D21 got an email from an admissions officer that a college she’s interested in not in our area is holding informal meetings at a Panera that she can sign up for. D21 is yet to do any of these or formal interviews. Does she need to bring with her a student resume and/or transcript? The transcript is easy enough but her guidance counselor hasn’t covered doing a resume yet. If you do think a resume is needed, does anyone have an online template of one that they like? Thank you!!
Transcripts, no. Resumes can help the interviewer but also not necessary. I would say that if your daughter doesn’t have one, not to worry. Just have her be prepared to answer why she applied to the school and be able to talk about her self. Have questions to ask the interviewer as well.
When I did alumni interviews I told the students to bring a resume in any format they have. If nothing else it helps them remember what they have done (for ECs). One time I think I had to do an interview and the student didn’t have one and there was a lot of “uh…um…Oh yeah I was in the Key Club…uh…”
I would have her write down what activities she has done, how much time she spends on them, and what she has acheived.
MathClub: Grades 9-12, 4 hours/week, Led Pie day fundraiser by recruiting 10 bakers, staffing table, resulting in $100 to be donated to The Algebra Project.
Just make it neat and the format will be fine.
You can split it up by sports, music, Volunteering, Clubs, that sort of thing. Put the most important ECs at the top of the category.
Gathering this info will be good as then you have it for the application.
Is it an actual interview and/or one-on-one meeting? If so, a resume would be handy.
Most info session-type meetings are group events and a resume isn’t needed.
Thanks, everyone! I guess a resume it is!
My D did 3 interviews wiith admission counselors for mid-tier LAC’s. (And all coincidentally happened to be at Panera’s). She did not have a resume and no one asked for one. She said all 3 were free flowing conversations, not a listing of her accomplishments. She’s gotten into 2 of the schools and is waiting to hear from the third.
Yes, you child should bring a resume. Also bring a copy of recent works she’s done(essays, stories) so you can have some ‘proud achievement’ to present if asked
Ha I also always did my interviews at Panera!
I don’t think you need to bring a recent work…that is not something ever asked for or expected and would come across strange if it were offered.
My alma mater has a firm rule that alumni interviewers are not to ask about grades, test scores, etc. So when students brought a resume, I’d ask if it had that sort of info on it and if the answer was yes, I’d tell them I didn’t want to see it.
I’d explain that different alumni had different opinions on how much various things should matter in admissions. One person would feel strongly that it’s all about the grades; in his opinion, a lackluster SAT shouldn’t offset a high GPA. Another would think test scores are most important. My alma mater didn’t want alumni to opine indirectly about such things. The interview was mostly to answer students’ questions and get some sense of them as a person WITHOUT being biased for or against them by their “stats.”
Some would get really up upset.
I’d suggest you check the college’s website & any posts on this site to see whether there’s any advice.
D21 has done three interviews over the past month. One college (selective university but not a tippy-top) and one extremely selective mid-Atlantic LAC wanted her to fill out their own form regarding extracurriculars. Her most recent one, an extremely selective LAC in the northeast, happily took her resume (extracurriculars only, not a transcript etc) and said it was very helpful. He asked her about a bunch of things on there, and then of course the conversation became very free-flowing and moved on to a bunch of other things. So I think it’s a good idea to have an extracurricular/activities resume with you just in case.