I was waitlisted at two competetive colleges, and I was wondering if it is wrong to tell both colleges that they are my first choice. It is not a lie. I love both colleges very much, and I know I would be very happy at either. In fact, if I somehow got accepted to both, it would be very difficult for me to choose between them. However, my mom says that she is afraid if I tell both of them that they are my first choice school, then they might find out and reject me. Do you think this is a reasonable concern or just a bit of paranoia?
<p>I don't think they'll find out, but I don't feel like it's right either.</p>
<p>I think wording can help you out here. I would choose one of the schools and flat out state "you're my first choice." For the second school, I would use something like the following wording. "If accepted off the waitlist, I would choose WaitlistedmeU over the other schools that I was accepted to."</p>
<p>I'm just afraid that if I say I WILL attend if waitlisted, then something will come up and I won't. I don't want to make a promise that I for some reason might not keep. Certainly, I would want to go to one of these schools over the ones I was accepted to; however, financial aid could play a role.</p>
<p><<i'm just="" afraid="" that="" if="" i="" say="" will="" attend="" waitlisted,="" then="" something="" come="" up="" and="" won't.="" don't="" want="" to="" make="" a="" promise="" for="" some="" reason="" might="" not="" keep.="" certainly,="" would="" go="" one="" of="" these="" schools="" over="" the="" ones="" was="" accepted="" to;="" however,="" financial="" aid="" could="" play="" role.="">></i'm></p>
<p>I admire your honesty but it isn't a promise b/c there are too many unknowns. You don't know if they will accept you. You don't know if you can afford to go b/c until they accept you, you don't know what your aid will be. You don't know if it will still be feasible to reject your other school and change all your plans by the time they accept you off the waitlist. That can happen anytime between now and August, although most likely you will hear before then. I didn't say to say "I will attend" but rather, IF accepted, I would CHOOSE WaitlistedU over the other schools I was accepted to. That implies that it will be a choice for you, which is something you don't know until they accept you off of the wait list. </p>
<p>A bit circular but I hope I got my point across. Now, if you know there is no way you can attend a school where you were waitlisted, that is another issue and you have to decide for yourself how to proceed.</p>