Hello College Confidential,
Could you please give me some tips for my Andover and Exeter interviews?
Check out some of the existing threads. Here’s a start: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1855383-what-are-the-most-asked-interview-questions-in-phillips-andover-or-exeter-p1.html
They are conversations not “gotcha” interviews. Take time to understand your motivations for why boarding school and why their particular school. Be honest about what you know and don’t know and your motivations. They are trying to get a sense for you behind the numbers and the polished essays: are you engaged, active, thoughtful, etc which will come through normally dialog.
Harkening back to this time last year, when my daughter had her Andover interview, that was EXTRAORDINARILY long. And then our parent interview-JUST AS LONG AND FUN! (Really, we loved that office!! Seriously there for two hours! Laughing! So much fun!)
And then…
She was waitlisted.
Son did 4/5 Skype interviews and was accepted to all five schools the year before.
No aid …then Aid for DD. (!!! Interviews!!!). They are overrated!
A quick question about the interviews - does the admission team expect both parents along with the student? the interview confirmation letter is just addressed to the student - one of my parents will be there with me but not the other parent (whole family cannot make it during this busy school year time). Hope its ok - any opinions on that?
DH could not make all the interviews for DC and I don’t think it was an issue for those schools. Families have all kinds of circumstances which make it reasonable that both parents aren’t always able to come, and many families are single parent families, or blended families and each finds what works best for their family–schools get it. I wouldn’t stress about only going with one parent.
DH did not go to one of the interviews for our daughter!
I think one parent is fine. They understand.
The majority of students in the waiting rooms we saw had just one parent with them.