tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:07:37 +0000SAT scoresreviewsintroductionUniversity of ChicagograduationnewsHarvard UniversityUS News Rankingstop 5 listscurrent interview questionsinterview preparationadmissions interview weightingfinancial aidPrincetontips and advicegenerallogisticsmanners and appearancehorror storiesinterview importancewaitlistsMITcampus visitsbad ideasnon-traditional optionsoff-topicfinding a schoolselecting a schoolin the interviewintermediate adviceadmissions counselingadmissions decisionsasking questionstestingrankingscommon interview questionsDuke Universitybasicsfavorite questionsadvanced adviceschedulingTips, advice and horror stories from the college admissions interview front lines.http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/noreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)Blogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-2708191913553814354Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:45:00 +00002011-07-14T13:45:02.394-04:00admissions decisionsnewsadmissions counselingoff-topicNow that the admissions decisions for this fall's freshman class have gone out--and many decisions off the wait list have been made--it's a good time to stand back and see what trends are emerging in college admissions. Newsweek ran a fascinating piece on this a few months ago -- full text here -- but a couple of particularly interesting trends have emerged: Home schoolers are hitting college http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/07/reading-admissions-tealeaves.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-357070090314397282Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:04:00 +00002011-07-11T10:04:29.762-04:00newsgeneraloff-topicAlready done the uber-expensive study abroad and still have cash to burn? Well... it is summer... which means one thing: Time for an over-the-top summer camp! First, let's state the obvious: Of course I'm just jealous. I mean, two weeks of sailing the Caribbean (#6)? Who wouldn't be. But just as obvious: All earlier comments on over-the-top study-abroad programs still is applicable. There is nohttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/07/another-way-to-blow-10k-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-4158513715654584523Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:28:00 +00002011-06-14T11:39:33.701-04:00generaloff-topicYes, I realize it's a lost cause, but can someone please stop the college application padding insanity? The latest: Uber-expensive abroad programs for high school students I guess if you're desperate to get into the college of your dreams, spending a month working with kids in Ghana sounds like a lot more fun than studying harder to do better in Calc. I'll grant that it's a cool life experiencehttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/06/another-way-to-blow-10k.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-8707781335323892013Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +00002011-06-02T13:45:01.058-04:00US News Rankingsrankingsgeneralfinding a schoolIt's mid-summer, and if you're a rising senior, you're probably trying to refine your college list. And if it seems like someone has a ranking of schools for pretty much everything... you're right. Why stop at the US News & World Report rankings, when you can rank your schools based on parking? Some of my favorites: Top Party Schools. Party school rankings are pretty routine now, but Playboy'shttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/06/but-were-8-for-body-painting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-5826012481394693049Wed, 25 May 2011 16:44:00 +00002011-05-25T12:44:14.786-04:00newsoff-topicEveryone likes to think that the college admissions process is a meritocracy--if you're good enough (right grades, test scores, essay, interview, etc) even a kid from the wrong part of town can end up at a Harvard or Duke. Reality, sadly, is far different. As examined in a recent NY Times piece, students from a lower- (or even middle-income) background are vastly underrepresented in the http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/05/reality-wake-up-call.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-2561433760217630406Tue, 24 May 2011 18:01:00 +00002011-05-24T14:01:11.369-04:00reviewsnewsgeneraloff-topicJust saw this release, via the SF Chronicle: For anyone who's confused about deadlines, college application rules, or any of the other details of the application process, AppliPak has what you've been looking for. A giant binder. No, really, it's a big binder. For $80. From the founder: "I saw a need for the do-it-yourselfer parents and students who feel they can get through the college http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/05/for-organizationally-challenged.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-7702768837273284262Tue, 10 May 2011 16:15:00 +00002011-05-10T12:15:00.478-04:00graduationrankingsgeneraloff-topicThere's a crazy new front that schools compete on: Who has the best commencement speaker? Why is this competition crazy? Because if you've ever been to a commencement ceremony, you know the core truths of any graduation ceremony: They're always miserably hot. Even if you're graduating from University of Maine, it'll be 85 the day of commencement. They're way too long. This is actually written inhttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/05/honorary-degree-goes-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-1654465358176109500Tue, 03 May 2011 14:36:00 +00002011-05-03T10:36:00.243-04:00newsbad ideasGet rejected by one of your top schools this month? Take consolation in the fact that you're not alone. And, most likely, your application wasn't so stunningly bad as to have made the national press--Newsweek has up an annual bad-idea application roundup. And yes, if something possessed you to write about how you hate jean shorts for your application essay, you'd better have a really good http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/05/i-no-heart-jorts-and-other-bad-ideas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-3545254624137567047Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:03:00 +00002011-04-27T14:03:00.583-04:00selecting a schoolcampus visitstips and advicefinding a schoolCongratulations -- you successfully ran the college admissions gauntlet. You now have a handful of schools that want you to join their incoming class... they've all sent you shiny information packets full of smiling students. Some sent you DVDs. Others have friended you on Facebook. All want you to come to their Admit Weekend. How do you pick? Maybe you already had a hard-and-fast ranking of http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/04/now-its-your-turn-to-pick.