College Admissions Interviews: Alumni Interview Protocols

By Brittany MaschalSep 26, 2019

Alumni interview season is upon us, so I wanted to get a post up for seniors looking to get a sense of what’s in store for 2019-2020.

For many students, college admissions interviews are fear-inducing. And though there is some decent prep material online, you can often go right to the source for clarity on what the process entails. There is no reason to fear your alumni interview because many schools have their protocols and the guidance/instructions they give your interviewer available for you to review online—including possible interview questions.

Knowing the questions you might be asked is one thing but thoroughly preparing is another completely. You do not need to spend hours preparing answers to hundreds of questions to thoroughly prepare for alumni or any other college admissions interview. Canned responses sound unnatural. In my experience, taking the less stressful approach bodes well for students: they do not waste hours preparing, which can detract from other important tasks (homework, community engagement, writing admissions essays) and because they have not overprepared, they will sound far more natural and “themselves” therefore  win over an interviewer.

Remember, so much of a college admissions interview (and this entire process!) is about likeability—rehashing your resume word-for-word does not make you likable, but being able to hold a conversation and do so with ease does! Getting to the point of doing so with ease is the hardest part for high school students (who have not interviewed all that much, typically), but over-preparing won’t help. Resist the urge.

Below, I’ve compiled a few of the alumni interview links for some popular, selective schools. Take some time to read over the information provided, but do not obsess over it.

You can find a general list of potential interview questions in one of my older posts, but contact us if you want individualized help preparing for your college interviews—alumni or otherwise—or want access to additional materials. We’ve helped hundreds of students ace their interviews and gain acceptance to their first-choice colleges and universities—don’t miss an opportunity to shine in person!

 

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College Tour Tips

By Brittany MaschalSep 24, 2019

Checking out colleges in person is an important part of the application process for many students. Check out the “pro tips” in this Reader’s Digest article by Erica Lambert (which I am featured in!) to get the most out of every campus visit.

Some key takeaways:

  • The best time to start visiting colleges is in the fall of junior year, and then again in the spring, and the remaining visits can take place at the end of the summer before senior year and into early fall (September and October). Visit when school is in session!
  • If you vacation, vacation where you can visit colleges. This is a huge time-saver.
  • Take the full tour offered by Admissions, including visiting residence halls, classrooms, and labs. And if the college offers you lunch in a dining center—take it! Don’t try to cut this part of the visit short.
  • Do your homework. Read and research the schools you are visiting before you go.
  • A few weeks before you arrive, reach out to the people you want to meet with and be flexible about setting up meetings. You might also reach out to student groups with whom you share an interest. Lastly, visit the advising center of your chosen major or college and speak to an advisor, and consider meeting with a professor in the department who has office hours on the day of your visit.
  • Talk to students on campus; go to the library, dining hall, etc.—see it all!
  • Visit and stay overnight with a friend if you have one on campus. It can be particularly important for getting a sense of the school’s social scene and vibe outside of academics.
  • Go beyond campus and explore the surrounding city, town or neighborhood.

 

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FairTest List Updates

By Brittany MaschalSep 21, 2019

FairTest just updated the master database of test-optional schools. The list contains 1,050 accredited, bachelor degree-granting colleges and universities that will make admissions decisions about all or many applicants without regard to test scores.

Check out just a few of the schools on the test-optional list:

3. University of Chicago (IL)
27. Wake Forest University (NC)
33. University of Rochester (NY)
35. Brandeis University (MA)
59. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
63. George Washington University (DC)
66. Clark University (MA)
78. American University (DC)
89. Marquette University
89. University of Delaware (DE)
96. University of Denver (CO)
96. University of San Francisco (CA)
102. Drexel University (PA) “Test Flexible”
106. Temple University (PA)
106. University of Arizona (AZ)
106. University of New Hampshire (NH)
115. Arizona State University (AZ)
119. DePaul University (IL)
119. Duquesne University (PA)
129. The Catholic University of America (DC)
136. George Mason University (VA)
140. Hofstra University (NY)
140. Washington State University (WA)
147. New School (NY)

Academic Resources, College List, Common Application, High School, News, Testing

How to Marie Kondo Your College List

By Brittany MaschalSep 17, 2019

 

Managing expectations while developing a college list is not easy. High school students today deal with a lot of “noise” from peers, parents, teachers, counselors, and if they are really unlucky, random people who have no business talking to them about college (I am looking at you Jay the Lyft driver). It is a hot topic and social media chatter does not help. Where they will go, what they will major in; there seems to be nothing sacred about the journey and no one feels compelled to keep their mouth shut.

