<script src="/jquery-1.10.2.min.js"></script>
<script type='text/javascript'>
$(document).ready(function(){
    if($('#drStatus').find("option:selected").val() == "Choose..") {
        $('#drStatus').val("In Progress");
    }
});
</script>

$(document).ready(function(){
if($("select[title='Status']").find("option:selected").val() == "Choose..")
{
    $("select[title='Status']").val("InProgress");
}
});

$(document).ready(function(){
if($("select[title='_title of column_'] option:selected").val() == "Choose.."){
$("select[title='_title of column_']").val("In progress...");
}
});

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string selectedValue = status.SelectedValue.ToString();
    if(selectedValue == "Choose")
    {
       //This is very simple but will result in an error if the dropdown already has a
       status.SelectedValue == "In Progress"

       or
       //add any of below code which should not result in an error in case there already is a selected item.

       //add error checking, just an example, FindByValue may return null
       status.Items.FindByValue("Yourvalue").Selected = true;

       or
       //add error checking, just an example, FindByText may return null
       status.Items.FindByText("In Progress").Selected = true;
    }
}

<asp:DropDownList ID="drStatus" runat="server" CssClass="UniqueClassName">
    <asp:ListItem Text="Choose" Value="-1"></asp:ListItem>
    <asp:ListItem Text="In Progess" Value="1"></asp:ListItem>
    <asp:ListItem Text="Closed" Value="2"></asp:ListItem>
</asp:DropDownList>

//set which text you want find
var textToFind = 'In Progress';

$(".UniqueClassName > option").each(function() {
    if (this.text === textToFind) {
        $(this).prop('selected', 'selected');
    }
});

$('select[title="Origin State"] option:contains("GA")').prop({ selected: true });