I need an admissions counselor counselor
February 17, 2010 9:34 PM Subscribe
What should I ask a college admissions counselor about?
I'm planning on talking to the admissions counselor of a college I'd really like to attend. What kinds of things are in an admissions counselor's purview? Will I get anywhere asking for ways to improve my chances of being accepted or am I better off mostly asking questions about the college? And either way, what are good questions that I probably won't think of myself?
This isn't part of the actual admissions process, so I'm more interested in getting useful information than in making a good impression, but I don't want to waste anybody's time either.
I'm planning on talking to the admissions counselor of a college I'd really like to attend. What kinds of things are in an admissions counselor's purview? Will I get anywhere asking for ways to improve my chances of being accepted or am I better off mostly asking questions about the college? And either way, what are good questions that I probably won't think of myself?
This isn't part of the actual admissions process, so I'm more interested in getting useful information than in making a good impression, but I don't want to waste anybody's time either.
I'd ask about what they're looking for in their applicants.
posted by ged at 9:43 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by ged at 9:43 PM on February 17, 2010
I'd focus your questions more on the college because by the time you're applying to the college, you don't have much time to radically improve your GPA or your resume. At that point, you can only try to twist what you already have to fit the personality of the school.
Perhaps you could ask the admissions counselor to point you to students at the school so you can get more detailed answers about what life really is like at the school. The counselor will probably have no problem giving that information out because most school have student tour guides that are very knowledgeable. This way, you'll get a feel of not only what the school is like, but also a feel for how already accepted students are like. You could also ask them about what helped them get into the school, which I think is probably more helpful than the admission counselor's point of view because it's coming from someone who's been in the same position you are in right now. It'd be helpful to know how you would fit in the school and how the school fits your own needs.
posted by astapasta24 at 9:56 PM on February 17, 2010
Perhaps you could ask the admissions counselor to point you to students at the school so you can get more detailed answers about what life really is like at the school. The counselor will probably have no problem giving that information out because most school have student tour guides that are very knowledgeable. This way, you'll get a feel of not only what the school is like, but also a feel for how already accepted students are like. You could also ask them about what helped them get into the school, which I think is probably more helpful than the admission counselor's point of view because it's coming from someone who's been in the same position you are in right now. It'd be helpful to know how you would fit in the school and how the school fits your own needs.
posted by astapasta24 at 9:56 PM on February 17, 2010
This is a chance for the college to gauge your interest in it, and to show off a little. Are there any topics that interest you? Ask about labs, libraries, opportunities to do research, athletic facilities... you want to look like a good fit for the school, so do a little bit of research about some facility or faculty that you would like to use or encounter, and then sit back and let the admissions officer kvell.
posted by pickypicky at 10:01 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by pickypicky at 10:01 PM on February 17, 2010
If you have two or more specific strategies you're considering for your application process (i.e., specific essay topics, projects, or people you're considering asking for recommendations), and you _really_ don't already know which would be best -- if it wouldn't be an obvious question -- _and_ if it won't make you seem too Machiavellian, you *might* ask the admissions counselor for specific advice on which course of action to pursue.
Or you might ask "What kinds of students make the best matches for this college? What kind of thing might you see in an application that tells you, 'this person is first-rate Whatever College material? What's distinct about students here, other than just being "smart" and other generalities that would apply everywhere?" This could tell you a lot about both the college itself, what they'll look for on an application, what might stand out, _and_ how to shine as a student later.
posted by amtho at 10:02 PM on February 17, 2010
Or you might ask "What kinds of students make the best matches for this college? What kind of thing might you see in an application that tells you, 'this person is first-rate Whatever College material? What's distinct about students here, other than just being "smart" and other generalities that would apply everywhere?" This could tell you a lot about both the college itself, what they'll look for on an application, what might stand out, _and_ how to shine as a student later.
posted by amtho at 10:02 PM on February 17, 2010
Best answer: Go ahead and ask them about their admission policies. I had a conversation like this with an admission counselor, and he was very forthcoming about what made my chances of being admitted higher or lower.
