Is it a bad idea to tell a school they're your #1?

[yanks26dmb]

I was recently asked how I would chose X school over another if I were accepted to both. I straight up told my interviewer X school is my number 1 choice. Maybe I'm over thinking things now, but is this a bad move?

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[Mad Jack]

I told my #1 they were my #1 and they must have been as into me as I was into them, because they accepted me.

 

[Stagg737]

Agree with both of the above. If you're sincere it's not going to hurt you, but it probably isn't going to help very much. Besides, there are plenty of other ways to show them how much you want to go there other than just saying they're your first choice.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

If you said my school was your first choice, I'd expect you to be able to show that by being able to speak about the specifics that the school has to offer which make you want to choose it. It's only a negative to say that if you don't have good reasons to back it up.

 

[cliquesh]

I told my #1 they were my #1 and they must have been as into me as I was into them, because they accepted me.

yep, I said the same thing, and ended up attending my #1.

 

[Goro]

We know that you're all lying, and we don't take it personally.

I was recently asked how I would chose X school over another if I were accepted to both. I straight up told my interviewer X school is my number 1 choice. Maybe I'm over thinking things now, but is this a bad move?

 

[Promethean]

I was recently asked how I would chose X school over another if I were accepted to both. I straight up told my interviewer X school is my number 1 choice. Maybe I'm over thinking things now, but is this a bad move?

Is it a bad move? Probably not. Some, maybe even most people who say that probably really mean it, and there is no reason to hold that against them.

But there is also no reason to put any particular stock in such an assertion. I'm betting very few people ever tell an adcom "Well, you guys are really #3 or 4 on my list, but hey, you are in the top 5, for sure!"

 

[MaduNotSoff]

Friend of mine was asked this at an MD school last year. He told them that they weren't his top choice but he really liked the school and would highly consider attending. He's an M1 at that school now, so being honest isn't necessarily a bad move

 

[Othala]

I think it's fine to tell them they're your number one. I can't see where it's a bad idea. Don't panic, you're probably over thinking it.