Ah, the dreaded college application season. Starting from second semester of your junior year to May of your senior year, your parents’ friends and everyone from your grandma to your third cousin are curious about where you are applying. Uncomfortable with answering questions about your college search? Here is a list of tips to help you get out of that unbearable situation:

1.Tell them that you are not comfortable answering that question:

Are you super uncomfortable answering their questions and don’t mind making it a teeny bit more awkward? Then tell the person straight up that you’re not comfortable talking about this subject. Now all you’ll have to deal with is the “awkward silence” that comes after you tell someone that.

2.If they ask how the search is going, tell them that it is going well and then change the subject quickly:

Don’t want to try the first tactic? Then try this. When your mother’s best friend from PTA/tennis/knitting club asks you where you’re applying or looking, tell her that the search is going well and then quickly change the subject. Ask her about her new haircut or tell her about your new dog. Just change the subject to anything.

3. Be very general in area/location of your colleges:

However, if the person won’t give up, then try this next tactic. For example, if you’re looking in the Midwest, no need to tell the person exactly which schools you’re looking at; just tell them you’re applying to schools in the Midwest. If the person keeps persisting, tell them which states the colleges you are looking at are in.

4.Have fun with it:

Shout-out to one of my best friends for using this tactic. Over-exaggerate and tell the person that you’re looking at Harvard/Yale/Princeton and that you have a 4.0 GPA. Now, I don’t recommend trying this tactic on Grandpa Joe, but maybe for your parent’s friend at one of those annoying dinner parties they drag you to.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with too many prying people, but if you do, maybe these tricks will get you out of that sticky situation.