In this article, I aim to analyze the perceptions regarding excellence shared by students of high-performing public schools in Santiago de Chile and simultaneously to reflect on the way in which they experience it, inside and outside of school. Through the analysis of 24 focus groups conducted in six schools, I conclude that students share perceptions of excellence as a multidimensional concept, associating it with academic achievement, critical thinking, and equal opportunities. Excellence is additionally perceived as a sign of distinction and exceptionality relative to other students, allowing these students to positively stand out from low-performing public schools' students, as well as from elite private schools' students. Finally, although students neither perceive nor experience excellence as a negative occurrence within the academic community, they feel that students attending lower-performing schools exclude and ostracize them under the tag of "nerds."