Question about mock interviews

[pgr]

Is hiring someone to do a mock interview a possibility? Those that do alumnus/a interviews for your alma mater, would you ever consider doing this? I'm trying to figure out how to help my very introverted DD who communicates well with people she knows but not so much with those she doesn't.

[easypeasy]

We didn't use these services, but in our area, there's a woman who gives "manners" classes and part of her services includes interview preparation (she preps kids for cotillion, fancy dinners, and other such things). Last I saw, she had a series geared specifically toward college/scholarship interviews. Maybe there is someone like this in your area you could consult? This woman has a fabulous reputation, but was too expensive for us to use, so we just DIY'ed the prep at home. 😄

[Sebastian (a lady)]

There are definitely people who do this as part of Independent Educational Consulting. There are probably even more who teach these skills in the context of job interviews.

I also think this is something you could diy within your network. 

Come up with a list of questions. 

Have a friend you know but who is less familiar to your kid do the interview practice. 

Do it on unfamiliar ground like a coffee shop. Have her go through the process of getting there and ordering something. 

Dress like she would for the interview. 

Questions I'd expect include 

Tell me about yourself 

Why are you interested in XYZ College 

What do you hope to do after graduation 

Tell me about what homeschooling looks like for you

What do you do outside the classroom (looking for activities and involvement) 

At XYZ College, Quality A is important. Tell me about a time you demonstrated Quality A (This might be something like student diversity across many axis, collaboration, creativity, interdisciplinary thinking, giving back to the community, etc. Look at their marketing and mission statements for ideas.)

For scholarships, expect more questions about challenges faced, areas where initiative was demonstrated, and what the student wants to do with the opportunity of going to college. 

When I interviewed for military college programs, it was about leadership, motivation, teamwork, learning from mistakes, and organizational skills. 

Help her identify 3-5 positive qualities she wants to get across and stories that would help her show those qualities. For example, a discussion about activities could prompt a discussion of Model UN, forming a team of students without formal high school support, research and quick thinking, leadership in becoming a chair or conference planner, or interest in global history, politics, or policy. 

 

(Disclosure, after graduating 3 kids from homeschool, my pivot was to become an Independent Educational Consultant.)

[pgr]

Thank you!

 

[rzberrymom]

I do alumni interviews for an ivy, and the most important advice I have is for your daughter to be ready to really communicate why that particular school. These days, I swear 90% of my task is to figure out if the kid really even wants to go there or if it was just one of 25+ applications. Most kids seem like they’ve never spent even 5 minutes learning about the school or the department they’re aiming for, and I’ve had kids ask me about OTHER schools during the interview.

We get instructions to remember the kid is only 17, that we should be supportive and kind, don’t expect it to be like a job interview with an adult. I think she’ll do great. 🙂

[pgr]

18 hours ago, rzberrymom said:

I do alumni interviews for an ivy, and the most important advice I have is for your daughter to be ready to really communicate why that particular school. These days, I swear 90% of my task is to figure out if the kid really even wants to go there or if it was just one of 25+ applications. Most kids seem like they’ve never spent even 5 minutes learning about the school or the department they’re aiming for, and I’ve had kids ask me about OTHER schools during the interview.

We get instructions to remember the kid is only 17, that we should be supportive and kind, don’t expect it to be like a job interview with an adult. I think she’ll do great. 🙂

Thank you for this, it’s reassuring. It blows my mind that kids are going into interviews without doing very basic research about the school or department, but I believe it…