Choate Interview

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Hello! I am touring and interviewing at Choate this Saturday... And I have a few questions.</p>

<p>First, I am visiting on a "saturday "showcase" day- what IS that? How is it different from the average tour and interview? Is it more beneficial or worse?</p>

<p>Second, what places on campus are MUST-sees for applying students? Like, the dining hall, the athletic facilities, etc., and how do I tell my tour guide that I want to see them, especially if I'm in a group?</p>

<p>What questions should I ask? I've already got a few- like "Is Choate primarily science and maths based, or arts and humanities?" "What is the level of commitment athletes must make to their sport? Does it ever interfere with academics?" "How comprehensive is your financial aid?" "What are your policies regarding homesickness and other issues new students might have?"</p>

<p>Obviously, these questions won't sound QUITE to pretentious when I say them, haha....</p>

<p>So, any help?</p>

2

<p>Wishing you a beautiful day on Saturday! I've sent you a PM.</p>

3

<p>My experience with the tours is that they are not group led but the route is predetermined. You will be paired up with a student tour guide who will take you on your own tour, not a group, which is nice. But they have a predetermined route and script that they have memorized. They all give a really good overview of the school and if you tell them your interests they try to accomodate you as best they can. Dining hall and gym are always included as are the science centers and usually a dorm room.</p>

4

<p>Saer, I currently have a kid who is a sophmore at Choate. He started last year as a freshman. </p>

<p>Not sure how "showcase" weekends are different than normal weekends.</p>

<p>As for the tour. When we looked at the school, they split up the parents and the kids. Both of our tours were one on one with the tour guide, although I think if they get very busy you may be paired up with another kid.</p>

<p>I expect you will be taken through the dining room, the science center and a dorm room. However, you should feel free to ask to see something you have a particular interest in. For example, if you are really in to theater, ask to be taken through the PMAC. If you are a swimmer or water polo player, ask of you can see the pool. Although your guide is on a schedule and doesn't have unlimited time to take you around, in most cases I am sure they will try to accomodate you. Remember, the primary purpose of these tours is to enable you to decide if the school is a good fit for you, so if you live to paint it's probably a good idea to see what kind of art facilities the school has.</p>

<p>As far as questions you should ask - I assume you mean of your tour guide. Honestly, I think you should focus on getting a "student's eye" perspective of the school. Questions like: (i) What's there to do on weekends? (ii) How much homework to you have a night and is it hard to get it all done? (iii) What's it like living in a dorm? (iv) Do you mostly hang out with the kids in your dorm or are your friends people on your team, kids you do the same extracurricular activities with, etc? Is there a lot of dating at school? </p>

<p>Questions about financial aid, school policies, academic requirements are probably better directed to the person who interviews you.</p>

<p>Finally, although you need to be on your toes during your interview, and obviously need to present yourself well, you should try to relax, have fun and really think about whether this is a place you can see yourself living for the next four years.</p>

<p>BTW - My kid has been very happy at Choate and I think would say that most of the kids are as nice as they seem.</p>

5

<p>The questions were really a mix of ones to ask my tour guide and the interviewer- yes, the financial aid and policies would probably be for the interview, haha.
Thanks for all the info!</p>