I didnt think I was grilling anyone.
I said one word. "Really?"
Interpret it as you will.
"Really" was bladed and you know it
Anyway, it is kind of annoying to me too because I make every effort not to tell schoosl that are not my first choice that they are my first choice.
I use the wording "optimal fit" "..fit my personality and career aspirations." "complements my strengths" "school X is one of my highest choices..." that type of thing...
Conversely...
Although with regards to calling some place your first choice, I would like to offer some contradictions to the claim that a person should only claim one first choice throughout this process.
1. People tend to apply to 10-20 schools (I am currently complete/as complete as I can be at 18 schools). Sometimes, the first time that an individual sees a schools is during their interview. How can one possibly declare a first choice when someone hasn't traveled to a school or spoken with its admissions staff and students. Although these insitutions put voluminous amounts of information on their websites from interactive tours to student testimony to course listings, these are still an incomplete (and certainly biased) picture of what a school actually has to offer.
2. When one enters this horrific process, he or she may utilize the wrong criteria to determine which school is best (ie. rankings, MD vs. DO, etc). Thus, the level of understanding may change (1) but it is also important to realize that the criteria for evaluation may be fluid as well.
3. People change their mind in the face of new information and changing goals.
And that's about it...
So basically, I do get frustrated with people who indiscriminately misrepresent themselves and claim that EVERY SCHOOL is their first choice. However, there are instances when one school, which was not previously a first choice, could become a first choice. This might be Hard Body's defense...or he might have just been shamelessly claiming something that wasn't true.
In all instances, I think that is important to be as honest and as forthright as possible - even in the face of a degrading and mentally exhausting process such as medical school admissions. We should all be aware that admissions committees have their bull****-o-meters set to ultra-sensitive because they WANT a reason to disqualify applicants.
Just my 2 cents.
