When interviewers ask what your top choice is

[Svart Aske]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How do you answer? I've always been honest when asked this but it makes me uneasy disclosing my preference for a top school because it might put me at a disadvantage. This is especially the case when you first choice is a state school, which is more likely to accept in-staters.

I also hate it when they ask how many schools I've applied to and how many have interviewed me.

 

[FutureDent020]

How do you answer? I've always been honest when asked this but it makes me uneasy disclosing my preference for a top school because it might put me at a disadvantage. This is especially the case when you first choice is a state school, which is more likely to accept in-staters.

I also hate it when they ask how many schools I've applied to and how many have interviewed me.

Wow, do they really ask directly what your first choice is? I would try and skew the question by saying what I like most about your school is blah blah blah. And how I would love to move here and experience blah blah blah.

 

[Svart Aske]

Wow, do they really ask directly what your first choice is? I would try and skew the question by saying what I like most about your school is blah blah blah. And how I would love to move here and experience blah blah blah.

Interviewers can smell a BS response when they hear one.

Smell. Hear. Heh.

 

[FutureDent020]

Interviewers can smell a BS response when they hear one.

Smell. Hear. Heh.

Oh I definitely agree. If I ever got asked that I would undoubtedly say my state school b/c of money (and it's a great school). But then I would go on to laud their school 😀

 

[lazybummy]

Well i got asked twice.. and both times i said i dont have one. It was my honest answer.. and i told them it's hard to have one without seeing the school itself.. and then they moved on to asking me.. how would i decide which one i would ultimately go to.

 

[solstice]

Wow I never thought they would ask such a question. This is really invasion of privacy. What would they want to do with an answer. They can interpret the answer anyway they like.

I would tell them this is a VERY personal question and I would not answer it. No way. I do not think they are so immature to reject me for not answering a question that I am not comfortable with.

 

[Svart Aske]

Well i got asked twice.. and both times i said i dont have one. It was my honest answer.. and i told them it's hard to have one without seeing the school itself.. and then they moved on to asking me.. how would i decide which one i would ultimately go to.

Let me guess, were they Penn and Columbia? Yeah, I wish I had said something vague.

Dr. McManus at Columbia said (somewhat jokingly) that if someone told him Columbia is his #2 choice he would probably be accepted. I'm not sure if it's his honesty or the fact that Columbia is so high up on the list that would warrant an acceptance.

 

[flying rider]

Um, this is totally unrelated but... solstice, I love your picture. =)

 

[lazybummy]

Let me guess, were they Penn and Columbia? Yeah, I wish I had said something vague.

Dr. McManus at Columbia said (somewhat jokingly) that if someone told him Columbia is his #2 choice he would probably be accepted. I'm not sure if it's his honesty or the fact that Columbia is so high up on the list that would warrant an acceptance.

UPenn and UMDNJ.. im assuming i'll hear one this Friday then lol.

 

[solstice]

Um, this is totally unrelated but... solstice, I love your picture. =)

 

[Svart Aske]

UPenn and UMDNJ.. im assuming i'll hear one this Friday then lol.

Ha! Hey, my previous post will probably help you out. But being from NY you can probably tell them with a straight face that Columbia is your top choice.

 

[lphiewok]

although i wasnt directly asked what my #1 choice is, i was asked few times "you have great state schools, would you choose our school over your state school?" or something similar to that where they are trying to see if I would choose them if they do offer me an acceptance.

i know it sounds BS, but before going into interview, i try to really think that this is the school i want to attend. maybe it's because i wasn't accepted in my first try and i feel that any school that accepts me is my #1 school, but it helps me to sound truthful when i answer such questions.

I usually mention that I am applying to HPSP scholarship (military scholarship) and therefore tuition is not a factor for me. And then i mention that I was really impressed with XXX school today (which is true, i was impressed by all schools i have interviewed at) and i would love to attend here if i was given a chance.
although I don't directly lie and say this is the school i will choose over any other schools (i would probably say this if i get an interview at the school at my city, which would be my first choice since i want to stay near home), i try to let them know that if i am given the acceptance, i would seriously consider choosing this school.

 

[Danae00]

.

 

[Svart Aske]

You can tell I've been in the business world too long, because these questions wouldn't phase me. 😛

Don't avoid the question, they will pick up on that right away. I also don't believe in lying in any interviews. Tell the truth, but in a very flattering way.

"I have to admit that I have been primarily leaning towards [school A]. It is an attractive option because
[list practical reason here: close to family and home, low tution fees, etc]. But I must say, I am very excited about the possibilty of coming here because
[list a bunch of reasons why you would be super happy there, ideally things that set it apart from you first choice]"

If you're good, you can be completely honest in stating your first choice of schools, but yet you can give the impression that their school is where you'd really *want* to be. And I'm not talking about totally BSing either. Be honest in your praise of their school - you applied there for a reason!

Not that I'm an expert by any means when it comes to school interviews. But I can't imagine it is all that different than a job interview, and that I have a lot of experience (and success) in.

A reasonable and tactful way of handling these type of questions. I also try to do this but in a more spontaneous (and less rehearsed-sounding) way.

 

[Vicviper]

I got asked this question at just about all of my interviews, primarily because I was from CA and all of my interviews were for the most part on the East Coast, and my response was simply that Although it might be to get into a CA school to be close to family and where I grew up, I'm very open to new and different places, and I don't want to be the kind of person who's never really left the state before.

I never really pointed out a particular school in general, and I think this response was met with pretty positive sentiment.