<p>I was listening to a college counselor give a speech at our high school. They strongly recommended that students ask questions at the interview, especially if the interview is being conducted by an admission's counselor. This supposedly shows that the student has both interest in the school and has researched the school.</p>
<p>Somes questions of interest that I suggested to my daughter were:
" What are new students surprised about when they come here?
"How accessible are professors in (your major)?
"What amount of mandatory office hours are required by the school?"
"Are professor's main responsibility teaching or research?"
"What is the placement record of the university in my major?"
"If I want to take courses outside of my major, how accessible are these courses, really?"
Here are two controversial questions, "What schools do you consider competitive schools (major), and in what way are you different from them?"</p>
<p>What are some other questions that kids should ask that are NOT normally found on web sites?</p>
<p>My S had two interviews. He asked about the personal experiences of the two interviewers (who graduated 8 and 14 years ago from their colleges respectively). This would not be particularly productive if the interviewers had graduated much earlier.</p>
<p>One person said he sought and got advice mostly from fellow students. This was not a comment on the quality of advising, more an observation about real practices. The other interviewer said that her profs maintained office hours and students came to these office hours regularly (contrary to popular opinion that students never show up at profs' offices). </p>
<p>My S also asked about the ease of taking advanced courses early. One interviewer (in sciences) was very reassuring. The other, who had been a humanities major, had not needed to take graduate level courses as an undergraduate. </p>
<p>Housing. One person had lived off campus most of the time, and strongly advised my S to live on campus. </p>
<p>If a student has strong interest in some ECs, s/he could ask the interviewer about the ease of joining groups involved in these ECs, whether community service, sports, or performing arts. What is published on a college website may differ from the practical reality.</p>
<p>Marite, Yes, one good question for the musically inclined would be,"Do you have an orchestra or band for students for student performances where the performers don't have to be music majors ( if applicable)?"</p>
<p>I would suggest each student come up with a list of questions tailored to their interests and showing they have looked into the area already at the school in question. For example, a student interested in study abroad can ask questions about the sister schools (the names already known from the research), if the time away impacts progress in the major, etc. A student interested in public policy might ask how students are selected for the programs in Washington the school offers, what responsibilities they are typically given, etc.</p>