<p>When they are top schools, like I told a former English teacher after he read my college essay that I was applying to Stanford and Duke, and it felt weird like I was being a pompous ass and he gave me a strange look.</p>
<p>I get embarrassed when I tell people I’m applying to top schools (Yale/Princeton/etc). No one from my school has ever gone to an out of state university so they kind of give me the “there’s no way you’re getting accepted” look. I know i have a very small chance of getting accepted, but it’s definitely worth a try.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have contempt for teachers who do that.</p>
<p>I was kind of the opposite - I applied to a lot of liberal arts colleges, so when random people would ask where I was applying, I’d try to stop at like Brown, UChicago, and Maine. If they wanted to know if there were any more I was applying to, and I was like “Haverford, Grinnell, Hamilton, etc.” They’d be like “*** are those?”</p>
<p>^Yeah, when I tell people I’m applying to Oberlin, Grinnel, etc, they’re like
“uh okay? where is that?” I’ve just started telling them “A small school in Ohio” ■■■■■.</p>
<p>But it’s not all that awkward at my school when I say I’m applying to Columbia and Duke as well, because the Top 3 every year applies to those, and usually at least one makes it. So it’s nothing new for them really. The LACs are my only problem, because people here are used to only Ivies and state schools. :/</p>
<p>Yeah, I feel somewhat embarrassed whenever I mention the Ivy League schools 
So I usually just list off the four UC’s I’m applying to and then say “and a few others” XD</p>
<p>It sounds to me like you teacher doesn’t think your going to get into a really good school. I wouldnt ask them for a recomendation if i was you.</p>
<p>yeah, it feels like I’m being arrogant when I say I’m applying to Harvard/Columbia/UPenn (“What? UVA and William and Mary aren’t good enough for you?”), but its more awkward when people expect me to get in because of my 1600, and I’m just like" you have no idea how competitive college admissions are"</p>
<p>^Yeah I get that too (except I don’t have a 1600). I have adults (not really teachers) and non IB students saying “Oh my gosh you’re so smart, you could get in to any college you wanted to!”. I get this a lot from my coworkers and extended family. It will be really awkward if I end up at Western Washington. </p>
<p>My TOK teacher/college counselor is kind of like Horace Slughorn in that he wants as many students as possible to go to top schools so that he can tell his future students and their helicopters (/parents) that he got a bunch of students into top schools to impress them. So I guess I’m lucky in that I have a teacher committed to helping me, even if it is in an arrogant sort of way.</p>
<p>Since I’m an intertional student, it’s a little awkward. People don’t really go to schools out of NZ/Australia, so if I say “I want to go to Yale” it would sound more like a joke, and if I say “I want to go to Brown” some people won’t even know what I’m talking about.</p>
<p>Happened to me today.
English teacher(NJ native), thought it was cool.</p>
<p>When I told my chemistry teacher, he believed I can do it, but warned me of overexerting myself for one college.</p>
<p>Old Alg/2 Trig(Hope she recovers well) - Said she believed in me, believes I can get in.</p>
<p>Robotics coach - Was like you only have 4.0, you’re not gonna get in. </p>
<p>Meanwhile her son who has like a 3.7 gpa… applying to Princeton.
Then again she does this to all the non-white kids with perfect GPAs.</p>
<p>I feel so awkward! I’m worried they will think “Ah! You? You think you can get in THERE? Keep wishing!” I feel really awkward telling other smart kids because I feel they’re measuring me up against them. And I suffer from the other problem as well - my entire extended family and lots of other people are convinced I will get into a top school while I am soo nervous. If I don’t get in somewhere good (note I said good, not prestegious) , I’ll feel like I’m letting everyone down.</p>
<p>My daughter usually just tells people about the closest ones; many people are just making conversation and don’t really want to hear the whole long list! Then if they’re interested, they’ll follow up.</p>
<p>I just say Ohio State. I don’t want to sound pompous, because honestly, people don’t know Bowdoin and just say “Why are you applying to so many? Of course you’ll get into wherever you want.” That’s what it’s like coming from a small town… like I’ll ever tell them I have an approximately 2% chance at Yale, Dartmouth, etc.</p>
<p>Lol foor suure. People are like, “What is a Hamilton College?”</p>