And then there’s the critical issue that comes up with many of the students I work with: getting into the most selective American colleges is more fiercely competitive than ever before, with many schools reporting a record number of applicants (again), and corresponding record low admit rates (again). To many, this news is fear-inducing. How will I (or my child, parents have a lot of college-related fear, too!) possibly get admitted to a “top” college or university?

Answering how is hard. There are no silver bullets in this process, and the reality is with college admit rates under 10, 20, 30 percent at the most selective colleges and universities, most applicants won’t get admitted to these schools.

But here’s the thing: there are hundreds of other amazing schools that, in a heartbeat, most students would be happy attending. There is a nasty misconception that the most selective colleges and universities offer some magical golden ticket to greatness and a happy, fulfilling, and successful life. This is a myth. A name is just a name. Yes, brand means something to many people, and over time having a certain college on your resume might help your salary tick up, but it won’t help everyone and in the ways that many people think it will.

Instead of trying to become the applicant you think one of these uber selective schools will admit, I suggest a path of far less resistance and more authenticty—a path that includes looking at colleges where you have a realistic chance of being admitted, colleges that, perhaps, spark real joy.

But again, how?! Try taking a page out of Marie Kondo’s book. The KonMari Method is Marie Kondo’s minimalism-inspired approach to tackling your stuff category-by-category rather than room-by-room. Here’s how I have applied it to creating a college list. There are six basic rules to get started:

  1. Commit yourself to tidying up your list
  2. Imagine your ideal college
  3. Remove colleges from the list first (the ones you know you will not attend); before getting rid of colleges from the list, sincerely thank each of them for serving a purpose
  4. Evaluate your list by category.
  5. Follow the right order
  6. Ask yourself if each college sparks joy

The categories to consider, in order:

  1. Academic offerings
  2. Financial considerations, cost
  3. Extracurricular offerings, social life, and happiness of students
  4. Eligibility and competitiveness for admission
  5. Miscellaneous Items (admit rates, legacy, special programs, study abroad etc.)

As you tidy your list ask yourself: why do I want these colleges on my list? Do they spark joy, meaning, does what they have to offer academically, extracurricularly, socially, and financially get me excited to attend? Am I more drawn to the name of the school, the brand, the prestige? What will school A (that I probably won’t get into) offer me that school B (that I probably can get into) cannot and vice versa? Am I evaluating colleges in a way that emphasizes my college priorities (and not my parents or my peers)?

Kondo believes that if you tidy your space, you can transform your life. I believe that if you tidy your college list, you can transform your college application journey. Shoot me an email to schedule a free 30-minute to learn more about how BMC supports students on their college applications and more.

 

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3 Tips for Getting Started on LinkedIn

By Brittany MaschalSep 11, 2019

LinkedIn is one of the key social networks that employers today use to vet applicants and even seek them out through the platform’s recruiter tools. So, if you did not create one while you were applying to college, now is the time!

Building a comprehensive LinkedIn profile is a vital first step for setting yourself up for max exposure in your early career, and maintaining a presence on the site is just as crucial as you navigate career changes, pivots, launch new ventures, and make other notable moves.

