NAME:

FIRST ROUND QUESTIONS:

1. Where did you grow up? What do your parents do for a living? What was it like

growing up? How did that environment shape your beliefs?

2. Are you a legacy applicant at any colleges? Where did your parents attend

undergraduate and graduate school? Where did your siblings attend college? If

your siblings are younger, what high school do they attend and what year are

they?

3. What are you passionate about? What makes you tick?

4. Tell me about your three most significant extra-curricular activities or jobs - why

did you get involved with them? What did you like most about

them? Least? How have they shaped the way you think and your personality?

Give me two stories from each.

5. Relative to your classmates and peers in high school with similar backgrounds,

what makes you different from them?

6. Tell me about the most difficult obstacle or hardship you had to overcome

growing up. How did this shape your values and beliefs?

7. Give me 3 personal stories, not related to academics or extra-curricular activities,

that reveal how you think and who you are, and that are unique to you alone.

8. What’s something about you that most people don’t know?

9. Describe the two experiences that have had the greatest impact on your life.

10. Describe one academic weakness and how you overcame it.
11. How do you hope to contribute to the community of your college environment?

12. What are your two favorite books? Two favorite movies? Two favorite pieces of

music? Why?

13. What is your proudest achievement? Greatest failure?

14. Tell me about a disadvantage or a “chip on your shoulder” you had growing up.

It can be as simple as going bald in your teens and how that shaped your

personality. How did you turn that disadvantage into an advantage? How did it

shape you as a person?

15. What is your career goal? Why?

16. What do you want to major in? Why?

17. What was your favorite class in high school and why? Least favorite class?

18. If you had a bad semester or year, explain why. If the reason was "just goofing

off," explain why. If you have a downward or upward grade trend, also explain.

19. If you could go back and change one thing about your high school experience,

what would it be?

20. What type of academic environment do you thrive in? One that is theoretical and

intellectual or more of a trade school that is practical? Do you want to attend a

large school or small one? Big city or college town?

21. What unique or novel perspective do you think that you would bring to a college

seminar or discussion that your classmates would not be able to provide?

22. How would your friends describe you?

23. How would your teachers describe you?

24. How would you define success?

25. Describe one event that changed your outlook on life.

26. Where do you see yourself, both professionally and personally, in 5 years? In 10

years?

27. Describe a situation where you took a leadership role in a difficult situation, and

how did you resolve the situation?

28. What do you do for fun? What are your hobbies? Any hidden talents?

29. Describe how you plan to finance your education.

30. What are your 2 top choice schools, and why?

31. Give me 2-3 pieces of music or literature or art to which you relate and explain

why in 4-5 sentences each. No school readings.

32. Tell me about a time you were treated unfairly or discriminated against because of

your gender, views, religion, race or because you were different. How did this

make you feel and how did you respond?

33. What are two social or political issues that you feel strongly about? Why?

34. Everyone has an artistic side. What are you passionate about artistically? What do

you find elegant or beautiful? Why?

35. If you were a billionaire, what would you do with your life and free time? What

causes would you champion?

36. Tell me about an intellectually exciting idea that grabbed your attention. Why?

37. Tell me about a famous writer, philosopher, academic or intellectual that you

admire. Why?

38. Do you have any “skeletons in the closet” that need to be explained? (e.g.,

academic probation for plagiarism, misdemeanor, felony, etc.)

39. Anything else you would like to say that is unique or unusual about your

background?