Uh. Are there really applications that ask you to list other schools you're applying to? Really?

Yeah. Most of them (if not all) ask the question.

None of mine are asking that.

Let me check and I'll tell you which ones ask. You're applying to MArch programs?

Baboom-

if you do the math:
$$ application fees
$$ additional portfolio printing
(priceless) time spent on essays
=
is it worth it?

risk is not getting into any grad school.

I don't know if it's worth it or not. I'd rather just go for the ones I like, but my undergraduate grades 15 years ago sucked (2.1/4.0), so pretty good chance some will reject me.

I have great GRE scores (740 verb, 800 math) and good grades in the classes I took over the last year (4.0/4.0). My portfolio is also looking good.

I don't know what to do. What do you guys think?

BTW, as far as which schools ask about other schools:

Harvard does not.
Yale does not.
MIT does.
UVa does.
UT does not.

I'd go for it, because you have enough time left, you never know, and you can always just not list your second-choice schools on the list you have to put on your first-choice school's application.

Also, you never know, if you get into a second choice and go, it may end up better than you think anyhow.

O.k. Thanks for the advice.

Pratt, MICA, CCA, RIT, SCAD, and I think also UW all do ask about the other schools you're applying to.

Do you have any idea why?

Princeton and Columbia definitely ask which other schools you are applying to.

Maybe they want to see where you think you belong: whether their school is a reach for you or whether you see yourself clearly in that tier.

I am a bit afraid that if I apply to too many, it could be seen by the schools as not focused or sure about what I want to etc, not really driven to go to their school. I dunno though, I don't really think it will matter.

Holy hell, I had no idea. That's dumb. None of mine have asked that, so far. No offense but I'm keeping my schools to myself.

I only seriously applied to second choice schools and then applied to my first as kind of a joke. This may seem a little strange but I wanted to make sure I got in somewhere that was decent. I ended up moving to england to attend one of europe's finest.

Why don't you just apply to your first tier schools, send in the apps, and then "accidentally" decide to apply to your second tier schools, in a fit of insecurity?

From something CCA mentioned to me, it sounds almost like it's a way for schools to track who their competition is; not necessarily something to evaluate us by, but an evaluation of them.

both schools to which i'm applying requested this info, but the impression i've gotten is that providing it is optional. i'm with rationalist on the rationale.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

oh, and baboomba -- i've gone through a similar thought process...you should still apply to your second-choice schools since you don't know where your head is going to be when all your schools respond. potential scenario:

you don't get into your first choices, but didn't apply to others and are forced to wait a year when, had you applied and gotten into the other, at least you'd have a choice.

bottom line, don't make the decision for yourself now. you can't predict your mindset in 6 months. also, it's only $60-$100 and you're in application mode now...do it while you've got the inertia.

Thanks again for everyone's good advice. I think I'll take it and go ahead and apply to my second-choice schools.

what you really should do is forget about school and go out into the real world.

I've been in the real world for 15 years, working as an environmental engineer. No thanks.

re: listing other schools on your application.

I think rationalist is right. In the world of benchmarking, universities often refer to "cross-applicant" institutions. What better way for the school to get that cross-applicant data than to ask it on the actual applications. I suppose there are other ways to obtain cross-applicant data, but it would kinda be like exit polling during on election day.