The 6 toughest interview questions and their connection to college

This article - The 6 Toughest Job Interview Questions  Ever -  has popped up several times on my Twitter feed in the last few days, so I thought I'd give it a quick glance.  I'm not interviewing for anything, but I thought it might be helpful to some of my alums.  I only got through number one and two before I realized that those questions could also apply to the college application process.

#1 - Why do you want to work (or go to college) here?  As the article states, this is one of the scariest questions because it is so straightforward.  Why do you want to go to this particular college?  Surely it's not just for their football team (school spirit) or their proximity to home?  What does this college offer that particularly fits you?  Schools want to know that you've done your homework, and that doesn't mean spending one afternoon on a campus tour?

For example, I find that many students never research the courses they will have to take, or they can't quite explain what a communications major might actually do for a living?  One of my new favorite questions to ask students is something like "What does that major look like to you in the next ten to twenty years?" Do you really know where you're headed?   I was recently on a campus that at first glance, I  loved! It is a beautiful school, green and lush, and the academics, I believe, are outstanding. But would all of my students fit in there? Absolutely not.  It is what I call a more liberal campus, and it's not for everyone.  Unless a student is willing to dig deep, they might not understand that however. So doing your due diligence is very, very important, and students should be able to articulate why a school is a good fit for them.

#2 - What are you most proud of in your (high school) career?  Most of the girls I know hate to brag.  They've just been taught that it's not polite.  But remember that old adage "It's not bragging if you've done it."  My students do amazing things, but they don't necessarily see them that way. So try brainstorming with someone else. They might help you see that some of your accomplishments are in fact a very big deal.  As the article suggests, talking about the process you went through is a good way to describe your accomplishment without seeming overly boastful, and it is always a good idea to give a shout out to those who helped you along the way.  I really do believe that all of us have a story; we just have to learn to tell it.

Although I've only mentioned two of the questions, the other four are also thought-provoking.  Take the time to read through them, so that whether you are in a college interview or a job search, you will be prepared with thoughtful, meaningful answers..

We love our parents, but...

More than one senior has recently remarked that her parents are driving her crazy!  They, of course, are referring to how their parents are reacting to the crazy college application season.  Comments have ranged from "Everyone else has finished applying!" to "All of your friends have already been accepted. Why haven't you?" And of course, parents are (understandably) concerned about scholarships and financial aid.

So let's address these issues. Mom and Dad, everyone has not finished their applications.  In fact, as of today, only 40% of the senior class has completed at least one application, and many of those are apps to state universities.  Consequently, although several girls have received a college acceptance, most of them have not.  Yes, a few of them have also received some sort of merit scholarship, but that is a very, very small number (about three).

Your daughter is not behind in this process.  We have either met with or have scheduled a  meeting with the girls to review their deadlines and discuss what else they need to do. (If your daughter has not scheduled her meeting, she does need to do that soon!).  While your daughter may not be sharing her applications with you, they have written essays in English class and are also sharing those essays with their counselor for proofreading.  Additionally, on Wednesday, October 22, we will have our annual Milk & Cookies application workshop.  While the girls enjoy some homemade cookies and milk, Mrs. Goldbach and I will be available all day long to work with the girls on their applications, and we are available other times as well.  

If parents are looking for something to do, they might consider being in charge of the scholarship/financial aid search.  It takes time to research all of the possible college specific scholarships and to keep up with the deadlines.  Your daughter's college planner has some of that information, but this is a good piece of the puzzle for parents to manage.

Just remember that under no circumstances should parents fill out the application or write essays. As parents ourselves, we understand the importance of the application, but the application must be completed by your daughter.  This is your daughter's college application. Trust her; we do.

Have a happy and safe fall break everyone!

Looking for money?

Frequently parents and students will ask "Is it true that there's millions of dollars in scholarship money that goes unused every year?"  I suppose the answer to that question is yes, but searching for outside scholarships, that is, money that comes from some entity other than the college itself, takes a lot of time and energy.  It can be well worth it, but quite honestly, I've never seen that many students who want to put that much effort into it.  After all, it can almost seem like a full time job.

I still content that the biggest merit and need-based awards come from the college itself, but students often don't want to consider the colleges that might give them the most money. They tend to start with the same old schools as their classmates - not that there's anything wrong with that - but those are the most popular schools (at least in our area), and the competition will probably be fierce.  During a recent conference I attended, a colleague lamented that if only students would look in the State of Ohio,  they might find more scholarship money!

So perhaps this article is correct; maybe college is now a buyer's market.  Are you willing to look at colleges that are a little further from home?  Are you willing to look at colleges that you are less familiar with?  Are you willing to be different?  That's a question only you can answer.

Tips for Tomorrow's SAT

Here are some excellent last minute tips for Saturday's SAT.

Tonight:

• Gather up everything you're going to need tomorrow morning: your admission ticket, a photo ID, several sharpened #2 pencils, and your calculator with fresh batteries
• Make sure you know where your test center is
• Get a good night's sleep.  If you're going to the football game, go home afterward.  
• Set multiple alarms! You will not be admitted if you're late.
• If you qualify for extended time, there is a slight chance your name will not be on the approved list. Bring a copy of the letter you received from the College Board granting you the extra time and make sure you show it to the person in charge.

Saturday morning:

• Eat breakfast. You'll be at the test center for hours, and you're likely to get hungry.
• Bring a snack. During one of the breaks, you can eat or drink any snacks you've brought with you.
• Arrive at the test center no later than 7:45am. Give yourself plenty of time to get there and find a parking place.
• Leave your cell phone at home or in your car. DO NOT bring it into the test center with you.

