Random question (not SOP) - listing other schools you're applying to

[lcl_90]

Hi sorry I'm posting this here but I wasn't sure where else it would fit under the Applications forum (definitely not GRE, Interview, etc.)

I have a random question..

I've seen many applications asking for which other schools you're applying to.. does it matter if you list them or not? Is there an advantage or disadvantage? Why do they want to know?

Thank you!

[esotericish]

Wondering about this too! I saw Harvard's application does this.

[TakeruK]

It is unlikely that this information will be used in determining your admission decision (in some cases this is not sent to the admission committee but isntead, sent to the graduate school for statistical purposes). I would answer these questions honestly (although you don't have to be super thorough if you haven't decided on your schools yet--sometimes they only give you enough room to type in like 2 or 3 schools).

 

The reasons they may collect this information:

 

1. Stats -- the school as a whole wants to know what other programs they are competing with

2. Helps the department determine the total number of offers to make. Like airlines, school often make offers to more students than they can actually take because a large number of offers are declined. So, knowing what other schools you applied to can help them gauge the probability that you will take their offer and they can adjust the total number of offers made.

3. It's also possible that your particular department does not care at all, and this is just required information that the University wants to collect. This is actually potentially true for other aspects of your application, too.

 

Finally, if you get an offer and decline it, they will usually follow up with an exit survey. This info is generally collected by the school and they ask questions like "What school did you end up going to?" and "What is their financial offer?" and "What are the reasons for choosing the other school?". This is all part of their information collection process in order to self-evaluate their programs and make changes.

 

So, from a long term point of view, I encourage you to answer these questions (both in application and exit surveys) honestly because this is how you get grad programs to improve themselves. For example, if a program is underpaying their students, this is one of the ways they can learn about this and improve grad life at that school. 

[lcl_90]

It is unlikely that this information will be used in determining your admission decision (in some cases this is not sent to the admission committee but isntead, sent to the graduate school for statistical purposes). I would answer these questions honestly (although you don't have to be super thorough if you haven't decided on your schools yet--sometimes they only give you enough room to type in like 2 or 3 schools).

 

The reasons they may collect this information:

 

1. Stats -- the school as a whole wants to know what other programs they are competing with

2. Helps the department determine the total number of offers to make. Like airlines, school often make offers to more students than they can actually take because a large number of offers are declined. So, knowing what other schools you applied to can help them gauge the probability that you will take their offer and they can adjust the total number of offers made.

3. It's also possible that your particular department does not care at all, and this is just required information that the University wants to collect. This is actually potentially true for other aspects of your application, too.

 

Finally, if you get an offer and decline it, they will usually follow up with an exit survey. This info is generally collected by the school and they ask questions like "What school did you end up going to?" and "What is their financial offer?" and "What are the reasons for choosing the other school?". This is all part of their information collection process in order to self-evaluate their programs and make changes.

 

So, from a long term point of view, I encourage you to answer these questions (both in application and exit surveys) honestly because this is how you get grad programs to improve themselves. For example, if a program is underpaying their students, this is one of the ways they can learn about this and improve grad life at that school. 

 

Thank you for the thorough explanation!

[jujubea]

Some of the places I'm applying, and had considered applying to, openly asked me about where else I'm applying, in part because they have friends, and former colleagues, students, and advisers at other schools' similar programs. They told me to say "hi" to the other places and people if I did visit or meet them. 

They were quite open about it when I "asked back" ... why? They said they like to know where the good students apply, and why (so, Takeru's point #1 above).