When it comes to the application process the one thing I’m weakest in is interview skills. I can answer most questions, but the one questions that always trips me up is “what makes our school different from others?” And I know what I want to say but I don’t know how to really articulate it p and I need some help. Please comment and leave your advise, thanks p?
No one is going to be able to tell you how to answer that question, because the answer will be different for every school.
Honestly, it’s not too difficult to answer… In fact, I think that is one of the easier interview questions. Spend a long time on the specific school’s website, and learn what is unique about that school. Maybe it’s a specific music program, or sports program. Maybe it’s a certain course, or extracurricular option. Look up scholarships/special programs a school offers. If you put in even 30 minutes, it’s pretty easy to come up with an answer. However, like anything, the more time you put in the better off you’ll be.
I attended Lawrenceville, and for example, Lawrenceville has a “house” system instead of traditional dorms, which fosters a tight knit sense of community (think Harry Potter houses). In addition, say you’re really interested in science or history. Lawrenceville offers Hutchins and Heely scholarships, which are awarded to students who excel in Science and History, respectively. If you are selected, you can partake in a unique opportunities over the summer/during the school year which can feed into your passion for science/history (eg. summer research at labs at UPenn, Princeton, etc, or research in Lawrenceville’s archives/Princeton’s archives, etc.). There are many other things unique about Lawrenceville, but I’m just giving a quick example of how easy it is to find specific things that make a school attractive.
Actually, the interviewer should be the one telling you how their school is different from the others! “Why our school?” — is not the same as “Why our school and not another school?” Your job is to let them get to know you, and in the process, let them know why you think the school is a good fit for you. Good luck!
@2001JET In your response, I recommend talking about why you chose boarding school, instead of public school, or a private day school. You can talk about independence, the size of the school, student-teacher ratio, the diversity, etc. This is especially helpful if you’re talking about Andover/Exeter because you can make a strong point about student diversity and clubs, things in those two schools unrivaled by any other. Do a little research on College Confidential, ask questions on each thread of the schools you’re interested in and find out what is truly unique about each!
Let me know if you have more questions!
Thanks for the help
Assume you are an interviewer and ask the same question to an applicant…
What would be the purpose of the question?
In my opinion, the purpose of the question is to know
- if the applicant has done a homework, and
- if the school is on the priority list. (i.e., at least the school wants to know if the applicant is willing to attend if accepted.)
I do not think there is a right answer. I do not think the AO expects to hear the right answer, either.
How come an adult can expect the right answer from 16-year old (or younger) to get to know every details of the school and find a difference? An applicant can give a great answer by having studied the website but again, it might not be the answer itself that they want to hear, but the passion and time spent on exploring about the school. That tells them how much an applicant is eager to attend.
So, don’t get too much pressure. Spend some time and get to know about the schools that you want to apply. Come up with a reason why you have chosen to apply to a specific school. That could be your answer.