By John Raftrey And Lori McCormick
E-mail John Raftrey And Lori McCormick
About this blog: We are writing this blog to give practical advice to students and parents, to reflect on issues affecting college admissions, and to provide a platform for a robust community discussion on post-secondary choices. We occasionally f...
(More)About this blog: We are writing this blog to give practical advice to students and parents, to reflect on issues affecting college admissions, and to provide a platform for a robust community discussion on post-secondary choices. We occasionally feature "guest? bloggers and invite other college counselors to join the blog team. We are members of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC).
Lori McCormick: I began my college advising career in 2006 at Notre Dame de Namur in Transfer Admissions. Since then, I have worked at San Jose State in the Career Center, for a local independent college advising firm, and for BUILD a college access program for underrepresented youth. I graduated with a BA in Sociology from UCSB and a MA in Psychology with a concentration in Career Counseling from Antioch University. I am an active volunteer with The Parent?s Club of the Peninsula (PAMP), the Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) and I am a seasonal application reader for the
Maisin Scholar Award. I reside in Palo Alto with my husband and two sons.
John Raftrey: I have been advising students for the last three admission cycles. I regularly attend conferences, tour colleges, and keep up with the changing landscape of college admissions. I'll share what I learn and throw in a few opinions along the way. I moved to Palo Alto in 1991. My three sons are all veterans of PAUSD and graduated from Paly. I graduated from the University of Michigan, earned an MBA at Columbia University and hold a certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego. In my past life I worked in TV news and high tech marketing.
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(Written by Lori McCormick)
College representatives offer interviews to students prior to submitting their applications. For those of you who are preparing for your interviews, here is a list of questions that interviewers could ask you, as well as questions you could ask the interviewer.
Questions from the Interviewer (to you)
- How would you describe yourself to someone who doesn’t know you?
- What are your academic interests?
- What is one activity you do outside of school that you are proud of?
- What is your favorite subject in high school? What about most challenging? Why?
- What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- What made you decide to apply to (insert name of college)?
- Give me an example of a time you had to make a tough decision. What was the outcome?
- How have you been a leader or displayed leadership?
- Describe a challenge or barrier you have had to overcome?
- What will you contribute to (insert college name) campus community?
Questions for the Interviewer (from you)
- Ask specific questions about the academic programs, or clubs, organizations, housing, etc. that you found most interesting about the college campus – and ask them to elaborate on it.
- I noticed that (insert activity) is offered at (insert college name). Could you please tell me more?
- What types of support and resources are available to students with learning differences? (if applicable)
- What types of support are offered to students for future career, job and internship opportunities?
- What types of emergency preparation has (insert college name) made to keep students safe? (For example, crimes, natural disasters or extreme weather)
- What is it about (insert college name) that you think sets it apart from other colleges? Sometimes the interviewer is an alumnus, so they will be able to provide first-hand accounts)
- As an incoming freshman, what advice would you give to help me settle into college life?
When you are preparing for your interview, the most important thing to remember is to be yourself.
Happy Interviewing!
