Etiquettes for Acing Interviews in Private School Admissions

Posted by albertareid on March 31st, 2012

Private school admissions are not that easy and in order to be successfully enrolled in such a school you will have to go through the admissions process which includes an interview. Charter school admissions, on the other hand, do not involve any interviews or screening process because such schools are types of public schools only. For many people, the admission interview is quite a nerve-racking experience because a lot rides on it and they want to make the best possible impression on the interviewer so that the odds of getting successfully admitted would be high.

When it comes to interviews related to private school admissions, the foremost tip is to always be on time as punctuality has its own importance. This may seem like a no-brainer but most people actually end up offending the interviewer because they fail to reach on time. Just like charter school admissions, you have to make a good impression in this one too, especially during the interview, therefore if you are late then just apologize courteously and don’t bring any further attention to this matter. Since the act of coming late for the interview suggests that the candidate is discourteous it should be avoided.

During private school admissions, interview is actually the make-or-break factor and hence you should prepare yourself well beforehand. In case of charter school admissions there are no interviews, so you would be saved from this ordeal. However there is no escaping from this for people who applied in a private school. The duration of the interview is generally twenty minutes, but at times this can stretch till half an hour also. You should ensure that you have a good idea of the school so that you can give thoughtful answers to questions asked and score brownie points from the interviewer.

In interviews for private school admissions, you would also be asked about yourself. So you can practice answering this question or a variation of this question. At least speak for five minutes about yourself, include basic information in this answer and pick up some interesting facts about yourself and sew the answer with these. When you go for charter school admissions, you could do so in your casual attire but for the interview in the private school, you should wear semi-formal attire because the occasion calls for it. Also, ensure that you are on your best social behavior as far as posture and language is concerned.

Irrespective of whether it is charter school admissions or private school admissions, neither the parents nor the pupils should be arrogant and try to throw their influence around in order to seek guaranteed admission. This is a very offensive act and it should be avoided at all costs and instead learning to respect the school as also the people working in it goes a long way. Also, don’t make the mistake of bringing beverage or food into the meeting since it is not polite. Whenever you are addressing people, don’t directly use the first names and instead resort to an appropriate prefix like ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir’.

Interviews for private school admissions usually end in a smile and a polite handshake. This much is necessary and appropriate and do not go overboard by hugging the interviewer, even if the interview went exceptionally well. In case of charter school admissions parents do not have to write any thank you notes but after their interviews with the school staff, parents should go the old fashioned way and write a handwritten thank you note which is to be posted to the school. This kind of social touch is appreciated in most of the private schools, so chances are they would acknowledge.

Appearing for an interview as a part of private school admissions calls for cognizance of certain etiquettes. Although these are not mandatory in case of charter school admissions being aware of them is definitely a plus point.