How to Prepare for School Placement Interviews
School Placement Interviews
The expatriate family life means constantly finding new schools, and often these are private schools with intense application processes, lots of paperwork and the all-important interview. Preparing for a school placement interview can be daunting, especially if you are a new parent, entering a new system (in a foreign country for instance), or applying for that “A list” school in your neighborhood. Besides being on time and dressing appropriately, there are a few things you can do to prepare for the interview. First, here are some potential questions you may be asked:
- How long is your placement for?
- Specifically why you have chosen this school to apply to?
- What are your child’s interests?
- What are your child’s strengths?
- What are your child’s weaknesses?
- If offered places, would you send all of your children here?
Be prepared for these questions with well developed answers, even if your experience differs from the typical student the school serves. It behooves you to be as honest as possible, so school administrators can effectively decide if the school is a good match for your child. Be candid about your child’s academic and extra curricular interests, strengths and weaknesses. These factors will help lead discussion on how to best integrate your child into the specific school system; for instance an elementary school child might have a learning style that would be best served by a specific teacher.
If you can, be prepared to describe the last school system your child was in, and how it differs from that of the culture you may be entering (you can find this information in Global Education ExplorerTM). This information can help admissions personnel understand your circumstances and your child’s body of prior knowledge.
Schools want families that will fit in their ethos, so make sure to do your homework and come with a few good reasons for wanting your child to attend the school. You may also come up with a few questions of your own to show interest and engagement.
Finally, if you have middle or high school students, you may want to discuss these questions with him or her before the interview. Also discuss long term academic plans to ensure the school will adequately prepare your child for life beyond high school. Remember that extracurricular activities may be very important for older students to fit in, for instance, debate might be especially important for some, while others might be passionate about athletics. These groups will give your child a way to fit in to the school community.
Above all, be confident and try to have fun.
Source: School Choice International
