interview question: "which other schools are you interviewing at"

[casillas]

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What on earth is the purpose of this question during interviews? if i say yes will they be more inclined to offer me a spot or will they be like "oh this applicant is fine they don't need our acceptance" I have been asked this in the two interviews i have had and i really do not see the point.

 

[BlueElmo]

What on earth is the purpose of this question during interviews? if i say yes will they be more inclined to offer me a spot or will they be like "oh this applicant is fine they don't need our acceptance" I have been asked this in the two interviews i have had and i really do not see the point.

I was also asked this, and I answered honestly. No idea why they are asking this though.

 

[brooklynblunder]

no, its to see if you would actually go there

ie, the first question at vandy was is this the farthest south that your are applying?

im a NE coaster, its very likely that ppl from that part would not go down south. also if you apply to a primary care driven school and are interviewing at all research oriented school, they can get what kind of a motivation you may actually have.

most people can tailor "why this school" answer to each individual interview. schools know which other institution they are similar to. i dont think they care if you are a "fine" applicant or not. its probably to cut through all the bull**** we tell them, well, just a little bit.

 

[dw2158]

i have been asked where else i've applied at all of my interviews so far and it bugs the crap out of me. i usually start by answering as vaguely as possible ("18 schools... all in the northeast because i want to stay here") and only give deets if they ask me. if they ask specific things, i answer honestly, but i am always internally rolling my eyes.

 

[brooklynblunder]

yea ive been asked at every school

i only mind if another interviewee asks about where else im interviewing or applying, like stop being a dork you tool

 

[mrmilad]

Weird I haven't been asked anything about this yet.

 

[BlueElmo]

Weird I haven't been asked anything about this yet.

I think you will. This question is freaking annoying.

 

[casillas]

I know it really bugs me a lot. but i guess what brooklynblunder said makes sense, but is there more than that? I wonder if it is in the list of questions they ask or is it just curiosity of the interviewer?

 

[ksmi117]

Yeah, no one's asked me. I'd just answer honestly though.

 

[flip26]

Four interviews and nobody has asked this question...if asked, I will tell them, I guess.

 

[brooklynblunder]

i think it could be on the list at certain schools, but i find that the list goes out pretty quickly

 

[Sandey]

I think this question is designed to assess a few areas of the applicant. First, Honesty. I bet there are only a handful of the thousands of applicants who apply that only pick 1 school to apply to. Second as others have said, to assess the types of schools you are applying to to gain an idea of if you really will consider going there if all your other schools are research oriented or if all of them are top tens and the particular school your interviewing at is your safety. So far I was asked at one and not at the other interview. I was honest and got accepted.

 

[bamtuba]

I think you will. This question is freaking annoying.

Yeah, I've been asked once. I answered by giving names of some of the schools that were similar to the one currently interviewing.

Just once, after there is an acceptance in hand, I may counter that question with "and which applicants are you accepting?"

👍

 

[neuronc]

Of course no one can enforce these "rules" but I heard this is not a question that interviewers should be asking you in the first place. I'd go with a vague answer saying I'm applying to research oriented schools or something....