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-6587985844253381810Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:18:00 +00002011-04-26T14:18:00.452-04:00off-topicfinancial aidI normally don't write about financial aid, but I found this interesting: Can you negotiate your financial aid? The answer, as you may guess: Sure! Read the Q&A for details, but the basic gist is this: Don't assume anything is set in stone. Particularly for something like financial aid, which is customized for each student, there's a lot of leeway in the school to adjust the numbers to make ithttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/04/financial-aid-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-1514580501836914708Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:28:00 +00002011-04-21T12:10:12.555-04:00advanced advicewaitlistsIf it's April that means three things:  Some of you are ecstatic about having gotten into your top school  Some (statistically, more) of you are heartbroken about not getting into your top school  Some (sadly, an increasing number) are being kept awake all night trying to figure out how to move yourself from the waitlist to the accept pile First, a little inside perspective: Waitlists are a http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2011/04/pushing-yourself-over-hill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-7745698416582038641Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:19:00 +00002009-12-21T16:19:59.193-05:00top 5 listsIf you've thought more than 10 seconds about your college admissions interview, you're ready for the basic questions--why do you want to go to our school, what leadership activities have you done, etc. (If you're not, try here). But what about those questions that everyone dreads--what about the curveball questions? You know, the annoying ones that seem designed solely to make you look dumb ("http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/12/top-5-curveball-questions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-5808412356172454714Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:50:00 +00002009-12-21T15:48:22.741-05:00advanced adviceadmissions decisionswaitlistsSlightly off from our normal topics, but since early decision announcements are coming out now it's top-of-mind for a lot of folks: What can you do if you're waitlisted? Really, not much. Most schools use an early-decision waitlist as a tool to hedge with--if someone's good, but not so good that they'd automatically get in no matter what (which is most applicants), they go onto the waitlist. http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/12/waitlisted.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-3536699683581456923Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:12:00 +00002009-12-17T15:51:27.710-05:00interview preparationHarvard Universitycurrent interview questionsWe're still in the thick of college interview season as we head into the holidays and interview questions are still flowing in. Below is an early report on questions applicants are getting from their Harvard University interviewers. Questions for other schools is here. ---CJ Harvard University Like other schools we've looked at so far, Harvard lets its alumni interviewers ask whatever they want,http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/12/current-interview-questions-harvard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-481293229480999371Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:28:00 +00002009-12-09T19:32:37.642-05:00interview preparationin the interviewfavorite questionsPart of an on-going series of favorite interview questions you'll run into during your college admissions interview --CJ Question: What do you do for fun? (Alts: What hobbies do you have? What do you like doing in your spare time? What do you do to unwind?) Background/Why You're Being Asked: For some reason--maybe because asking about what you do for fun seems a little too casual for a collegehttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/12/favorite-questions-what-do-you-do-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-698920961711070390Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:32:00 +00002009-12-01T21:39:24.591-05:00introductionbasicsI'll be taking the rest of the week off to celebrate Thanksgiving---but, since I know that many of you will be finishing essays, prepping for college interviews, and in general otherwise doing college application stuff, I wanted to give you a recommended reading list of past posts for this blog. Obviously, everything I've written is CRITICAL to your successful interview. Just... some posts are http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/11/happy-thanksgiving.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-3612945606729262538Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:48:00 +00002009-11-24T09:38:37.402-05:00interview preparationintermediate advicein the interviewtips and adviceWe're getting into the thick of college interview season---soon, coffee shops all across the country will be hosting awkward conversations about Faulkner between well-intentioned-40-somethings and petrified high school students. (An aside: If you're the overachieving type and want to get comfortable with what a college interview looks like before sitting down for yours, spend an afternoon at yourhttp://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/11/be-proactive.