<p>I love the interview questions thread. How about some talk about questions for the student to ask at the interview. Obviously questions are often specific to a school or program, but maybe some of you who have been through this can help with some ideas for questions that generated interesting conversation.</p>
<p>My thought is that, for the most part, it is the on-campus visit and the tour which gives students the opportunities to ask questions. The audition and the interview are primarily for the program to find out about the applicant. Sometimes, BUT NOT ALWAYS, the interviewer will say “do you have any questions for us?” I feel like if they don’t ask this, the applicant should probably not be taking up time with their own questions.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have one or two good, school specific questions in reserve. You can usually tell from the school’s website/twitter/facebook what they’re excited about and would love to talk about. (For example: What’s the theater scene like in x city and how are you tied into it? I see you premiered x play – how did that happen and what opportunities did it create for students? How much contact do current students have with well-known alumni like X, Y and Z?) I wouldn’t push it, but if you get an opportunity, it’s never a negative to get people talking about themselves and what they’re excited about.</p>
<p>My S has a portfolio review this weekend at a school that states on the website that they learn as much about the student from the students’ questions as they do from the student’s answers to their questions. So, a little but of pressure to come up with some questions!</p>
<p>My son was asked what questions he had at every single audition/interview. Every single one. He usually had a question or two that he asked at every program (something about the focus/emphasis of the program) and then specific things that would address information NOT found on the website. He’s interested in stage combat, so he always asked about the possibilities for pursuing it in the school, and he has a background in sports, so he wanted to gauge the sense of “school culture” and whether there was a divide between athletics and theater/arts scenes. As the posts above indicate, your questions should reflect the fact that you’ve done your homework about the particular school, as well as giving the auditors a sense of what YOU are about as a person. (Hope that makes sense…)</p>
<p>Good advice, thanks to you both!</p>
<p>Yes - agree with others here. Make sure you don’t ask a question that is blatantly answered on their website (like “How many acting courses do you offer?”). You should appear to be interested enough in the school to have spent time reading up on it!</p>
<p>Times3 gives great advice when she says to ask something that you are really interested in and can discuss. Whatever question you come up with - make sure you can answer someone asking you “why do you want to know that?”</p>
<p>Thank you, Marbleheader!</p>