An administrator isn't usually the best source of information on the college as regards student life, but you could certainly ask this person about the culture of the school- are students politically active? Are athletics important? How has the college changed over the years (assuming this person has been there for a while)? Is it common for student-initiated projects or movements to create change at the school? How open are administrators to meeting with and helping students make things happen? These questions, by the way, are inspired by my own school and aspects of the experience here that are not exactly featured in the viewbook. It all comes down to what matters to you, really.
posted by MadamM at 10:03 PM on February 17, 2010
An administrator isn't usually the best source of information on the college as regards student life, but you could certainly ask this person about the culture of the school- are students politically active? Are athletics important? How has the college changed over the years (assuming this person has been there for a while)? Is it common for student-initiated projects or movements to create change at the school? How open are administrators to meeting with and helping students make things happen? These questions, by the way, are inspired by my own school and aspects of the experience here that are not exactly featured in the viewbook. It all comes down to what matters to you, really.
posted by MadamM at 10:03 PM on February 17, 2010
PS if this college happens to be a small liberal arts college in the top left corner of Massachusetts, memail me :)
posted by MadamM at 10:05 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by MadamM at 10:05 PM on February 17, 2010
Retention - how many students COME BACK each year? Important to consider.
posted by Elagabalus at 10:08 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by Elagabalus at 10:08 PM on February 17, 2010
Best answer: This question brings back way too many vivid memories of that stressful period in my life. I was kind of obsessive about talking to alums and college counselors for the schools I was interested in. Anyway...
Don't ask easy questions about whether the school is a nice place to be, are the classes small, etc. All those answers are online anyway and admissions counselors aren't really going to be up-front about any weaknesses of their school. Instead, specifically ask what the counselor thinks is unique about the school. Listen carefully to see how specific they can be in their answer. I found, especially at pretty bland-feeling schools, that the counselors really had to wrack their brains to think of something.
I would be really hesitant to ask about improving your chances in getting into the school. That could easily backfire. I found that it was best to stick to asking about opportunities that the school could offer you assuming you were accepted.
Oh, and a tip that really worked for me, but might not for you, depending on circumstances and personality, was that I was really blunt in most of my questions. I asked a nice alum from an Ivy League school who was conducting my alumni interview whether he thought that an Ivy League education actually had the benefits that everyone believes it does, based on job offers and stuff like that, or was it better to go to a state school and save your money. I don't think I've ever seen a man so surprised, but he recovered and the interview ended up going amazing. (For what it's worth, he did believe an Ivy League education was worth the cost.) He ended up writing me a great review because, I guess, no one had ever dared to ask him a question like that before, so I was pretty memorable.
Just be willing to engage the counselor and let them do most of the talking. If they are willing to go on and on about how amazing the school is, then you know that the school might actually be a good place to go to.
posted by pecknpah at 10:28 PM on February 17, 2010
Don't ask easy questions about whether the school is a nice place to be, are the classes small, etc. All those answers are online anyway and admissions counselors aren't really going to be up-front about any weaknesses of their school. Instead, specifically ask what the counselor thinks is unique about the school. Listen carefully to see how specific they can be in their answer. I found, especially at pretty bland-feeling schools, that the counselors really had to wrack their brains to think of something.
I would be really hesitant to ask about improving your chances in getting into the school. That could easily backfire. I found that it was best to stick to asking about opportunities that the school could offer you assuming you were accepted.
Oh, and a tip that really worked for me, but might not for you, depending on circumstances and personality, was that I was really blunt in most of my questions. I asked a nice alum from an Ivy League school who was conducting my alumni interview whether he thought that an Ivy League education actually had the benefits that everyone believes it does, based on job offers and stuff like that, or was it better to go to a state school and save your money. I don't think I've ever seen a man so surprised, but he recovered and the interview ended up going amazing. (For what it's worth, he did believe an Ivy League education was worth the cost.) He ended up writing me a great review because, I guess, no one had ever dared to ask him a question like that before, so I was pretty memorable.
Just be willing to engage the counselor and let them do most of the talking. If they are willing to go on and on about how amazing the school is, then you know that the school might actually be a good place to go to.
posted by pecknpah at 10:28 PM on February 17, 2010
What is the most exciting thing that has happened at school in the past 3 years?
posted by acidic at 11:21 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by acidic at 11:21 PM on February 17, 2010
Best answer: I used to work for a liberal arts college's admissions office doing interviews and reviewing applications.
