Schools asking which others they have applied for - normal??

[bellissima]

DD1 was doing exam/interview for a girls' ind secondary yesterday and in the course of the interview was asked which other schools she had applied for and, when she told them, what her parents' preferences were. I was a bit surprised. They managed to winkle out of her that she had passed the local county 11 plus as well. The other ind she has applied for didn't ask this in interview so I'm wondering whether it's normal. (She said she didn't know our preferences - since DH and I disagree that's the truth!).

I think some schools like to know "where they are in the market" in terms of school choices - that way they can think about how/where they should be focussing their advertising. So, if your dd named all the most expensive/posh schools in the area, they know that parents think of them in that bracket. But if she named the more "ordinary" independent schools and the local grammar, then that tells them something else about how people see them.

I don't think it would have any impact on the interview itself.

Ah! Well I'm afraid we are just going for the local girls' day schools (not that rarified, in part because of the grammars). But they interviewed them in groups of three and she did say that another girl, from the rather smarter prep, chipped in 'Wycombe Abbey' and 'Cheltenham Ladies' - so perhaps they were reassured by that. Not sure about asking about parents' preferences though.

I know of a boys school that does this and then interview all boys before the exam, then they make a note as to how serious they think the application is.

The application forms normally ask that question - ie. have you applied to any other schools.

That's true - at least one application form did. But I kind of think it's a bit off putting a ten year old on the spot about parental preferences. (But then maybe I'm BU!).

I wondered if they might do that. There could be a very practical reason: they have to figure out how many places to offer, and that will depend on what proportion they think will actually be accepted. If you've got a child who has passed the grammar school exam and is high on their waiting list, then thats probably a child they would want to offer a place to but would factor in that there was a fair chance that the place would be declined

One school got the boys to write down befoore the exam, a list of schools they were applying for and which was their preference. They had also asked us on the application form!! We had trained our son to state the school he was at, was his first choice that day!

Again at interview for a scholarship the question was asked but this time the interviewer abandoned the interview and tried to persuade our son to go to his school.

I thought it was all a bit unfair.

We had an interview as well as DS at a local, fee-paying selective school for Y7 entry. They asked us where else we'd applied and what our first choice was. it happened to be the school where the interview was taking place. the Head did say it souldn't have any bearing on them making an offer, but that they just needed to know how many boys were likely to accept offers as it impacted how many offers were sent out. DS did get an offer (and accepted as we loved the school and still do....).

I am really not sure why schools ask that question. I know of a number of cases where children have replied that they would strongly prefer to go to another school, naming the other school, and they still got an offer. This includes both first and second tier private schools in London and exceptionally bright and merely reasonably bright children.
Moral: if your DC said that they'd rather take an offer from somewhere else in this year's interviews, don't panic!