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-5331892703768588300Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:48:00 +00002009-11-18T11:08:29.832-05:00manners and appearancelogisticsbasicshorror storiesschedulingFrom an email I received a few seasons ago: CJ --- I'd love to meet you to talk about your school and find out more about whether it's a good fit for me or not. However, it's going to take me about 30 minutes to drive to your meeting location. Is there any way that we could meet somewhere closer to me? If not, this month is really tough for me -- I'm on the swim team that meets every morning http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/11/when-opportunity-calls-or-emails.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-2688879627780779482Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:15:00 +00002009-11-18T11:09:28.815-05:00bad ideastop 5 listsSo it's now pretty much required that if you apply to a school, you give them an email address at which they can contact you. And guaranteed, every year at least one person I interview doesn't make the "wait, someone is going to actually USE this email address to contact me if I enter it on my application" connection. Hilarity ensues. Below are my favorite email addresses of all time (and yes, http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/11/top-5-worst-email-addresses-ever.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-708445595723490542Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:32:00 +00002009-11-10T10:52:14.079-05:00Duke Universityinterview preparationcurrent interview questionsWe're in the thick of college interview season (for Early Admit/Decision at least) and interview questions are starting to trickle in. Below is from an interviewer at Duke University who shot us his favorite questions. Questions for other schools is here. ---CJ Duke University Official description of the Duke interview is here. Like with other top-tier schools, the school states that their http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/11/current-interview-questions-duke.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-8669399048448944743Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:32:00 +00002009-11-04T18:14:38.101-05:00University of Chicagointerview preparationcurrent interview questionsFollowing up on the Princeton and MIT posts, I've had some feedback on interviewing at the University of Chicago that I wanted to put out there. Good luck! ---CJ University of Chicago Basic information about interviewing for the undergraduate college at the University of Chicago is here. Unlike many universities, Chicago actually offers on-campus interviews as well as interviews with local http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/11/current-interview-questions-university.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-6320018725728492827Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:46:00 +00002009-11-04T18:13:41.103-05:00in the interviewfavorite questionsbasicsPart of an on-going series of favorite interview questions you'll run into during your college admissions interview --CJ Question: What do you plan on majoring in in college? (Alts: What do you hope to study? What department are you most interested in? What do you plan to pursue in school?) Background/Why You're Being Asked: Like the "Why School X?" question we've already covered, you're http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/10/favorite-questions-whats-your-future.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-8794610085804293312Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:46:00 +00002009-10-25T18:46:00.242-04:00Gotten interviewed lately? Tell us about it! Shoot me an email (info@soootellmeaboutyourself.com) and tell me about your experience--questions you got, things that went well, things that went....not so well, whatever you want to share. I'm compiling questions asked in interviews this season (see the Princeton and MIT sample questions here and here) by school and will continue publishing them http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/10/reminder-call-for-questions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-2756715145785195756Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:23:00 +00002009-10-22T21:23:00.917-04:00manners and appearanceintermediate advicein the interviewhorror stories"Hey, great to meet you," I said, shaking the young man's hand. "Thanks." "So, did you find the place OK?" "Yeah, I did." "Must be a busy time of year for you, huh?" "I suppose." "Okaaay... well, let's get rolling with your interview then...."  So much for building rapport.... Advice First, let me state emphatically that no-one ever got denied acceptance to a college (probably) for not being http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/10/so-some-weather-weve-been-having-huh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7482007627535624470.post-9029552956578746117Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +00002009-10-15T21:03:32.325-04:00interview preparationfavorite questionscommon interview questionsbasicsPart of an on-going series of favorite interview questions you'll run into during your college admissions interview --CJ Question: Why do you want to go to [the university you're interviewing for]? (Alts: "Why are you applying to my school?" "Why are you interested in my school?" "What about my school got you interested in it?") Background/Why You're Being Asked: If you've been following any http://www.soootellmeaboutyourself.com/2009/10/favorite-questions-why-school-x.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caffeine Junkie)0