INTERVIEW PREPARATION 1. Find out everything you can about the school you are considering.
2. Read carefully through the website. Consider your strengths and interest areas. Figure out how those tie in with details about the school community.
3. Practice for your interview. Ask a parent, sibling, best friend or your school counselor to be the interviewer.
4. Body language is very important. Hand and arm movements should not be too large. Don’t fiddle. Your posture should be relaxed, but alert. Sit up straight. Appear interested. Be yourself!
5. First impressions count. Look well-groomed and dress up a bit. Try to arrive at the school 15-20 minutes early for your appointment.
6. Greet your school host, admission personnel, and interviewer with a firm handshake and always maintain eye contact. Be enthusiastic, positive, confident and outgoing. Show a sincere interest in all of the people you meet. Ask good questions that reflect some of the school research you have done or things you have heard about from current or former students, neighbors and friends.
7. Be your real self. Interviewers can tell if you are not genuine. Be proud of who you are!
8. You are going to be asked some questions… Give short answers with strong points.
Look the interviewer in the eye when you are answering. Think about the question before answering it. It’s okay if you need them to explain it a little more.
9. Usually at the end of an interview, you will be asked if you have any questions. If you don’t , it can look like you are not very interested. Prepare some questions in advance 10. Before you leave the school office, try to make some positive comments about things you enjoyed or noticed in their school community, such as…. “Today I really enjoyed ….” “I was so impressed with …”
“When I toured the classrooms, I noticed …”
“When I saw the students at their passing period/lunch, I liked …”
11. Your interview isn’t over when you walk out the door of the school. As soon as you get home, write a short thank you email or letter to your interviewer and host. Mention that you appreciated the time they spent with you. If you would like to add something you forgot to say, this is the time. End your thank you note with a positive comment or compliment about their school community.
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