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Preparing for a Boarding School Interview?

Here’s a list of the top 10 questions most frequently asked during boarding school interviews. Proper preparation can help you ace your entrance interview. Let’s get started!

Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

We rounded up some of our favorite boarding school students and asked them what they remembered from their entrance interviews. Use this list and our helpful admission tips to put yourself in position to nail your boarding school interview. Though each school has its own criteria, there are a few questions you can expect walking into any interview. Here are the top 10 boarding school interview questions.

Why are you pursuing a boarding school education?
Schools are going to be curious about what you’re looking to get out of a boarding education. Be prepared to explain how you think their particular school will enable you to achieve your goals.
What is the most important thing you can learn in school?
You may want to think outside the box about this one. Yes, academics are critical to educational success, but what else? How can boarding school prepare you, completely, for future success?
What is your current school like? What do you like about it and what would you change?
Showing that you’re invested in your education, wherever it is, demonstrates the kind of dedication for which boarding schools are looking. Be honest and let them know what you value.
Describe your personal strengths and weaknesses.
This is a question you’ll hear time and time again throughout your adult life. From boarding schools to potential employers, people are always curious about your levels of self-awareness.
Are you involved with extracurricular activities?
Chances are, if you’re pursuing boarding school, you’re an active and engaged individual! From athletics and the arts to more niche hobbies, it’s important to show how you spend your time and that you’re skilled at managing it.
Tell us about an accomplishment that has made you feel especially proud.
This can certainly be academic-related, but it doesn’t have to be. Perhaps you’ve coordinated a fundraising or volunteer effort, written your own music, or helped a family member in need—the important thing here is passion.
Tell us about a time where you’ve demonstrated leadership.
Again, this is a great opportunity to showcase how you are able to take initiative whether in the classroom, on the field, or in a lab. Boarding school is a place where leaders are created, show them your potential.
What do you think you might study in college?
You may not know, and that’s okay. This question is more to show that you’ve at least considered what your future may look like and what might like to learn. Don’t dwell on the details, but be sure to have some aspirations to share.
Tell us about your family and personal life.
Just as important as your education and future goals, boarding schools want to see a well-rounded person who values community. This is a chance to show your personality and talk about people and places that are important to you.
What questions do you have for us?
And you better have some! This will show that you’ve done the research and have a point-of-view about your educational future. They will want to see that you have your own criteria for success.

As you read through these and begin to brainstorm, remember, there is no right or wrong answer to any of these. Rather, focus on how your responses can highlight all of the aspects of your personality and habits that make you a prime candidate for their school.

Whether you’re interviewing for a school soon or just starting to explore your options, we’re dedicated to helping you find the right boarding school. Visit us at readyformore.com/students to learn more.

What’s The Best Boarding School?

The best boarding school for your child is the school where they feel the most at home.

At least once a week, we get a request to rank our schools. Where does school X fall on the list? What about school Y?

We always answer, “Please ignore private school rankings.” Why? Because rankings are simply inaccurate. They can never capture and convey the nuances that make each boarding school unique.

A number of private schools place high numbers of students in competitive colleges and benefit from large endowments. However, the idea of ranking independent schools from the best to the worst completely misses the bigger picture – which is the school that is the best fit for your child.

Things to Consider Instead:

Think about and determine the kind of environment where your child will thrive. What types of academic programs, learning support, athletics or activities does your student need?
What is their passion? Which school can offer in-depth exposure on that topic and propel your child in a way that his/her current school simply can’t do? Where do they feel they can thrive with just a bit more time and attention from interested teachers?
Compose a list of questions that you want to ask at each school you visit. Often campus visits and interviews can be lively, with lots of information coming your way. A written list will help you remember the things you want to ask about, and then you’re able to compare answers across several school visits.
Develop a list of wants and needs, but keep your minds open to other possibilities you haven’t even thought of. Every school has programming that is specific to them and makes that educational experience unique. It might be the kind of campus the school has, or the balance of international and domestic students.
Visit all the school websites of schools you like. Check out their social media pages to better understand a day in the life of students at each school and the tenor and tone each school presents.
Visit several boarding school campuses and ask the admissions officers all the questions you have. Ask multiple people at each campus the same question to understand how answers align or vary. Some questions you might consider asking are:
1. What kinds of students go to this school?
2. Does a student like mine do well here?
3. What kinds of kids don’t succeed here?
4. What support systems are in place in case my child needs help early on or throughout their years here?
5. How involved can I be as a parent throughout their years here?
6. What makes this school so special?
7. What do alumni of this school say about their experiences here?
A school application is used for many reasons, one of the most important being fit. Is this school a good match for my son or daughter? Does this school fit our child’s abilities and provide what he/she needs to be successful not just now, but in college and in life.

So, at the end of the day, school rankings have little influence regarding the fit you and your child will feel on different campuses. The most important thing is digging deeply to determine – to your best ability – if a school fits your child’s needs and wants and provides the environment where he/she will thrive.