<p>one of my dad's friend's princeton alum, my dad knows two professors (one i think graduated from columbia, the other worked at columbia), another friend -- his 2 kids both went to harvard i think, and yesterday, i just found out that another kid whose parent my dad knows is going to georgetown (grad tho), and also, another woman's D/S went to columbia...</p>
<p>that's a run-on...............................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz i'm sure there are other ppl still</p>
<p>It could also be the other way too. I always think X college is really hard to get into but someone from my school gets in easily w/o stellar stats.</p>
<p>haha i didn't mean a 2240 and 3.8 was average. my point was it's really not, so you'd expect them to at least get admitted to their safety based on those numbers. it's kind of terrifying when someone like that gets rejected...</p>
<p>It would be very simple to avoid the problem of people talking about your GPA and test scores and which schools your will (or will not) be accepted to...</p>
<p>Just don't talk about your GPA and test scores. They really should be only your own business. If "everyone" knows your GPA and test scores, you have been talking about yourself too much.</p>
<p>As for which colleges you are planning to apply to, simply deflect the question by asking what the questioner would recommend for you and they will forget all about you as they go on about their favorite institutions.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I usually get kind of embarrassed when I tell people I'm applying to Yale EA (I only do when they specifically ask, usually I just say I'm applying "out of state.") I don't want to seem elitist, and going to Ivies is pretty much the epitome of that in the Midwest. Usually I follow up my list of schools by saying, "Yeah, I figure it's kind of like a lottery - I'll probably get into one of them, but admissions these days are so hard you never know. We'll see. I'm pretty sure I'll be happy anywhere I end up." Or something like that.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Argh, me too! I feel silly telling people I'm applying to the Ivies, so I always just back it up by listing the standard UCs as well.</p>
<p>I tell my students that there are two things in life that are certain -- death and taxes, and remember, not everyone pays his taxes.</p>
<p>Anyway, my son has elected not to tell his classmates that he is applying to certain schools because he knows that they love to talk. They also do not understand why he likes one particular school over another, the one that they like. It is added pressure when everyone knows your business. These days, he just tells a few people what he is thinking. Two years ago, a friend of his got into Stanford EA. For months, this poor young man was hounded by well-meaning friends about his choice. Would he go to Stanford or another wonderful school? He did not make his decision until the last minute, but it was as if this young man was a rock star. He had people stopping him in the hall asking. He would go into the library to hide and then, after he left, people asked the librarian if she knew what this young man's decision was. That is a lot of pressure on a 17 year old. </p>
<p>While people can mean well, they also can drive you a little crazy.</p>
<p>That's a quote by Benjamin franklin!</p>
<p>But yea, i agree with you. My school in India (i'm in an international (IB) school) is acutally the opposite- its really competitive- we have 40 kids (out of a class of 90) trying for Penn, 6 kids trying for yale, 20 for Uchicago..its crazy!!
If you don't try for an Ivy or a 'top ten' unviersity, you're ignored. People just go by rankings and the name- like all the 'leaders' try for Yale, and the future business leaders try for Wharton without having really researched the college/university but merely because they've heard it's amazing. i'm not trying to say that Ivies are 'bad' I just get annoyed when people throw names around without really knowing what its all about. And if u dont get into a 'good' (well reputed) university, people think you're an idiot. Its far tougher than being embarrassed of applying to a name- here people are embarrassed to apply to a lesser known 'easier' college. And i guess our situation is different coz we're all applying as international- so we naturally just go for the top schools...</p>
<p>How about:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Thanks, it's nice of you to say that."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>
[quote]
Thanks for your kind words."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>(and change the subject)</p>
<p>"You know what's even worse? When you start to believe them for a while. And then you log back onto College Confidential and realize that your 2290 is going to be waiting tables for Member X's 2350 in five years. Sigh."</p>
<ul>
<li> + + + +</li>
</ul>
<p>I feel the same way! I actually just encountered that feeling literally 5 minutes ago when I realized how seriously inadequate I truely am >:|</p>
<p>
[quote]
You know what's even worse? When you start to believe them for a while. And then you log back onto College Confidential and realize that your 2290 is going to be waiting tables for Member X's 2350 in five years. Sigh.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Please tell me you're not serious. That is just not how the world works.</p>
