We’ve discussed the parent interview part of the NYC private schools admissions process, and now we need to focus on the child interviews. For smaller children there is a school visit and observation, but for older child applicants applying to middle and high schools there will be an additional interview between them and the school.
In general, formal interviews are reserved for students entering sixth grade and up, so you don’t need to worry about your 4th grader discussing Hanna Montana during the interview. The interview is not necessarily done in an office; it can occur during a walk around campus, a session in the admissions office, and either with or without parents.
Just like with the parent interview, the child interview as another tool to help the school get a sense of who your child is and if the school is a good fit for them. Ideally, it’s less like an interrogation and more like a conversation, which is why the student should avoid giving yes and no answers.
You will want to sit down with your child before hand to explain what the interview is and talk to them about how to answer questions. A nervous child may resort to head nodding or one word, clipped answers, which is what you want to avoid. Explain to them that the school wants to learn about them, and that is impossible unless they open up and talk about what they want.
Before we start discussing specific question and some helpful hints on answering them, talk some time to think about how your child reacts to questions from authority figures and think of a strategy to help them focus on what is needed in the interview. For example: Do they ramble? Focusing is needed. Do they clam up? Practiced answers will be helpful.
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