<p>Hey, all. Former scholar, and probably the tour guide for some of you here. My identity is not exactly well hidden.
Just thought I’d log on to answer some questions, concerns, etc, now that all the interviews are over.</p>
<p>First off, they do keep the genders even. It usually ends up happening by itself, as far as I know, but if the top 39 students wasn’t an even break-down, I think they would have to skew it for dorming reasons. Your tour guides probably mentioned that the one house is split guy/girl by level, with the same number of rooms on both floors.</p>
<p>About the decisions, yeah, it’s frustrating. But the way they judge the interviews, which I won’t describe in detail because I’m probably not supposed to, judges everyone as independently as possible and then compares to find the best group. They literally will spend the next day arguing about it, after which the letters will be sent out immediately. Seriously, as someone who has spent the last three months waiting for a result even more arbitrary and impersonal, count your blessings, cuz you’ll have to be in my shoes next year. </p>
<p>About group sizes, there were 6 in pretty much everyone’s interview, plus or minus one, if everyone showed up. </p>
<p>Penguin8, I suggest to not worry too much about that. Oftentimes, it seems much worse to the person in the interview that it really was. My own interview, I was certain I didn’t say half enough of what I should have, and that the conversation had been dominated by another student. The moderators won’t interfere because one of the things they look for is an ability to restrain oneself when needed and to make oneself be heard when that is needed. Showing respect to someone who did not reciprocate, especially since it seems obvious your son had a lot to say, could only reflect well on him. Not only that, but the fact that he got to talk infrequently most probably meant that when he did get to speak, his words had more meaning and more thought behind him. If anything, I’m sorry that your son didn’t enjoy his interview the way so many others had. </p>
<p>Star, you seem a little concerned that this kid outshone you. Don’t worry about that. Again, it is just as common that they take multiple kids from a group, or even the entire interview group, as one person. You’ve probably heard that already, but it’s true. It sounds to me like you had a good group, and the fact that you wanted to keep talking about it is only a good sign. </p>
<p>To everyone, good luck! You’ve all seen just how excited previous scholars were just to be on campus, and how close we were to each other, and we are just as excited to meet the next generation of NJSPers. Honestly, there were people that I toured that I wanted to walk up to the program director and say, “So-and-so HAS to get in.” just after seeing their reaction. I didn’t and wouldn’t, because it’s not my place to do so, but literally everyone involved in the program, from the kids, to the instructors, to the trustees, are that passionate about it. To those who will get in, congratulations; to those that don’t, it’s not a statement about your worth. With a program this small, it’s all about fit and the overwhelming pressure of not being able to accept as many kids as they would like.</p>
I can’t stop thinking about what an amazing opportunity this would be!!!</p>