<p>To the OP: I used to get this too. Just thank them vaguely for the compliment and go on with your life. Arguing with them is very rarely worth it. It might be worth it to get your parents to understand (to stop them being angry when you don't get in everywhere), but not really for anyone else.</p>
<p>An old friend of mine here from CC who is no longer active had a perfect SAT and was valedictorian of her school and had extremely good AP scores (at one point she was studying for like 10 or 11 AP's or something?! It was literally something absurd like that, and she 5'd most of them). She also had decent EC's, recs, etc. Her profile was extremely strong and she applied to a BUNCH of top schools.</p>
<p>However, she was rejected by a vast majority of those schools... almost all of them -- only Cornell and her state school said yes. I know that isn't exactly a failure story, but the fact that she didn't have very many options was absolutely shocking. She assumes her essays/EC's were the problem, if I recall. Ended up attending Cornell and seems to be enjoying it plenty.</p>
<p>There was also another dude here on CC who applied to like 20 schools and got canned from everything but UCLA. He also had decent stats but I can't remember the specifics.</p>
<p>These probably aren't very good examples because Cornell and UCLA are great -- but it is still disheartening to have such limited choice when you have a broad range of schools on your list. I don't know too many people who get honestly shafted. Great students still tend to end up at great schools. There are great schools outside of the Ivy League, you know.</p>
<p>If someone's "on the track to success" but doesn't get into any Ivies, it's not the end of the world. As an Ivy student myself I can honestly say that there are huge advantages to being at a school like this, granted, but there are also many cons. I could argue either side -- that one may even be better off NOT attending an Ivy. It really depends on fit, but in no way will being rejected from Ivies hinder an otherwise successful person. A successful spirit will still come out on top in the real world.</p>
<p>Stories like these make me glad my son is reaching for no-name low-life riff-raff schools like Colgate, Richmond, and W&M.</p>
<p>hahahaha! Your son is very wise (and/or he has wise parents!).</p>
<p>You really don't have to tell people where you are applying, it really is not there business. Once you get your acceptance and choose the school you are attending then let people know where you are going. There is nothing wrong with keeping your personal affairs private until there is something to announce.</p>
<p>I gave up telling people where I'm applying to long ago. I mean, my stats aren't even that stellar (as of right now), and people would still tell me they were sure I'd get into Brown.</p>
<p>...Right, sure...</p>
<p>Chances are, if you do your research and/or visit CC a lot, you're probably better informed than 98% (arbitrary number) of the people you talk to. Despite my chance thread, I probably have a much better idea of my chances than anyone I talk to in person.</p>
<p>Because of that, whenever people ask me where I'm applying to, I just say, "I'm not really sure, I have a long list."</p>
<p>I get uncomfortable when people tell me that, because I dread having to tell them I didn't get accepted. The average SAT score at my school is like a 1450, so people think I have the potential for ivy league schools, which is almost laughable because I definately don't have the stats for that, especially test-wise. Getting asked your SAT score is even worse is my opinion...</p>
<p>Dear Hannah: You should read Miss Mannahs - er, I mean Miss Manners. Adad and Jessiehl have the right idea. Also the quote from Momreads:
[quote]
While people can mean well, they also can drive you a little crazy.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Miss Manners' columns are chock full of her comments about responding to people who decide that your business is their business, want to offer unsolicited helpful advice (like me, for instance) and/or make unnecessary comments about your situation.</p>
<p>To those who tell you how great you are, "That's awfully nice of you to say that. I hope you're right" And to those who comment after the fact "It's awfully nice of you to worry, but I think it'll all work out just fine (or whatever phrases suit your personailty).</p>
<p>In your post you already show that you have a realistic assessment of the situation, and that you know others won't necessarily be that realistic. That puts you ahead of the game.</p>
<p>Hope you do get admitted to at least one of your dream schools.</p>
<p>If telling people that you're applying EA to Yale embarasses you, stop telling people. <em>yawn</em></p>
<p>In answer to the OP's question, just say something along the lines of "I hope I'll have a lot of choices." or "I haven't yet decided where I'll apply." or, the best answer, "Thanks." with a smile.</p>
<p>Baseballmom, it's not as though I (and Licia apparently) go around blabbing it to people, but when family friends etc ask you where you're applying, they expect specifics. So you could cut the obnoxiousness, thanks.</p>
<p>Licia...yeah, I usually emphasize I'm applying to Macalester and Boston College, not because they're bad schools or anything but they're more normal for Midwest kids.</p>
<p>If I told people around here that my first choice was CMU, they'd have no idea what or where it is.</p>
<p>As the only person at my school to score above 30 on the ACT in the last five years, I get a lot of crap :( (I didn't even tell anyone about it, my sister blabbed to her friends....)</p>