When adcoms ask what is your first choice

[luplodw]

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So how do you answer the admissions committee when they ask what your first choice for a school is, and in reality, it is another school? Do you lie and say their school is your top choice or do you tell the truth?

 

[HopefulAg]

I plan on telling them that my in-state is my top choice due to cost. I think that's a reasonable, honest explanation that they can't balk at.

 

[cowgirla]

I've got a top five, but really no major preference between them...

For starters, there's my instate school. Cornell, which is an excellent research/public health university. I'm more interested in clinical medicine for mixed/agricultural species, so their program strengths don't really fit my interests. However, there's the whole instate tuition thing, but there's also the fact that I only have a 3.2 GPA.

The other four include schools that I feel have programs that will best suit my interests. (Not including Colo, a top choice that already rejected me!). So I'll probably just be completely honest that I'm not sure if I'd rather be less in debt or having a program more tailored to my general interest. Obviously, Cornell's a great school, I'm just not entirely sure it's the school for me, and if I would choose to go there if I was accepted to two schools.

I'd think the AdComs would value honesty over you telling them what they want to hear. Each school has it pros and cons, and AdComs are aware of that, just as they are aware of the tuiton costs.

(Wow, please excuse all the typos in that post... I'm scaring myself!)

 

[gilch]

Hmm... I think honesty is generally a good policy--I think the adcoms would recognize insincere praise/gushing about their school. Personally, I do not have a first choice now, which I think is a pretty acceptable answer, should it come up. If I was so lucky as to get into multiple schools, I'd take into account location, cost/financial aid, future goals, ect.

If your first choice is another school, I'd try to spin in a financial/practicality direction--"While I really love this school, the instate tution at _______ make that my top choice. I applied as OOS here anyway because I thought/liked/was interested in ______ here."

I think that the most important thing is to apply only to schools you would be eager/thrilled to attend.

Have people encountered this question during interviews?

 

[luplodw]

Hmm... I think honesty is generally a good policy--I think the adcoms would recognize insincere praise/gushing about their school. Personally, I do not have a first choice now, which I think is a pretty acceptable answer, should it come up. If I was so lucky as to get into multiple schools, I'd take into account location, cost/financial aid, future goals, ect.

If your first choice is another school, I'd try to spin in a financial/practicality direction--"While I really love this school, the instate tution at _______ make that my top choice. I applied as OOS here anyway because I thought/liked/was interested in ______ here."

I think that the most important thing is to apply only to schools you would be eager/thrilled to attend.

Have people encountered this question during interviews?

Yeah i've seen where people were asked to name the schools to which they applied and put them in order of preference. I've also seen where people were asked where they would most like to attend.

 

[bardsle1]

Hmm... I think honesty is generally a good policy--I think the adcoms would recognize insincere praise/gushing about their school. Personally, I do not have a first choice now, which I think is a pretty acceptable answer, should it come up. If I was so lucky as to get into multiple schools, I'd take into account location, cost/financial aid, future goals, ect.

If your first choice is another school, I'd try to spin in a financial/practicality direction--"While I really love this school, the instate tution at _______ make that my top choice. I applied as OOS here anyway because I thought/liked/was interested in ______ here."

I think that the most important thing is to apply only to schools you would be eager/thrilled to attend.

Have people encountered this question during interviews?

i have heard that ohio frequently asks you to tell them the schools you applied to/interviewed at and rank them order starting with your favorite

 

[gilch]

i have heard that ohio frequently asks you to tell them the schools you applied to/interviewed at and rank them order starting with your favorite

Rank them?!? Yikes! That doesn't seem fair somehow...

 

[karmapple]

i have heard that ohio frequently asks you to tell them the schools you applied to/interviewed at and rank them order starting with your favorite

At my OSU interview, I was asked where I applied and why, but I certainly was not asked to rank them.

 

[Shanomong]

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[ReadyBeVet]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's totally unethical and unconventional to ask someone which school they prefer. I don't think it's done.

When Penn called me with my acceptance my interviewer did ask me if I thought I'd be attending, but I think that was for 2 reasons:

1. I do think they're told to get a feel for whether or not we'll be coming, in order to try to guestimate class size as well as determine if they want to offer some financial incentive to the applicants they really want to retain (not me haha, but I know a couple of people who played it cool and had some $$ thrown at them)

2. I think the fact that I was noticeably jumping up and down screaming and on the verge of tears was too much excitement for her to ignore and she wanted to get in on the party 😀. She sounded almost as excited as I did when she asked.

I didn't interview anywhere else so I can't speak for other schools...but I think its generally not acceptable to ask an applicant where they want to go the most (asking why they like your school, on the other hand, is fair game... so know what you do like about that school)

That made me smile, I can just picture it! 🙂

 

[PicklePie]

Mine is actually up in the air at the moment, it was tied between UC Davis and OSU with UW Madison as third. Davis is my instate school, except now my parents are talking about moving to WI! Instate tuition would be great, but I spent the last four years away from my family so it's a bit of a bummer. So if they ask me where I prefer, I may have to ramble a bit but it will be honest.

 

[StayingHopeful]

I would be honest, BUT be clear about your reasons FOR applying to that school. There must be reasons you chose it (hopefully good ones) and they will know if you are being sincere or not. I was asked at one of the schools that wasn't my in-state, and I said that while I wanted to be in-state because of family and costs, I absolutely loved certain aspects of their program (which was not a lie, and I was specific about what I liked about their school) and I ended up getting in there. Not that this applies to you specifically, but if an applicant can't think of honest reasons why you want to go to a school (in case they ask), then that says a lot about how much they do/don't want to be at that school. Make sure to research about the school if you get an interview bc it will show and it conveys a certain dedication if you can show that you know about their school in particular.

I got asked a lot of expected questions, but a handful of curve balls too. If you have done your research before the interview you'll be as ready as possible for those awkward questions. And from what I have heard, sometime interviewers (or schools) like to try to throw curve balls to see how well you handle yourself under stress. It can be more about your reaction than your answer in some instances.

 

[TSUJC]

I interviewed at a school and they asked what other schools I had applied to. When I mentioned one particular school the adcom said "If you get in there, you should go. It’s a great school.” I couldn’t believe it! He was telling me to go to another school!

 

[elefante7]

When I applied, I had a top 3, a second to last school, and a last resort school. As it happened, my last resort school asked me some questions similar to this during my interview. They asked me how many schools I was applying to and how financially I would decide between them if I got in everywhere. I found it interesting that they put the word financially into the question. Though, for me it was not as simple as in state vs. out of state cause it depended on where my fiance (now husband) got into grad schools and what kind of funding they offered him.

But then, they asked me what I was looking for in a school. I said I was looking for a strong exotics program (I think I said some other things too, but I don't remember). Then they asked if they had those things. I couldn't believe they asked me that. I proceeded to say everything good I could think of about their virtually non-existent exotics program.

I felt quite on the spot.