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[quote=pbraverman][quote=Anonymous][quote=pbraverman][quote=Anonymous]It’s a very bad idea to lie about this, because admissions officers do talk to one another.  If you indicate to two schools that they are both your top choice, that’s a good way to get rejected from both. [/quote]

Both of these topics have been covered in the past. I agree that indicating to two schools that they're both "first choice" is an error — not least because it's not honest.

That said, I have done this work for 15 years with hundreds of students, and I have never encountered a single concrete reason to believe that admission offices speak with each other during admission season. On the contrary, I have had countless conversations that make no sense if they do.

In reality the schools with the most competitive pools are far too busy during February to worry about what others are doing, and every admission director is aware that it is likely illegal to speak about applicants. If this really does occur in a town teeming with lawyers, why has nobody brought an antitrust suit?

I do not know why this conspiracy theory persists; perhaps it speaks more to a basic human desire for rational explanations, even in situations where none may exist, than to real understanding of the process.

Peter[/quote]

Peter,

Talking about a candidate casually does not necessarily rise to conspiracy or invoke anti-trust issues (how dramatic!).  I am not saying ADs talk to collude or that they talk about every candidate.  But they do talk.  There is more than one reason they want to know what other schools you’re applying to.

I have heard that ADs sometimes talk to other ADs out of concern for a particular candidate, I.e. when they can’t accept a particular candidate for whatever reason, but they really like the child and family, they will sometimes talk that family up to other ADs. I’ve heard of one AD calling multiple other schools to make sure that a child got a spot somewhere when the AD’s school couldn’t accept him. I actually think that’s pretty kind.

[/quote]

PP:

You're right. I am not denying that admission directors ever talk. And my experience echoes yours: Sometimes an admission director, if a promising student is not offered a spot, will call around to see if anybody has space for that student. I agree that it speaks well for schools and admission staffs to advocate for students in this way. Students with whom I've worked have been on the fortunate end of these calls from time to time, and it's always appreciated.

All of that said, I was replying to the post in which it was suggested that naming two "first choices" would lead to rejection by both. I think that clearly implies that such a discussion between admission offices occurs DURING the decision-making process, rather than after decisions have been made.

I can accept that such an implication was not the poster's intention, but, if it was, I maintain that admission directors do not call each other while their committees are meeting, and that it would be inconvenient as well as unethical to do so. I have never seen credible evidence that there is some kind of cabal operating here.

Hope that clarifies. Thanks for raising the distinction.
Peter[/quote]

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