Application asking about other schools applied to?

[UrbanWonk]

So in starting (yes, starting!) my grad school applications the other day, I found that two of them asked where else I was applying. It's an optional question on both, but should I answer it? Anyone have any experience with this? It seemed extremely odd to me, but I'm kind of new at this.

[Strangefox]

So in starting (yes, starting!) my grad school applications the other day, I found that two of them asked where else I was applying. It's an optional question on both, but should I answer it? Anyone have any experience with this? It seemed extremely odd to me, but I'm kind of new at this.

If it's optional, you don't have to give them an answer. Mostly it's just for their statistics - they want to know where else their applicants are applying. In this forum there are some old threads somewhere on this topic. You might try to find them. As far as I remember, people wrote there that there is nothing dangerous in answering this question.

[Eigen]

I think mostly they use it to see if you're applying to them as a "low end" or "high end" school. That, and statistics.

They want to see who they're competing with when it comes to making offers, in my experience.

There's nothing dangerous about answering, I did it on all of my apps and it caused me no problems.

[adaptations]

This is a pretty common question. After being accepted to schools, I was called by the director of admissions at one who wanted to know if I'd been accepted to other schools on my list and whether there was a good chance I would enroll at in his program. I think this question is just a preliminary way of seeing where they ran, and also to see where else you are interested in studying, which could provide insight into the other faculty with whom you want to work.

[Strangefox]

...and also to see where else you are interested in studying, which could provide insight into the other faculty with whom you want to work.

Why can it provide such insight?

[adaptations]

Why can it provide such insight?

If you are applying to a school and claim to want to work in subfield X or issue X, your other schools should also be good at X. If the other schools you list are not good at X and are instead known for other areas, it might suggest that you either a) haven't identified good schools for your interest, or b ) actually have interests beyond X that you are considering pursuing at other schools.

At least, that is how I would look at it if I was on an adcom. When I visited schools after being accepted, many of the faculty were very interested in where else I applied, had been accepted, and who I wanted to work with at other schools. I would imagine the adcom members are interested in similar questions and the list of other schools provides some insights.

Edited November 1, 2010 by adaptations

[Strangefox]

If you are applying to a school and claim to want to work in subfield X or issue X, your other schools should also be good at X. If the other schools you list are not good at X and are instead known for other areas, it might suggest that you either a) haven't identified good schools for your interest, or b ) actually have interests beyond X that you are considering pursuing at other schools.

At least, that is how I would look at it if I was on an adcom. When I visited schools after being accepted, many of the faculty were very interested in where else I applied, had been accepted, and who I wanted to work with at other schools. I would imagine the adcom members are interested in similar questions and the list of other schools provides some insights.

I see. Thanks!

[eucalyptus]

If you are applying to a school and claim to want to work in subfield X or issue X, your other schools should also be good at X. If the other schools you list are not good at X and are instead known for other areas, it might suggest that you either a) haven't identified good schools for your interest, or b ) actually have interests beyond X that you are considering pursuing at other schools.

At least, that is how I would look at it if I was on an adcom. When I visited schools after being accepted, many of the faculty were very interested in where else I applied, had been accepted, and who I wanted to work with at other schools. I would imagine the adcom members are interested in similar questions and the list of other schools provides some insights.

That was pretty much my experience. All the professors I interviewed with asked me where else I'd applied (or, usually, who I'd applied to work with). They were interested essentially to see if the list made sense and was cohesive with regards to my stated research interests, and to know who their competition was (i.e. one of the responses I got was "damn, they're definitely going to accept you and then you'll go there instead!"). I didn't have any problem answering this question on applications or face to face.

[coyabean]

If you are applying to a school and claim to want to work in subfield X or issue X, your other schools should also be good at X. If the other schools you list are not good at X and are instead known for other areas, it might suggest that you either a) haven't identified good schools for your interest, or b ) actually have interests beyond X that you are considering pursuing at other schools.

At least, that is how I would look at it if I was on an adcom. When I visited schools after being accepted, many of the faculty were very interested in where else I applied, had been accepted, and who I wanted to work with at other schools. I would imagine the adcom members are interested in similar questions and the list of other schools provides some insights.

This and it's also a statistical thing. Schools want to know if you applied to peer schools where they know something about funding/politics/yield, etc. All of it can matter during final decisions. If they are the most prestigious school on your list they may take another look at your app to figure out why. If they are the lowest and funds are tight and they think you stand a chance elsewhere it's not unheard of for adcomms to take an applicant more likely to say yes.

When in doubt leave it blank. During chats and interviews be vague. If pushed something about other schools prominent in your field but you prefer this school because they have XYZ should do it.

[sidiosquiere]

Wish I had seen this earlier, cuz I didn't list any other schools. Do you think this will hurt me?

[LJK]

I don't think it will matter. If it's blank they probably assume that you are applying elsewhere. If they are thinking about accepting you and want to know they will ask. I don't know how it works in other disciplines, but interview happen before offers in Psychology, giving the professors a chance to ask in conversation as the other posters have described. If they want you, they won't not accept you because they don't know where else you are applying.

[truckbasket]

I listed them in mine -- but I tried to pair alike schools together so it wouldn't "say anything" other than that I have a solitary goal in mind. For example, if one program was well-known in for its work on flea circuses, I only listed other schools whose emphasis is on either circuses or fleas. This might be tricky if you only have a few applications, but I had 12 so I could do it fairly well.

The one podunk school that I submitted to, that is leagues below everyone else (despite having an AWESOME program), I just used other local schools as the point of reference.