Schools Wanting to Know Their Competition. Risks?

[Tritonetelephone]

I just got this in an email from a GDS at one of my accepted schools: "It would really help us fine tune our admissions process if we know who we're competing with for you. You're under absolutely no obligation to share this information, so feel free to ignore this request."

This was right after I responded to their initial admission offer, so I haven't met any of them yet. I don't really know what the harm is in telling them. I was open about where else I applied during my visit to another school, but that was before I'd really heard back from most places.

Are there any risks that I don't know of? Why do they want to know, exactly?

[cath2024]

Have they offered you funding yet? Have the other schools that have accepted you offered you funding?

[liszt85]

Is there a good chance that you'd accept their offer? If so, you might say something like "I've heard back positively from these places too but please let it be known that your offer is high on my preference list and I request a little time in order to make a carefully weighed informed decision". Like the letter said, you are under no obligation but IF there is a very good chance that you'd accept, it might help build trust. If they have a hidden agenda, I do not know. I cannot think of anything.

[Tritonetelephone]

Have they offered you funding yet? Have the other schools that have accepted you offered you funding?

They guarantee full funding for four years. They haven't said exactly how much yet, only how much the offer was last year. My other accepted schools have also offered funding - both were higher than the figure from last year, but not by too much.

This is a school that I like a lot, but so are the others. So I guess you could say there's a good chance I would accept.

I'll probably give up the info. Unless someone can think of some risks...

[cath2024]

I'll probably give up the info. Unless someone can think of some risks...

I probably would tell them, too. Doesn't seem like it could hurt.

It would make me suspicious if I got an email like this from one of my programs, because usually there are only few funded spots at the places I'm applying, so I would figure they were trying to see if an offer would be "wasted" on me because I wasn't planning to go. Anyway, not applicable to you with the guaranteed funding. Congrats on the acceptances!

[Tritonetelephone]

I probably would tell them, too. Doesn't seem like it could hurt.

It would make me suspicious if I got an email like this from one of my programs, because usually there are only few funded spots at the places I'm applying, so I would figure they were trying to see if an offer would be "wasted" on me because I wasn't planning to go. Anyway, not applicable to you with the guaranteed funding. Congrats on the acceptances!

Thank you!!

"Congrats on the acceptances"... you guys have no idea how awesome that is to hear. (This is my second year applying. Didn't do so well last year.)

[GraduateSchoolNut]

That sounds very unprofessional that they would send you a letter like that.

I wouldn't tell them. You never know.

Tell them after you've made a decision.

[Tritonetelephone]

That sounds very unprofessional that they would send you a letter like that.

I disagree. They made it clear that it wasn't required, and it was in context of a more information (which I know you couldn't have known). People on here want to know all kinds of things from schools that they're not required to disclose but would help with our "waiting it out" period, so I just kind of compared it to that.

No offense, but I'm going to need more than "you never know" to be convinced that it's risky to tell them.

[Aceflyer]

I don't really see any risks with telling them. They probably just want the information for record collection/statistical analysis purposes; it helps them judge how competitive they are as a program.

[rising_star]

I've always been completely open about where else I applied. But, honestly, my discipline is small and if you read my SOP you could easily guess what other schools I'd be interested in. The reaction I got was often one of surprise that two schools were on the list (one was a safety, one is strong in my region of interest but not overall) and that a couple other ones weren't on the list. I don't think it hurt my admissions or funding anywhere. In the end, a lot of prospective advisors know one another so I kept things cordial when I turned down offers because I know those guys (and yes, they are all men) are going to be the people that are going to be reviewing my publications, discussing my conference papers, etc. in the future. If your research interests are narrow, it's likely that your prospective advisor at one school can guess where else you probably applied, so why not tell them?

Honestly, they really do just want to know what their competition is. It helps them evaluate the status of their program and make decisions about how to be/stay competitive in the future.

[Tritonetelephone]

Thank you, rising star! I think you're exactly right.

In the end, a lot of prospective advisors know one another...

One of my schools even made a joke about that, asking if I'd applied to XYU perchance because he knew the grad coordinator there and wanted to start a fight with her. He was cool.

[cogneuroforfun]

On my interviews, every potential prof I would work with asked where else I was visiting, and I told them. That didn't seem to hurt me when it came to decisions later on It might have helped, since then they knew I was committed to the topic I told them I wanted to study.

