Mention another school in the application ?

Question

Hey there !

what do guys think about this :

I want to apply to school A, it's my top choice

School A offers exchange with school B

My career goals are a better "fit" with school B

But I know I can get what I want with A, and i prefer A

How would it seem if i write on school A's application that I would like to take advantage of their exchange program with school B ? Should I :

1- Mention it
2- Don't mention it
3- Mention it with a disclaimer that you aren't applying for B

What do you think ? I mean after all they DO offer the exchange so surely they recognize the interest among students

Av · Answer

Although the school offers the exchange program to benefit the students, I wouldn't talk about it in my essays. I think you really need to use the essays as a vehicle to demonstrate your fit with the school you're applying to. I suppose there are a few career paths (international, etc) that could make for a very compelling story as to why you'd want to combine school A & B, but you'd need to craft your story carefully. If you do choose to talk about combining the schools, make sure the emphasis is on the school you're applying to.

kuharido · Answer

Avernusaur, the thing is, the school is heavily focused on finance, and i am focused on tech/entrepreneurship and marketing

So was wondering in what other ways can I demonstrate fit

obviously they have programs in my areas, it's just that there is too much finance focus so I wonder if my goals would'nt be considered a "fit"

Pavle · Answer

Why mention just ignore and make your application more school oriented

staind · Answer

Why would you want to go to School A if your career goals are a better fit with School B?

rhyme · Answer

My guess is just that school A is well ranked.

kuharido · Answer

Nothing to do with the rankings, believe it or not some people chose a school based on other personal factors

As far as career goals, both will give me what I need in terms of education and recruitment

With a bit more scrutiny you can notice that I say the school offers me what I want, it's just not positioned as a tech school

So I'd appreciate it if we could stay on topic please

(not to sound rude but I know how quickly these threads can change direction)

kuharido · Answer

Actually that gave me a great idea as I read it last night ! There is definitely an aspect which I could amplify to make the message a better fit for the school. Thanks ! :-D

FQ · Answer

why risk it? I do not think you will gain much from mentioning but you could potentially lose if the adcom does not like the idea.

kuharido · Answer

You make a really good point I guess I thought it would show how informed am I of the school's offerings which specifically matched my specialization Thanks !

osbornecox · Answer

This sounds a bit like Columbia-Haas...

kuharido · Answer

Somebody has done their research !

The COX strikes again, hehe Yeah I thought A-B would give a more objective and less biased opinion compared to naming the schools But indeed that's the exchange, it's a unique mix. Again I'd love to mention it, but I don't think it's too wise to do so. Ultimately even with Haas' tech leverage I know I am not applying to it, it's a great school, and the bay area is cool ! But overall not a fit I keep getting the urge to "reposition" my goals that in a more finance oriented way, seeing the HUGE focus on finance, but I don't think that's wise either, i'd like to stick to my goals

Mention another school in the application ?

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