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Will I be setting myself up if in more than 1 secondary I declare that the said school is my 'top choice'? What if I say that it is 'amongst my top choices'? Do they even care?
Declaring 'Top Choices' in secondaries....
- Thread starter Friday
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They dont care. Adcoms probably think (and are right to do so) that students are just telling every school theyre your top choice.
It MIGHT help a tiny bit if you tell them at an interview, and it will definitely help if you couple that later in an application season with a letter of intent. But for now, its probably just a waste of characters.
It MIGHT help a tiny bit if you tell them at an interview, and it will definitely help if you couple that later in an application season with a letter of intent. But for now, its probably just a waste of characters.
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I think saying a school's your top choice will only make a difference after you get to the interview phase. However, if a school's secondary ask you "Why us?" and you have some good reasons, don't hesitate to mention it. Some schools, particularly the not-as-competitive ones, can reject someone pre-interview just b/c they believe that person will be accepted and will choose to attend a more competitive school.
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I wouldn't do it, because if it was your top choice, you would probably have applied ED (unless they don't have ED).
And, if are telling that to more than one school than you are breaching the honesty policy, right?
I also think (and know, from experience) that statements like those actually carry little weight--you are better off spending the extra few sentences saying why you like the school/why it appeals to you.
Good luck
And, if are telling that to more than one school than you are breaching the honesty policy, right?
I also think (and know, from experience) that statements like those actually carry little weight--you are better off spending the extra few sentences saying why you like the school/why it appeals to you.
Good luck
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calstudent said:
Well, isn't it possible to have more than 1 top choice? I have 3 schools which I consider my top choice ( if I get into all 3 with good finaid I don't know how I'll decide!). Thats why I didn't do Early Decision.
My biggest worry now is communication between proffessors/adcoms from the different schools leaving them thinking I'm deceptive. My other worry is that if I say they are "amongst my top choices" they'll take it to mean I rank other schools higher than them so I may go elsewhere even if offered a spot. I know I may mention this in an interview but putting this down in writing leaves a permanent record of it, don't you think?
And yes, I am including that statement in essays asking "why such and such SOM?" Anybody out there who by chance has been on an adcom who can offer some more insight?
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I wouldn't do it...it sounds fishy to me to declare a school your top choice before you even tour the facilities, meet students/faculty, get a first hand impression of the program. Once you interview though, I think you can safely tell one or two schools that they're your top choice...not too many though, adcom members have told me that they do communicate with one another
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Do it and when the schools check around with each other about them all being your top choice, have fun.
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Been there, done that, and it doesn't matter two $hits what you say about them being your top choice. Most people say this, and it becomes very cliche to the adcoms.
Just tell them why you like them, and how you can see yourself there excelling and giving back to the school.
Remember, don't say it, saaaaaayy it... (i.e. don't say it explicitly, say it through examples. They will get the drift if you can convince them)
Just tell them why you like them, and how you can see yourself there excelling and giving back to the school.
Remember, don't say it, saaaaaayy it... (i.e. don't say it explicitly, say it through examples. They will get the drift if you can convince them)
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DOnt tell a school that they are ur #1 choice until at elast the interview is over. Cuz unless you have done a visit to that school and some others, you really dont know anything about the school except for its reputation and geographic setting
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Friday said:
Save it until after your interview, then LOIs may make a difference.
I know for absolute certain that unless you express strong interest in attending Columbia during your interview, you will not get in, even if you turn water to wine in the interview.
I also know LOIs make a big difference at some places, but no difference at others.
That being said, be CAREFUL. Schools talk, BELIEVE ME, they talk. I've been on the with an admissions officer at one school, when he told me "we just heard that school X was ..." relating to me.
Save it to later. It will make a greater impact then, and you never know, interviews may change your opinion of schools. Only post interview will it count, and even then, its dependent on the institution.
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velocypedalist said:
I've been to all 3 schools that are my 'top choice'. I did undergrad in one (with many friends in the med school and had some classes there), currently do research at the med school of the other and the other is in my home town so have been there plenty of times. And yes, for all of these I give specific reasons why they are attractive and thought of adding that they were my top choice in my conclusion. But given that some here say that they know for certain adcoms talk, I may have to omit the top choice sentence.
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My premed advisor (who I actually trust, he's being doing it 30 years at an Ivy) said that its a big NO-NO to write that more than one school is your ONLY top choice. he was referring to doing this later in the process I think, but I don't see why that would make a difference, its still lying. seems like you could say that a certain school is one of your top choices, but not THE top choice unless you really mean it....he said the repercussions for getting caught doing this are not pretty...
