<p>So I just had my interview with Brown the other day and my interviewer was really interested in comparing Brown to other colleges, knowing where else I applied, etc etc. So he asked me if I had applied anywhere early and reluctantly I answered Stanford and that I'd gotten in. Now, I was thinking to myself "****, I just ruined this interview." Afterall, what better way is there to ruin an interview then giving the impression that you like another school more and'll probably attend that school? But to my surprise, my interviewer got really excited and was genuinely impressed. He even said (paraphrased) "You must be a great candidate! I'm going to have to make sure to write you a very strong recommendation so hopefully you'll get into Brown and possibly go there instead." A decent chunk of the interview, funny enough was then spent talking about Stanford and the differences between Stanford and Brown (with my interviewer subtly hinting that Brown was better). We also spent some time talking about Yale/Harvard too (where I also applied). He was shocked to learn that HY both still allow interviewers to interview students in their home while Brown has recently made the decision that all interviews from now on have to be in public areas. </p>
<p>So I guess the moral of the story is don't be afraid about being asked about other colleges during an interview. My guy may have probably been the exception rather than the rule, but he left with a very positive impression of me (even offered me his business card and insisted that I call him up on occasion). Just be yourself and tell the truth and you might be surprised by the outcome.</p>