Hi @andypan - I don’t want to state personal facts about kiddo, but I will share some general information about what seemed to work well during the interview round:
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Be interested and be interesting
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Highly recommend you practice answering some basic questions any student should anticipate to be thrown at them during an interview.
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Be prepared to explain clearly why you want to attend boarding school, and (also) why their boarding school.
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It was our kiddo’s idea to go the BS and was self-motivated to apply. It seemed that maybe sometimes interviewers want to make sure it’s the student’s idea - rather than something that the parents want.
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Do share your knowledge about their school - so do homework on the school’s history and current news about the school.
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Prepare in advance questions you would like to ask the AO about the admissions process, the school, programs…BUT don’t ask questions that are so basic that it would make you sound like you never read up on the school. Be prepared to discuss your interests and how that school is a great fit for you.
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Present yourself as a student who is happy, verbally engaging, polite, and sociable.
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Dress neatly and be well groomed for your interview. I know some people will jump on me for stating that - but it does look like you don’t care if you show up in plaid pj bottoms, fuzzy slides and a (well known NYC prep school) sweatshirt to your interview (yes, witnessed that). You don’t have to dress up or wear a coat & tie IMHO - I know that there are some schools that have a more formal dress code and you might want to look like you blend in that day, but you don’t have to.
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Don’t wait until the actual day of your interview or visit to campus to make arrangements to meet a coach or performing arts program director. Make those arrangements in advance. If you have a special interest (robotics, dance, model UN, computer science), you might be able to arrange a visit to their lab, studio, or meet up with a student who participates in that activity.
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Kiddo came prepared with the visual arts portfolio (photography, photos of paintings & art installations at a local art fair) in a binder and a short highlight video (30 seconds) from each sport, as well as the performing arts. We know other students who came with their visual arts portfolio, but it is not really necessary - it just was a nice conversation piece. Some other athletes we know came with screen shots of their rankings or Huddle stats (if they had them).
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At several schools, Kiddo was asked questions about family life (are your parents married? What do you do as a family on the weekends? What does your mom make for dinner (that was a loaded question)? How will you feel about being so far away from home and friends? How did you first become interested in attending boarding school? What are your siblings like?….
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Keep in mind that most AO’s are looking to build a community of their classes. Think about how you would or would not fit into that community.