Not everyone has time to use the more advanced features the site offers, but it is fairly easy to:

  • Keep your profile current! Sounds like a given, but when you’re busy with your job search or making career moves, it can be easy to forget. If there are only two things you always keep updated, make sure you have an accurate headline (current role) and location. Bonus points if your headline spices things up a bit. I can’t say mine does, but it would if I was looking for a new role.
  • Customize your public profile URL. Mine is https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanymaschal. Fancy!
  • Use professional and accurate photos. If you are no longer 18, don’t have a picture of yourself from when you were 18. Now, this is likely not a huge deal if you are 22-26, but if you are 30, you should probably change it—I change mine every few years so when people meet me in person, they are meeting the current me, not the 20-something-year-old me. Also, no cropped shots where the shoulder of your best friend shows in the corner! Invest in a professional headshot, or have a friend take one that looks like a professional headshot. Including a simple but classy background photo or one that goes well with your “brand” is also a nice touch.

Want help setting up your LinkedIn profile as you apply for internships or full-time roles out of college? Contact us today!

 

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Off to College – Good Reads

By Brittany MaschalSep 09, 2019

Too good to not share!

To every child everywhere who is leaving home soon, could we agree that we love each other and that’s what matters? And real quick, before you go, let’s just make sure we covered everything.

Advice to My College Freshman by Kelly Corrigan

My worries have taken over my life. Which makes me like approximately every parent who’s sending their kid away right now. I can’t tell if this is a very good time or a very bad time to be reading books on “adulting” — those skills we all need to make it in this world — but read them I must. Deep breaths.

To spur innovation, compete globally and nurture prosperity in a country where factory jobs have ceased to be the answer, we need more, better college graduates. So why aren’t we doing more to create them?

 

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Prepare Now for College Admissions Interviews

By Brittany MaschalAug 29, 2019

Not all colleges require interviews. In fact, many don’t offer them. At schools that do, they are not always evaluative or even considered in the admissions process. That said, we still suggest you interview if you can. Why? It is a way to demonstrate interest, learn more about the school, and help the school learn more about you. Seems like a no brainer!

Below, you will find some common interview questions. Practice with a parent, or a friend, or with us!. Never go to an interview (even those that are not evaluative) unprepared!

High School Experience

  • Tell me a little bit about your high school.
  • Tell me about the courses you are taking currently.
  • Tell me about your favorite class(s) you have taken. Why was it your favorite?
  • Which class has been your least favorite? Why?
  • Which classes have been the most difficult (or most challenging)?
  • What subjects do you plan on studying at [school]?
  • How have you pursued this interest in school, and outside of school?
  • What is your dream job?

Extracurricular Activities

  • What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
  • When you’re not in class, studying, or doing homework, what do you do with your time (organized activities or things for fun)?
  • How did you get involved/started with ____ activity?
  • Which activity is the most meaningful to you, and which one is the most fun?
  • What extracurricular activities do you hope to continue in college?
  • If you could only continue taking part in one EC, which one would it be and why?

College Expectations

  • What type of environment are you looking for in a college/university?
  • What matters most to you in a college setting?

School Specific

  • How did you become interested in [school]?
  • What do you find appealing about [school]?
  • Why do you think you [school] might be the right fit for you?
  • Do you know any students at [school]? Have you reached out to them to learn more about [school]?
  • If you had an opportunity to tell the Admissions Committee anything about yourself, what would it be? What would you want the Admissions Committee to know about you that may not come across on your application?
  • What have you learned about [school] that seems unusual or surprising?

Miscellaneous

  • Apart from looking at colleges, how have you spent your high school summers?
  • How would your best friend describe you?
  • How would your teachers describe you?
  • If you had a year to do anything you want, what would it be and why?
  • What are you currently reading?
  • Is there anything we haven’t talked about that you wanted to discuss?

 

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College Admissions Events in NYC

By Brittany MaschalAug 27, 2019

Thought we’d share some local events from a few very popular schools. If you can’t get to campus, you should 100% connect with schools when they come to your area, in addition to being in touch via email. It’s a great way to learn about the school and its programs as well as demonstrate interest. Email us if there are other schools you want to see added to this list!

Elon

Emory

JHU

Notre Dame

Penn State

Tufts

Tulane

USC

UVM

Villanova

 

Advice, College Application, College Interview, College List, College Tour, Demonstrated Interest, High School, Interviews, Networking, News