Fabulous question 1:
How would you describe the student body’s personality?
Each college campus has a personality, revealed through its student body. Of course, not everyone on campus has exactly the same personality, but a student body tends to value certain qualities.
For example, some campuses are politically liberal; some are conservative. A student body might especially value the arts, or athletics or community service. This question helps you determine if you might fit in well among your potential classmates.
Fabulous question 2:
How is this school distinctive?
Each school has a unique story. In fact, most schools have
many unique stories. Maybe you’ll learn about a newly developed
internship program; maybe you’ll hear about an unusual curriculum or a special program for freshmen.
Because college administrators can’t include every extraordinary opportunity in publications or on Web sites, this question is one of the best ways to learn about them.
(Hint: If the counselor mentions a program or opportunity that interests you, make a note to follow up with an e-mail or a phone call to get more information.)
Fabulous question 3:
How many students transfer to another school during or after their first year?
This question offers a glimpse of how satisfied current students are. You obviously want to attend a school where your peers are generally happy.
Sometimes a high transfer rate indicates that students aren’t finding what they thought they’d find at the school; sometimes a high transfer rate is related to a change in curriculum or financial aid. If the transfer rate is high, ask why and listen carefully to the response.
Fabulous question 4:
How would you describe students’ relationships with professors?
I like this question better than “Who teaches undergrads.” Chances are, the admission counselor will answer this question by first telling you who teaches undergraduate courses—professors or graduate assistants.
The counselor might also tell you about opportunities for students to collaborate with professors on research. Or maybe she’ll mention that professors give out their Home phone numbers so students can reach them outside of class and office hours. You’ll have a general idea about how accessible the professors are—an important part of your college experience.
Fabulous question 5:
How do you award scholarships and financial aid?
Ah, the money question. Colleges and universities have widely different policies about scholarships. Some schools require separate applications for scholarships; some simply award scholarships based on information in a student’s application. A university might offer scholarships for specific academic programs or for artistic or athletic talent. You need to know not only how to apply for these awards, but also which qualities the scholarship committees weigh most heavily.
