So, last night, I was at a fly-in and we were having a formal dinner with faculty and admissions counselors and I was talking to the admissions counselor sitting next to me and he asked me how senior year is and I said I was worried about my portfolio for USC and I mentioned how it was my first choice (it kind of just slipped out). He didn’t seem to mind and we continued our convo casually and it was pretty awesome but now that I think of it, I’m kind of worried.
Was it stupid of me to mention another school as my first choice? Isn’t it pretty much common etiquette to not say things like that? Or am I overthinking it??
I think you should refrain from making such comments in the future - especially at a fly-in. Nevertheless, colleges know kids have options and he/she may have not have paid too much attention to the remark. Again though, colleges (especially interviewers) are not supposed to ask and you should not offer the information unless the school is clearly your first choice. No one likes to hear that they’re your back-up plan. Good luck!
Yup, that’s a mistake. Especially, since they paid to fly you out. Of course, the admissions rep isn’t going to say anything or seem to mind. They are professional and are being polite to a prospective student, but I would assume it was noted.
Whether its love interests, job openings, or colleges, no one wants to be second fiddle. Consider it a lesson learned.
You should say, now and in the future when asked for colleges you’re thinking of “I have a few I’m considering but no first choice. I’m visiting several and so far I really like what I saw here at XX College”.
If pressed for an answer, cite one “peer” college (a college that’s similar - if you’re visiting a women’s college, cite another women’s college; if visiting a LAC, cite a similar LAC; if visiting a large private university, cite a large private university - in all cases, within about 10 rankings up or down) and a safety - NEVER cite a “reach” since it’ll make them feel like they’re your safety, and no one likes to feel like a backup.
Since it was a fly-in and they paid for you to come, they know you have other choices so the goal of the question was to see 1° whether they’d impressed you enough and 2° whether your first choice was similar to them; if USC is very different from their profile (say, you were at Colby, ie., small, LAC, Northern, outdoorsy, vs. USC large, research, socal, urban-ish) they’re less likely to offer you admissions since they know they don’t fit what they’re looking for.
It might be a mistake, but it’s not the end of the world. At my son’s Harvard interview he was asked why he hadn’t applied restricted EA, and he told them the truth. It wasn’t his first choice. I think H kind of liked his forthrightness. They accepted him anyway, and in the end while it was a tough decision, he chose a different school. Lower rated overall, but much stronger in Computer Science.
It’s a good idea though to practice some more diplomatic answers. And you may indeed change your mind. My son had no idea really how much he would love the school he ended up at when he applied.
If you haven’t already, follow up with a nicely worded thank you note letting them know you appreciate the fly in and that you’d be thrilled to be a student there and why, what you learned from your visit, etc.
Of course the AO “didn’t seem to mind”. The AO was being polite. It’s one thing to respond truthfully when asked about your first choice. It’s another to volunteer it.
Lemme put it this way. If u are a guy asking a gal out as your prom date, do u think the gal would mind if u said to her:
Would be my prom date? Of course, I would prefer to go out with this other prettier gal. And I intend to ditch u if she says yes.
Absolutely, but that’s Harvard. A school that loses candidates to USC and that invests in a fly-in program has different priorities.
Agree that this is a learning experience. Try not to fret about a mistake. We’ve all said things at important meetings that we regret. I’ve done it many times when I was much older than the OP!
Going forward is probably best not to say another school is your top choice. My D used told each school she interviewed with that it was one of her top choices (which was true, although she had a top school, she only interviewed with her 4 top choices).
Aw… I feel kind of upset about this now… I went home and thought about my experiences in the past few days and realized that I love the community of this school SO MUCH. It may even be my first choice now. I regret saying what I did but I guess it’s just a life lesson learned.
And what’s even worse is that the Dean was sitting two seats away from me but I think she was talking to the girl next to me so she probably didn’t hear.
This school is actually really competitive and a reach for me… I’d be lucky to even get accepted… cross my fingers and hope that they’ll overlook my little mistakes haha
BTW are admissions counselors allowed to ask students what their first choice schools are during an interview? I interviewed for Colorado College and she actually asked me what my top schools were… and I was honest and didn’t list Colorado College but did a few schools similar it.
If you know who you spoke with AND you determine that this college is now your top choice you could send him a quick note thanking him for his time and the opportunity to fly out to see the school. You could also mention that after visiting the school, you now feel that it is the ideal fit for you and your top choice. Only do this if you’re sure though. If they have ED then you don’t even have to do this but it’s a nice courtesy anyway.
When you email the school to thank them, let them know that the visit was a turning point and that they’ve now become your first choice because of their … and the … Thank the rep who supervised you directly, too.