I agree with everybody else—asking about ways to improve your chances is not going to make any difference, so it's better not to bring it up. In my experience, interviews are not a hugely important part of the admissions process for most undergraduate programs; they're usually used to confirm what is already clear about an applicant from their application materials, or to filter out problem applicants (i.e., people who show up to an interview stoned). Very occasionally, someone who is sort of average on paper, but shines in person, can get a boost from an interview write-up.
Admissions counselors do all sorts of things. Where I worked, each counselor was responsible for dealing with applicants from a different region of the country (or international students), and sometimes they would get to know a student from her earliest inquiries to her acceptance to the college. They were responsible for the first read-throughs of all applications from their region, and for arguing for/against certain students with the rest of the admissions committee.
Counselors are generally wildly overworked, especially around this time of year, but in my experience most of them really care about what they do and do their best to shepherd students through the admissions process. Be nice to yours!
Here are a few recommendations:
- Ask the interviewer good, probing questions about the school, especially questions that they can't just answer from a script. No need to be aggressive, but your questions should make them think—they'll respect you for it. For example, you might ask about the relationship between the college and the local community, and ways that students can get involved with local service programs. Other examples: What is the learning atmosphere of the school like? Are students encouraged to get to know professors, or do they mostly deal with TAs? How's the food?
If your counselor is an alum of the school, it doesn't hurt to ask about his or her course of study. Also, don't be shy about asking them about where they think the college has problems, if you have any concerns.
- If you are going to apply and want to leave them with a good impression, think about what the school might not know about you just from reading your application: What sort of stuff do you read in your spare time? Can you draw connections between your interests? I once interviewed a young woman whose transcript showed that she was interested in marine biology, but what I learned from speaking with her in person was that she also sculpted in her spare time. She talked at some length about how her interest in tidepools and crustacean physiology carried over to her work in sculpture. She got an awesome write-up from me.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
posted by cirripede at 11:37 PM on February 17, 2010
I agree with everybody else—asking about ways to improve your chances is not going to make any difference, so it's better not to bring it up. In my experience, interviews are not a hugely important part of the admissions process for most undergraduate programs; they're usually used to confirm what is already clear about an applicant from their application materials, or to filter out problem applicants (i.e., people who show up to an interview stoned). Very occasionally, someone who is sort of average on paper, but shines in person, can get a boost from an interview write-up.
Admissions counselors do all sorts of things. Where I worked, each counselor was responsible for dealing with applicants from a different region of the country (or international students), and sometimes they would get to know a student from her earliest inquiries to her acceptance to the college. They were responsible for the first read-throughs of all applications from their region, and for arguing for/against certain students with the rest of the admissions committee.
Counselors are generally wildly overworked, especially around this time of year, but in my experience most of them really care about what they do and do their best to shepherd students through the admissions process. Be nice to yours!
Here are a few recommendations:
- Ask the interviewer good, probing questions about the school, especially questions that they can't just answer from a script. No need to be aggressive, but your questions should make them think—they'll respect you for it. For example, you might ask about the relationship between the college and the local community, and ways that students can get involved with local service programs. Other examples: What is the learning atmosphere of the school like? Are students encouraged to get to know professors, or do they mostly deal with TAs? How's the food?
If your counselor is an alum of the school, it doesn't hurt to ask about his or her course of study. Also, don't be shy about asking them about where they think the college has problems, if you have any concerns.
- If you are going to apply and want to leave them with a good impression, think about what the school might not know about you just from reading your application: What sort of stuff do you read in your spare time? Can you draw connections between your interests? I once interviewed a young woman whose transcript showed that she was interested in marine biology, but what I learned from speaking with her in person was that she also sculpted in her spare time. She talked at some length about how her interest in tidepools and crustacean physiology carried over to her work in sculpture. She got an awesome write-up from me.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
posted by cirripede at 11:37 PM on February 17, 2010
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I personally would ask about graduation and transfer rates (want to know what's ahead, eh?) and what the housing is like and such.
posted by lhude sing cuccu at 9:36 PM on February 17, 2010