they asked the question so they are expecting a response. I would suggest, however, using you discretion on what schools to actually list. College admission officers know how the game works. They are going to see your app and realize that their school is probably not your top choice. In that vain, it is probably appropriate to list one or two better schools (perhaps disguised as reaches) and more schools around their caliber. You do not have to list all your schools (no one would know anyway), they just want a basic idea of where you are applying. Do not completely lie, but you can still present the truth in a way that is more favorable to this situation.</p>
<p>anyone else.... BUMP</p>
<p>I left it blank. So far the only school that has asked me is my lowest safety, so there's no way that I'm going to list any of my other schools, since they are all much more prestigious.</p>
<p>Sounds like a question a school that's used to being turned down would ask</p>
<p>That's not entirely true, when I applied to Harvard as a transfer, they asked that question on the application (though they do not ask it on their freshman application). Harvard certainly isn't turned down that often.</p>
<p>I think you really have two options:
Either you can answer the question completely and accurately or you can write that you decline to answer.</p>
<p>What you can't do is take some in between road and only list some of the schools you are applying to - that would be dishonest. </p>
<p>In my case last year, I listed all of the schools to which I was applying. But if you really feel uncomfortable about it I think you could very well put a "decline to state" without penalty. This is something that, just like your race or religion, schools have no need to know to make a decision on your application, and they really shouldn't be asking it in the first place.</p>
<p>My s left it blank. I don't think it is our job to do their research for them or to disclose information that is not necessary/relevant to their decision to accept/deny a student.</p>
<p>What about when a school asks if they are your first choice? If you leave it blank (which I intend to do), they they know they are not your first choice. However, I am only applying to 4 schools, all of which I would be happy to attend, although some more that others. (They also ask for my religion, and even though I have absolutely no problem with religion (I'm Catholic btw), I think it's inappropriate for them to ask (it's NOT a religiously affiliated university!). I'm leaving that one blank too!</p>
<p>You still don't have to answer any of these questions. If they ask if it is your top choice, say "undecided"</p>
<p>I did (and was advised to do) something like what Tuna Fish described. I didn't list every school I was applying to, and I was vague where appropriate ("UC's" instead of "Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCD"). In general, I think I tried to list a small range of schools (something higher so that they wanted to <em>fight</em> for me a bit, something lower so that they didn't feel like a back-up), but with the majority clustered around the same level of selectivity. I kept my super-reaches off of all lists. I'm sure that I attached more meaning to the question than it's actually given, but that was my logic. My guidance counselor basically just said "don't lie, but use discretion."</p>
<p>On later applications that asked similar questions, I was more vague (more b/c of unsureness than dishonesty, but hey). I left it at something like "Mainly in-state publics and privates, select out-of-state privates in the Midwest and Northeast."</p>
<p>I don't recommend leaving anything blank, just as a rule. "Decline to answer" or "N/A" is preferable in my mind, because at least then it's clear that you didn't just miss something. And if you do want to be picky about the questions that you answer, then that's absolutely fine, but be prepared for the fact that an admissions officer might take an issue with your selectivity (likely not as long as it's minor, but it's still a possibility).</p>
<p>I wouldn't be too concerned about this and would hardly call it dishonest to not list every other school. It's not like you even fully know every school you will apply to yet; and it's not like a prerequisite in filling out an application to decide precisely all the other schools you will be applying to. </p>
<p>I would be reluctant to put down "decline to answer" type of responses. To me, that just makes you stand out as being difficult and more detrimental to your application than just putting down a few schools that they cannot absolutely prove correct anyway.</p>
<p>It was just a check off box for the "is this your first choice question". Yes or no, and nothing else. So do I check "no", because that seems kind of harsh. I wouldn't be applying if I didn't want to go there, so I think the question is kind of ridiculous! (And I won't lie!)</p>
<p>As I have written before, </p>
<p>You could quote chapter and verse from the Statement of Principles of Good Practice of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC): </p>
<p>
<p>B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures</p>
<p>Postsecondary members agree that they will:</p>
<ol> <li><p>accept full responsibility for admission and financial aid decisions and for proper notification of those decisions to candidates;</p></li> <li><p>not require candidates or the secondary schools to indicate the order of the candidates’ college or university preferences, except under Early Decision plans;
</p></li>
</ol>
<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) "major research universities in large cities" (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>On which college application did you see this question? How eager are you to attend that college and no other?</p>