<p>Think about this strategically. Let's say you are applying to Harvard. If you reveal this fact, it might discourage a potential competitor from applying. Obviously, this is to your advantage. On the other hand, someone might say, "If he can apply to Harvard, why not me?" This might be to your disadvantage.</p>
<p>When my smart friends ask, I tell them the truth.</p>
<p>When my dumb friends ask, I only tell them my safeties, so I don't look like I'm bragging.</p>
<p>Personally, I'd have no problem telling everyone where I intend on applying. Unfortunately, people here have this attitude that Ohio schools are the only schools in the world - they don't appreciate those of us who try to escape from the midwest.</p>
<p>But my method seems to work. :)</p>
<p>I don't know. I'm just the type of person that takes rejection really hard. I guess "stupid" wasn't the way to put it but I'm just very private with everything. For example, I wouldn't tell anybody that I was going to take my driver's licensce test in case I failed. That's just how I am.</p>
<p>^See, I'm like you. I don't share grades, test scores, etc. because that way if I do badly on something, people won't be able to tell (as I'm not being inconsistent in not sharing anything).</p>
<p>As someone who went through the whole process, I HATED this question, and everyone seemed to ask it.</p>
<p>I always tried to evade it by saying something like "ahh well im applying to 11 schools, i have no idea where i want to go!" If pressed, I would give a couple matches. People usually noticed that i wasn't comfortable talking about it and drop it. Close friends I would tell if asked, as well as people applying to the same type of schools. But yea, this question sucks.</p>
<p>Until Jan 1, tell them you're still considering what schools to apply to.
After Jan 1, throw out a couple of safeties and leave it at that.</p>
<p>Some people are just interested. Nosy is a little harsh, I think. Nosy is if there is no reason to know, except wanting to know everything going on. Some kids are trying to get an idea where who is applying for good reason, like trying to see where they fit in the scheme of things.</p>
<p>Yeah, I have a small competitive group among my friends, and the question is often passed around. I never want to name my dream schools because people will think I'm overconfident, so I usually give a round number and maybe a few matches.</p>
<p>I'm usually like, "I'm applying to schools with good neuroscience programs... they're all over the spectrum, really; some liberal-artsy ones, some science-y ones..." If they ask for details, I name a few, usually leaving out my super-super reach. XD</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you reveal this fact, it might discourage a potential competitor from applying. Obviously, this is to your advantage. On the other hand, someone might say, "If he can apply to Harvard, why not me?" This might be to your disadvantage.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>wow is that what you think of? you might as well discourage your friend from applying to any college you want to go to since potentially it is "to your advantage". its harvard for gods sake. 2400 kids get rejected all the time. chances are that that person who applies to harvard will not even be closely considered. </p>
<p>Also, if you are going to get embarrassed by a couple of college rejections, i feel sorry for you. most people on cc and even the very best of them will not all be able accepted to wherever they apply. you have a long life of embarrassing moments to come if college rejection will be embarrassing.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm applying to schools with good neuroscience programs...
[/quote]
ooooooooh I like that :)</p>
<p>im looking at Columbia so people just assume its in the town of columbia which is a few hours away
the other ones i just kinda worm around it, mostly cuase i dont know becuase im counting on athletics</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wow, people on here are freaking weird..just tell them, who cares what they think..
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That was my reaction to this thread too. :)</p>
<p>Back when I was applying, if my friends asked, I just told them - at least some number of schools (I didn't necessarily bother to go through the whole list). Why on earth would I not?</p>
<p>On the other hand, my high school, despite being strong, seems to have been less pathological about college admissions than some here. We sent a lot of kids to top schools, but people just didn't stress and obsess about it the way that they apparently do at some high schools.</p>
<p>"Wow, people on here are freaking weird..just tell them, who cares what they think.. "</p>
<p>Obviously, a lot of people on this thread do. There is always the risk that (if you're applying to the ivies, for instance) people will think of you as a pretentious person who thinks too much of him/herself. This happens naturally, as many people also harbor secret dreams of attending an ivy but know there is no way they can make it. And then, if you don't get in, they will be able to walk all over your dream, now having complete justification for saying, "Aha! I was right and this person was thinking too much of him/herself." So, instead of a pretentious person, you will now be a pretentious idiot. Not many people like to see themselves in this position.</p>
<p>honestly just tell them the truth, if they walk all over your dream, they werent really your friends in the first place</p>
<p>i agree with the person that said ppl need to relax its not that big a deal</p>
<p>"honestly just tell them the truth, if they walk all over your dream, they werent really your friends in the first place"</p>
<p>Who said anything about friends? Would you rather have strangers/people you dislike walk all over your dream?</p>
<p>I just told them. I applied to one state school (where nearly half my class ended up attending... the other half off to CC) five private and prestigous LACs in NE... and one Ivy. People ooo-ed and ahhh-ed over the Ivy, because they could hardly imagine anyone going there... honestly my high school was really closed minded about reaching for schools. Ha, in fact, I applied to the largest number of schools, and the most rigorous of my class. I listed them off to the GC... and he didn't even know about nearly half of them (Wellesley, Wheaton, Mt. Holyoke)... neither did my classmates, so they would just say "oh... cool." and feel really stupid because they didn't know what I was talking about. I did get sort of sick of people asking me where Wellesley was... and of my principal calling it "Wesley" College (even at graduation!)</p>
<p>That's what I get for living in rural Maine.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how to answer that question... for those who said you would mention your safeties or some matches and not your reach schools, like say Harvard, what if you got in? and then you end up going there because you realize it has more opportunity. Then if someone asks, "where are you going?" you'll say Harvard and they'll say, "oh, I didn't know you applied..." What would they think then? </p>
<p>In my school people don't really care to ask. There are those who just automatically assume where you would apply based on where you rank. There are those that are really competitive and do care about where others are applying, but I'm just going to say "I don't wish to talk about it." :-)</p>
<p>^Yeah, exactly.</p>
<p>But anyway, I know that it may be hard to understand that college rejections may be embarrassing for some, but it can make sense. Again, schools that are very competitive generally have college at least looming in the background since freshman year. There is great competition in the last two years regarding everything - SATs, grades, ECs, leadership, and so on. We're talking about people "failing" the college application process, which is also at least four years of work and probably more, given that the parents/students themselves had things in mind even in middle school. If college is the culmination or eighteen years of your life (regardless of whether it's good), then failure causes understandable humiliation, especially when many of your friends may have been accepted.</p>
<p>It's just a matter of people defining themselves by the colleges to which they are accepted. It doesn't matter if it's good or not. They do.</p>
<p>I would just tell them the entire list. Most of my classmates wouldn't admonish me for saying Harvard.</p>