<p>You should not feel compelled to divulge your list of schools just because someone is asking. When people asked where my daughter was applying, I responded, mostly small liberal arts colleges. When they asked about her first choice I said that she didn’t have one. We would wait to see where she got in and go from there. Yes, some people were annoyed at the lack of info, but too bad. It’s nobody’s business but yours.
Everybody has an opinion, but that doesn’t mean that you have to engage them.
And , of course, you can always just smile and nod…</p>