During the Test::

• Do the easier question first (remember they're divided into thirds. The first third are the easiest and they get progressively harder.
• Use all of your time. Some students close their books and rest, but you know better. Go back to review problems you weren't sure of the first time. Or if you skipped a few, use the time to try and work them out.
• It doesn't help to guess wildly on the SAT, but if you can narrow your answer choices down to three (preferably two), then it's okay to guess.
• Try to stay positive and relax (easy for me to say!).  You are much more than a test score...just do the best you can and then let it go.

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Lehigh and Lafayette

In late September I had the chance to visit two wonderful colleges in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, and it was easy to picture GPS girls on both campuses. In fact, we have two students currently attending Lehigh, and it has been an exceptional experience for both of them.

But let's start with Lafayette College in Easton, and perhaps there's no better place to begin than with engineering.  Most prospective students don't get the opportunity to spend an hour with the dean of the college, but he was almost able to convince me of a career in the field, and I am not a math person at all!  I was particularly struck by one particularly question he posed: "Since almost every engineering school teaches the same content, what makes one stand out over the other?"  At Lafayette, I feel like students will get both the technical content and the opportunity for innovation, broad thinking, and interdisciplinary studies.  This is one school where everything is about the undergraduate, and upon graduation, students can think "non-technically."  Students at Lafayette do not graduate as the stereotypical engineer, and they do exceptionally well in the job market.

It's not all about engineering however.  Global education is an important part of Lafayette's mission, and they are in the midst of building a new Center for Global Education.  The EXCEL program provides funding for student research opportunities with professors.  Another thing I liked about this school was their career services program.  Starting freshmen year, there is also a full Saturday event just for sophomores.  Oh, and then there's the January and summer interim.  And finally, I got the chance to sit in on an Introduction to Political Science class.  While on the day I was there it was mostly a lecture, it was easy to tell that the students were engaged (and by the way, not on laptops) an curious.  You can tell so much by sitting in a class, so I encourage all students to try to make that arrangement when visiting colleges.

Even with traffic, it's only about a 20-25 minute up the road to Lehigh University. Another top engineering school, they also offer an Integrated Degree in Egineering and Arts and Sciences (IDEAS).  For example, you might combine engineering with Chinese and political science, or you could combine environmental engineering with economics or religion and philosophy.  It is a rigorous program, one that asks students to take risks and explore their creativity.  There is also a Computer Science and Business degree, one that merges business and technology.  One of my favorite programs at Lehigh was the Mountaintop Experience, a summer program that allows students from any discipline the chance to take their ideas and do something with it.  They could be entrepreneurial in spirit or a chance to solve real-world problems, but regardless of their nature, the Mountaintop Experience offers students an enriching and enngaging learning experience.  And on a side note, Lehigh has changed the name of their career placement report to the First Destination Report. After all, students these days will change jobs twelve times on average in their lifetime.

I don't know if every student who tours Lehigh and Lafayette is able to enjoy student and faculty panels, learn all of the unique degree programs, and talk to a variety of professors and staff members, but you can make your college visit come closer to the tours that I take.  Tomorrow I will give you some tips to do just that.

When I go on a college tour...

I wish that students had the opportunity to see colleges like I do.  As a college counselor, I am fortunate to be invited to visit many colleges across the United States, and I almost always come back with a different perspective than I had before the trip.

For example, as I write, I am on my way home from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.  There's no denying the Pacific Northwest is beautiful, and personally I loved the small town feel of Walla Walla.  It's a wonderful mix of agriculture and wineries that result in both a somewhat upscale and down to earth atmosphere.  Whitman students frequently interact with the townspeople, through community service and other projects, and if you're looking for some culture, there is the Walla Walla Symphony as well as plenty of plays put on by the school's theater department.  Majors and non-majors are welcome to participate.

Able to have dinner with several faculty members, I got a look at the student body from their angle.  Phrases like "highly engaged and inquisitive, open minded, caring, healthy risk takers" came up over and over again, words the student also used to describe their faculty.  Successful students, said one person, are students who ask for help or take advantage of help when offered. They are students who can manage their own lives.

The visiting college counselors also participated in a student panel.  When asked if there is enough to do in this town of around 30,000, a student from Boston replied, "There's plenty to do, but it presents itself in a very different way.  In fact, three of our four panelists were from big cities (Boston, LA, and Chicago), and none of them complained about a lack of things to do.

As a visitor, I got to hear from the Athletic Director, as well as the head of the Student Engagement Center, Residence Life, and the Academic Resource Center. I heard about Whitman being a "high touch" sort of school, a place where students frequently have lunch or dinner with professors, a place where students combine academic intensity with a friendly, collaborative atmosphere.  Students support each other in all areas, and student athletes are most definitely students first.  And no, you don't have to be an outdoorsy kind of person to attend Whitman.

As I left this morning, I have a much better understanding of the type of student who will thrive and succeed here, and I have a few students in mind. Before I left, someone said it was a little like Sewanee, only in the Northwest. I can see that, but Whitman also has a personality all its own.  I loved my visit and can't wait to share more of my insights with my girls when I return.

Tomorrow I will share my recent visits to Lafayette College and Lehigh University, two more schools I have no problem recommending to students.  Plus, I'll give you some hints about how you can have a more informative college visit too.

Interested in architecture?

If you are considering a career in architecture, interior design, or landscape architecture, you might consider attending the University of Tennessee Knoxille's open house on November 1.  Even if you are looking beyond Knoxville, it is a good opportunity to learn more about these professions and their requirements.

Check it out at http://bit.ly/1t1hKMO