very much needed for selective colleges!
For any US boarding schools, accepting the student without admissions interview is unthinkable, irresponsible, and will create a negative impact for the students and parents. In many cases, interview a Chinese student for boarding schools is beyond necessary especially the Chinese students are not introduced to the boarding schools by counselors. There are many stories that I have heard from US boarding schools such as they thought they are accepting a girl from china and then end up enrolling a boy from china under the same name. Admissions interview for college students is a little bit different because the focus is not like boarding schools interview which is verifying how much that student knows about that particular boarding school. Colleges wants to prefer language proficiency and his or her academic crediantials. Most importantly, college admissions will gain perspectives about the student’s character, personality, and other personal qualities through admissions interview. It is true only very selective colleges will require admission interview and due to the nature of international admissions many highly selective schools only recommend interviews, does not require admission interview. Admission interview are recommended only because the colleges are taking into the consideration of the physical distance and communication barriers for international students. And graduate students from china normally are not required for admissions interview. So let’s talk about what impact the admission interview will have for all three types of Chinese students.
Regardless of whether the interview is required or recommended, it is in the Chinese students best interest to use such opportunity to benefit themselves. Not all Chinese students will be benefited from admissions interview. Why? Because if they’re not prepared, did not to their homework, do not have interview skills, accepting admissions interview will not be advantage to those students. Now who is the right student for admission interview? To name a few: well-prepared students, trained students, and students who have the courage to communicate and promote themselves. The positive impact of having admissions interview for boarding school students will change everything. Regardless the student’s TOEFL score is between 80 or 90 or even 100, a successful interview will put the students in front of their admissions director for convictions and strong interest of commitment. A successful admissions interview for college admissions for highly selective colleges will put the Chinese student ahead of everyone else simply because the majority of the Chinese students simply choose not to have a interview. The difference between asking for interview and receive interview is huge. If interview is recommended, not required, then the student must ask for the interview. If the interview is required, then the student must receive the interview. Ask for the interview will deferentiate the student and if the student knows how to conduct the interview with interview skills, then the student will gain addition advantages and top of the resumes and test scores. For graduate students, talking directly to university faculty not only by email but by Skype will put the student ahead of their competitors if the student knows how to deliver persuasive communication with the faculty. In general, admissions interview are used for one purpose which is to promoting the student and provide opportunity for the school to learn more about the student at the same time. The students may conduct a successful admissions interview which ultimately provide benefits for admission results. But if the students did not deliver a successful interview, that student will be disadvantaged at the same time for admission results. Just like any other tools that the students are afraid to chose and make their decision on how to use them. Without training and prep, the majority of Chinese students would not gain advantages through admission interview. But it is a wonderful tool if Chinese students are willing to compete and willing to accept the challenges. Ivy counselor’s office will ask admission interviews for Chinese students and will help the Chinese students to satisfy admissions interview requirements for a particular school. Either way, the Chinese student must receive training to understand what messages to deliver, how to handle a conversation, and being persuasive with honesty and truth.
There’s a lot of homework for Chinese students before their admissions interview such as learning the person who are ultimately responsible for conducting the admissions interview, and have a good understanding about their application in details. If the Chinese students chose to use Chinese agencies to submit their application, most likely their admission interview will not be successful. If the student is working with US counselors for admission interview, then the student will successfully deliver admissions interview and avoid possible negative impact on their admissions result. For those students who are very competitive, possess high self-esteem, and willing to take on challenges, they are the right students to work with a US counselor and in the position to take advantages of the admission interview opportunity. Those students will ultimately set themselves apart from the other competitors with an admission interview whether it is required or recommended.
