Should you put where else you're applying?

[Tweetjazz]

<p>On many common app supplements it asks for the other colleges I'm applying to.. is it better to put them or not?</p>

[mochakt]

<p>I put all of my schools. It looks like you have other options and don’t have all your hopes on just their school.</p>

[mikemac]

<p>Some schools are believed to reject kids who apply to more prestigious schools and appear to have a chance to get into them. Just google “Tufts syndrome”. Others are believed to reduce financial aid packages if they can figure out they’re your reach.</p>

<p>So my advice is put a list of peer institutions and of course your state school.</p>

[Tweetjazz]

<p>thanks.. anyone else on this?!</p>

[tokenadult]

<p>Here’s my FAQ on this issue: </p>

<p>APPLICATIONS TO OTHER COLLEGES </p>

<p>You could quote chapter and verse from the Statement of Principles of Good Practice of the National Association for College Admission Counseling:</p>

<p>

@NACAC Principles of Good Practice

</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><a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/9A4F9961-8991-455D-89B4-AE3B9AF2EFE8/0/SPGP.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/9A4F9961-8991-455D-89B4-AE3B9AF2EFE8/0/SPGP.pdf&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<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) “small liberal arts colleges with a focus on undergraduate teaching” (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>

[cj_svu6]

<p>I just left it blank. Two CommonApp colleges asked me, but you could still submit without answering.</p>

[Nickel_Xenon]

<p>Only the University of Dallas and Boston U asked me that questions. I only listed three schools on each application. I didn’t list the very top schools I’m applying to.</p>

[woo.designs]

<p>I left it blank.</p>

[ticklemepink]

<p>One of the professors at my university told me that it’s really more for figuring out the yield. They don’t really look at it all that closely during admissions process.</p>