It’s that time of the year when schools start preparing students for their transition to High School. When students look back at their overall grades and start looking around for extra help to give them the push and motivation to improve their grades, and parents are helter-skelter finding out from acquaintances and seniors of what kind of questions will be asked a) to the students; b) to the parents.
But before the parents and students stress themselves out any further, it would be only wise to think through as to what is the purpose of interviewing at the High School Level? What does a school achieve by interviewing the parents and students? Understanding the purpose allows the parents and students to review their answers and the approach they can or may take. Further, down we can then list the top 20 questions asked during an interview:
Purpose of the Interview:
1. The primary objective is to assess whether a student is a good fit for the school, by interviewing the parents and the student, this is usually done by overseeing the academics, extra-curricular activities, behavioral reports, sporting nature of the student or by gauging the sheer dedication of students towards their studies.
2. To know whether the school can cater towards the students needs and wants. If the student requires special care or extra help, does the school provide a same SEN qualified teachers; or if a student is extremely sporty, does the school have the facilities to facilitate in the child’s growth?
3. Understand and get to know the student beyond just the academic reports and find more about the student’s hobbies and interests
4. The parents also believe this platform comfortable in getting acquainted with the school administration and teachers to know more about the school
5. Similarly, the school administration gets a chance to interact with parents and students to explain how they function and what their rules and policies are like
Even though each school is different and might have a different procedure and systems in place, yet there are some common questions that each school is interested to find out more from. Here is a list of some of the commonly asked questions:
1. Tell us something about yourself? Or Describe yourself. Tell us something about your family.
2. What are you looking for in a school? Qualities, facilities, environment.
3. What made you apply here? Why did you enroll in this school?
4. What current events and topics/ headlines are you following these days? Questions related to current affairs
5. What are your activities and hobbies like outside of school? Any interests that you follow through passionately?
6. Do you read? What do you read outside school textbooks?
7. What value will you add to this school? What skills can we benefit from if we enroll you? (this is like a trick question, to allow students to reflect more on their strengths and weaknesses and how the schools environment will help hone their skill sets)
8. Tell us about your favorite subjects and why?
9. Something about your least favorite subjects and why? What are your views on formal education?
10. What are your goals in life? What do you aspire to become once you leave high school?
11. Do you have a role model? A mentor? Who?
12. If you were to meet one influencing personality from history or any walk of life, whom would that be? And why?
13. Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? Career path, academic path, or even personal?
14. Do you feel/ think you have any leadership skills? Do you currently hold any leadership role in your current school? Do you want to in the future?
15. Are you a team player? Are you involved in sports? Or any societies or clubs?
16. What are your views on art? Culture/ religion/ anthropology? Do you play any instruments? Have you ever tried to play any instruments? If you did and you left it, then why did you leave it?
17. Do you write? Do you have a personal journal/ diary?
18. Are you involves in any community or CSR projects/ activities? Does community work interest you? Do you think if helps society or people benefit from it?
19. Tell us something about your friends? Who are they? Are they mostly from school or outside school? Are they your age or older than you?
20. Have you ever had a fight or a conflict with a teacher, coach or a mentor or friend? How did you handle the situation?
It is also the parent’s responsibility to prep their child to stay calm and collected and to answer questions smartly and with full sentences. Also, encourage students to ask questions related to the school, so they too are equally comfortable about joining a particular school as opposed to just the school questioning the student and parents.
