Should I answer 'List other graduate schools you applied'?

[mejoiningtoo]

1. I'm wondering maybe I shouldn't fill in any other school's names on the application form. And is it possible it's one of the reasons I haven't heard from any schools so far? So desperate now.....

[luvalicious]

Are you saying that you think you haven't heard back because you put down certain schools? I wasn't quite sure what you were asking in the second question, but I doubt that whatever schools you put down impact the adcom's decisions. I believe that those questions are for statistical, or even 'checking out the competition' purposes, and I don't think you'd be penalized whether you left it blank or answered the question.

FWIW, I think you should answer those types of questions both to show your interest in other programs (which implies that you've looked around and researched, never a bad thing to imply), and that other schools might be interested in you (which could make you seem like a more enticing prospect).

[Paradoxex22]

I actually disagree with the first response on one point.

I don't think it's why you haven't heard back....it should DELAY the decision making process for universities, but it could impact their decision.

Schools still do care a little about yield rate....not as much as in the olden days, but some. The theory is that if you apply to a school in the middle of the pack in terms of your field, and you don't have any obvious other reason to apply there (you don't call one out in the SOP), but list the top schools in your field as your other choices, then that school may feel like a safety. If your stats aren't up to the caliber of the top schools, they may be more likely to accept you, knowing you'll most likely enroll. You're a sure bet, in other words. If you have exemplary stats, however, the school may be more likely to deny you, not wanting to waste an open slot on you only to have you decline (or forget to decline).

In undergrad this happens far more prevalently...Tufts and Washington in St. Louis are too schools infamous for supposedly practicing this method of boosting yield rates. In grad schools I imagine most schools use the data to gauge who they are up against for bright students on average...but there isn't really any compelling reason to fill it out, I imagine. Maybe they recruit you harder if they know you are applying to top programs, and they are aspiring to be a top program...but this is a long shot.

[xnormajeanx]

on the other hand... is it possible schools might give you more funding? to try to draw you away from those other schools...

[Paradoxex22]

It's possible. My initial 3rd choice got back to me a month earlier than other programs and gave me a sweetheart deal for my MPP aspirations, so maybe it's because of the fact that they are competing with legit schools. It certainly didn't hurt. Still, the point I highlighted is definitely a factor in undergraduate admissions, so it also makes sense that some schools would extrapolate that to the graduate level too.

[xnormajeanx]

It's possible. My initial 3rd choice got back to me a month earlier than other programs and gave me a sweetheart deal for my MPP aspirations, so maybe it's because of the fact that they are competing with legit schools. It certainly didn't hurt. Still, the point I highlighted is definitely a factor in undergraduate admissions, so it also makes sense that some schools would extrapolate that to the graduate level too.

matriculation rates are far less important in graduate level rankings than in undergraduate though... (right?)

and same here -- also an MPP applicant, got a nice offer from a school very early which was not my top choice -- I think putting down the other schools may have helped me get so much funding. then again, i could just be overanalyzing.

[another_application]

i really don't think it's going to be a deal breaker either way. i called a university regarding this because i wanted to apply to several different schools within the university. basically the answer i got was that those data are used for purposes of dual admittances...to see how the school itself stands among its peer universities. (ie. we lost x% of admitted students to this other university)

[mejoiningtoo]

Thank you all so much! I didn't know all these when I filled in the application form. Hope all get their dream offers =p