College Interviews

What to Do as You Await Your November SAT Score

Posted by Kumar on November 15, 2011   |   No Comments

A good week has passed by since you took that test. You’re still trying to figure out which one was the experimental and no longer ever want to visit the Grand Canyon. Annoying hexagons and too many trees tried to trick you up in those math sections. Anxiety has kicked in because the countdown is now one week to your scores (scores will release on November 22nd for the empty-headed individuals at the back of the classroom…)    So what now???

  • Check in to a movie theater. Sure, the last Shrek movie sucked, but Puss in Boots is AWESOME. Antonio Banderas is hilarious not to mention the fact that Puss and his ladylove have some serious dancing skills. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (not really) and you’ll be able to escape into a world of fairy tales. Of course you can also do that this weekend while watching the new Twilight movie. No judgment from me.
  • Take time to research colleges and plan visits. For my junior year overachievers, I hope you can start to list the colleges you would consider applying to next fall. Exploring all the different majors, the organizations, and the locations of multiple colleges takes time and consideration.  It might make you feel productive to do this while you feel helpless waiting for your SAT score. For my stressed out seniors, if you haven’t taken time to visit colleges yet, it’s time to get a move on. Make a list and plan on visiting on any of the weekends between now and January. The earlier the better. Your college application essays are more likely to show some passion if you’ve actually researched or been to the school you’re applying to this year.
  • Pull out that Easy-Bake Oven. It’s almost the holidays everyone. That means pecan pies, sugar cookies, and the constant scent of cinnamon all around.  Deee-licious. Practice those recipes so you can perfect them before Thanksgiving and feel productive while waiting for D-Day.
  • Apologize to your parents and friends for being obnoxious for the past several weeks. Chances are you were a little bit snooty while studying for your test. It’s not your fault, it happens to the best of us. Go take a shower and give your parents a gigantic hug. They probably watched you with great concern since you completed all their sentences as reflex. Now answer all those Facebook messages you ignored. You can become a participating member of society once more!
  •  Reconnect with Your Homework. It’s really hard to balance studying for a standardized test and school. You feel like you have to pick between one or the other. Well now that your test is over, it’s time to refocus on…all the other tests. Whomp whomp. Final exams aren’t too far away. Time to get serious about your Physics class again.

Any interesting stories or concerns about you November SAT experience? Post here with your comments. Remember, no posting about actual questions, you don’t want to become an outlaw of CollegeBoard.

~Kumar

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How to Not Throw Up During Your College Interview

Posted by Kumar on November 15, 2011   |   No Comments

If you’ve already received information about setting your alumni interview up, chances are your heart is beating a little faster than usual. Your hands are trembling and you’re picturing yourself running out of that Starbucks in a hysterical fit of tears during the interview.

Okay so if that stuff wasn’t happening to you before, it is now. (Whoops, sorry!)

There are some key things that most applicants forget, assume, and stress about during interviews. After collaborating with various people who do interviews for Brown, Georgetown, UT Austin, U Penn and a few more ivory towers, this is the best advice I can give you and my students.

Tip #1: Be Prepared To Strut Your Stuff

You should know that most universities do not hand out a list of questions that the alumni have to ask during the interview. There are no rights or wrong answers. Most interviewers make up their questions and want to hear you talk. This is your chance to share with someone who knows the university, how awesome you are…not necessarily answer questions correctly.

Always bring a resume and perhaps a small portfolio to explain your work. This could be a newspaper clip that features the local dance show you organized or an abstract of that science fair project. That being said, do NOT lug in a suitcase full of last year’s English papers. Bring only what is significant. Everything should fit nicely into a manila file folder.

To avoid treading the line of arrogance, make sure to prepare questions about the school. Asking alumni about their academic experience, not just general questions about the university, underscores that you’re not just interested in yourself.

Tip #2: Know That This Interview Won’t Make or Break Your Application

Doing great on an interview feels awesome. Chances are the alum will go back and write a glorifying review about you. If you bomb the interview, you’ll just have to mope and watch re-runs of How I Met Your Mother on TV while eating Oreos out of the box.

With either scenario, you should know that the interview doesn’t play an integral part to your application for majority of the schools. The most important thing is that you don’t come off as a rude and mean candidate. College is no place for bullies (though somehow they do find their way there). If you were slightly awkward or a little nervous and the interviewer writes about it, your other qualifications can more than make up for it.  Most alumni reviews are the last thing that is looked at in the application. Alumni usually know very little about admissions, even if they boast otherwise.  Be warm and respectful to the interviewer and the conversation will just follow naturally.

~ Kumar

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