Now that it’s my turn to go through the admissions process, I hear tons of people everyday asking me about colleges that I’ll be applying to.
How do you deal with it? I really do not want to tell anyone about them.
And also–after I already applied, how do I answer “what colleges did you already apply to?” This question will be harder to evade.
Thanks : )
“not sure yet”
“i’ll let you know later”
“don’t feel like telling you”
“a lot of them”
“i’ll tell you when i decide”
“none of your business”
“i’ll let you know when i get in”
I’d definitely go with something like “Not sure yet” or “I’m still choosing my list,” as some of the others seem a bit rude. Would an adult reply “None of your business” if they met someone and the someone said “Oh, what do you do for a living?” 
I’ll try some of yours! Thanks!
What if the person asking is my mom’s colleagues or my teachers? Is there a more respectful way of saying “don’t feel like telling you”?
Or pick one you don’t mind telling them–like around here, lots of people apply to Pitt and Penn State, they were my safeties–so I’d say, “Pitt and Penn State and some others.”
@bodangles yeah i agree haha 
@littlehappy i would just say that you would rather let them know later, when you actually decide which one you will be going to
I agree with telling them a couple of universities that everyone else is applying to and that you probably will also at least as safeties, so they are satisfied they have an answer. That’s what the students did at my daughter’s school for the most part. We were in Georgia, so all the kids would answer either UGA or Ga Tech, and leave it at that. In reality, they were applying to those and many others including Ivies, but they didn’t dare tell anyone.
People asking want to hear at least one university named, so it’s best to have one in mind to tell people, and better to have it be one you think you’ll actually get into so they don’t follow up later and you have to tell them you didn’t get in (e.g., don’t say HYP and then later, if you don’t get into any, you’ll have to tell them as they would be sure to follow up on that sort of thing).
Acting secretive may make people want to know even more. Saying you don’t know yet might look bad as well, especially as time goes on and applications are due.
I always just listed my safe schools; the average person is typically more familiar with them and I didn’t want to list my reaches in case I got reject