[Aceflyer]

On my interviews, every potential prof I would work with asked where else I was visiting, and I told them. That didn't seem to hurt me when it came to decisions later on It might have helped, since then they knew I was committed to the topic I told them I wanted to study.

Same here. But then both of us applied to biosciences programs, which may operate slightly differently from sociology programs...

Still, I don't think telling them would hurt.

[ewurgler]

Tell them, and tell them the funding package offered by other schools. They may want to know your other schools because they have an idea of how much those schools would give you, and then they will try to "out-bid" them.

NO HARM WHATSOEVER!!! You're in! Its their turn to woo you.

[girlfromcountyhell]

All the schools that I've applied to have asked, and I've been open and honest with them. I was told by my undergraduate advisor that the schools asking was highly unprofessional, but so far it seems as if it's the norm. However, I am going into a really small field, so everyone knows each other and like each other. It's very friendly. I'm not sure about larger fields, though...

[Aceflyer]

Really? That's interesting... all of the schools I've visited have asked, so I really doubt it's considered 'highly unprofessional' for a school to ask. Again, though, I'll note that I applied to biosciences programs, so this could differ for other graduate programs.

[Tritonetelephone]

Thanks, all. I sent them an email with the info this morning.

[fuzzylogician]

I've been very open about where I've been accepted and which offers I'm strongly considering. I've been asked what places I've been admitted to by practically every prof I've interviewed with and didn't find it 'unprofessional' in any way. Honestly, my field small enough that people can guess where I applied to for themselves without my having to tell them, so I don't see the gain in being secretive. I think more than anything people have been interested in where I rank their offer compared to others, and what factors are most important in my decision. It's not all about the money :wink: . I haven't felt any pressure as a result of this. Everyone understands that I have to make the choice that's best for me. In fact, the profs I interviewed with obviously knew the potential advisers at the other schools and only had nice things to say about them, even though they're the competition.

[Tritonetelephone]

Yeah, I think you're right.

At the end of one of my visits, a prof told us to call him and he'd "tell you why all the other schools that accepted you suck."

Another prof perked up when I mentioned that I'd applied to XYU and said, "XYU?? That place is amazing!" and went on a long rant about why that place might be better for my career. That was a fun visit.

[girlfromcountyhell]

Yeah, I think you're right.

At the end of one of my visits, a prof told us to call him and he'd "tell you why all the other schools that accepted you suck."

That's what some of mine have been doing. One prof in particular jokes back and forth with profs at two of the other schools I've been accepted at, so they'll sometimes write emails back and forth in front of me. ie "Dear X. You suck. You are wrong" and things like that. ha!

[GraduateSchoolNut]

I guess what I found unprofessional is that they put it in a letter to you. I find that to be strange. I've been ASKED, and it actually helped me to tell, but I guess the letter just seemed weird to me.

Well, each person is entitled to his own opinion. Good luck!

[Aceflyer]

Another prof perked up when I mentioned that I'd applied to XYU and said, "XYU?? That place is amazing!" and went on a long rant about why that place might be better for my career. That was a fun visit.

That happened to me too with one prof I met. It was unexpected but great.

[Tritonetelephone]

That happened to me too with one prof I met. It was unexpected but great.

Right! I remember thinking that XYU probably wouldn't do the same. So just the fact that he was honest like that and wanting me to do what was best for me is what made them better than XYU in my eyes.

[miratrix]

At a campus visit, a prof asked me "so...where else are you considering?" in sort of a guilty whisper at a dinner near the end of the visit, and I told him...I figure there's no need to be weird and secretive if they've already offered funding in writing, they're not going to take it away.

Haha, another prof at the same dinner asked, "Why do you want to be an archaeologist, when you will have no money and no power?" I told him I had no money and no power now, so I might as well do something I liked, and asked him the same thing because I know he used to be in business...his answer was "because I love what I do." It was amusing.

[scsuh]

I've been to two campus visits so far and nearly all the grad students and faculty members I spoke with asked me this question. I was also asked the question during a phone interview. At first, I was slightly taken aback. I kept thinking, "should I be telling them this? What could they possibly do with this information?" But after being asked so many times, I figured it was just common practice. Now if anyone asks, I just list the schools without any hesitation. Ofcourse, I always tell the person that his/her school is one of my top choices. :wink: