Why: "List other graduate schools to which you are applying"

[Tojo]

I am currently in the application process, and I am wondering what I should reply in regard to the question:

>> List other graduate schools to which you are applying
Does this hurt/help chances for funding? What's the reason that this is included in the application process?

Thanks,
T. :-)

[jahizbarlas]

i tried to ask around about that and no one reason gave me a good answer for it.
i would be interested to know if someone will share...

[weirdo]

this is also something i have not been able to figure it out, as to what is the point of mentioning other schools one is applying to...
to add more to what original poster was asking, is there a way for say school "X" to figure out what other schools "y" or "z" i am applying to, even though i have not mentioned it in application, beause of various reasons like space constraints, dont feel like doing

when the ETS sent out GRE scores, does it also list other schools where the score has been sent recently?

[butler blue]

The only thing I could come up with (and this is pure conjecture) is that they're trying to figure out where they stand compare to your expectations. Maybe if they're better than all the schools you list, they see less of a need to offer funding.

[RonnieT1283]

Originally Posted by butler blue

The only thing I could come up with (and this is pure conjecture) is that they're trying to figure out where they stand compare to your expectations. Maybe if they're better than all the schools you list, they see less of a need to offer funding.

This is quite true. However, what I have also heard from professors is that if you apply to a school that is way to low given your profile, they may reject you simply because they know you will not accept their offer and they only have so much funding.

[asquare]

There are two reasons I can see. First, as butler blue mentioned, the schools want to be able to predict the probability that you will come if admitted. (This matters for funding and slightly for admissions as well, IMO.) Second, for its long run information, the school is interested in knowing what schools it is competing against for applicants.

[user_name]

Originally Posted by asquare

Second, for its long run information, the school is interested in knowing what schools it is competing against for applicants.

This seems most likely.

[jahizbarlas]

those are all things that i had heard. basically they want to see how competitive their initial package should be, and if you will actually decide to come given your list
i think they also go back and look at this list when you are renegociating the package provided you have gotten in...
the question then is, whats the optimal strategy in this game?
i would guess giving a subset of the schools you will be applying to that are closely ranked to the one's application you are filling.
so its like your telling the truth, as you do in second price auctions, but not really......

[butler blue]

Originally Posted by jahizbarlas

those are all things that i had heard. basically they want to see how competitive their initial package should be, and if you will actually decide to come given your list
i think they also go back and look at this list when you are renegociating the package provided you have gotten in...
the question then is, whats the optimal strategy in this game?
i would guess giving a subset of the schools you will be applying to that are closely ranked to the one's application you are filling.
so its like your telling the truth, as you do in second price auctions, but not really......

Basically what I did. I found that almost all applications only gave enough room for 4-6 schools. So I just mentioned ones in a similar cohort to the department for whom I was doing the application. I think this is both good strategy and honesty. The former for reasons stated above and the latter because when I make my decision, Yale is not really competing with UC-Santa Cruz. Assuming the process works out in some sort of rational way (may or may not be a safe assumption ) an applicant will be choosing from admits in roughly the same cohort, so that is who they are really competing against. It's not as honest as telling them every school, but they generally don't give enough room for that.

[econ_o_me]

I enclosed photocopies of my GRE grade report just to be safe, and this lists all the schools the GRE grades had been released to and so discloses all the information anyway, so I just listed a couple off this list for each school ...