l            Why are you considering this college?

l            How did you come to include us among your choices?

l            What makes you think this college and you are right for each other?

l            Where else are you applying and why?

l            Which is your first choice?  (Don’t answer if you are not sure. If you are at the school you think is your first choice, then confirm that - but never give another name  Wesleyan doesn’t want to hear “Vassar ”)

l            What do you hope to major in? Why?

l            What are your plans for the future?  What do you expect to be doing ten years from now?

l            What have you liked or disliked about your high school?

l            If you were the Head of your school, what would you change?

l            What would you like to tell us about yourself?

l            What newspapers and magazines do you read? How often?

l            What books not required by your courses have you read recently?

l            What TV shows do you watch?

l            Tell us about your family.

l            How do you spend a typical afternoon after school? Evening? Weekend?

l            What extracurricular activities have you found most satisfying?

l            What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

l            Do you have any heroes, contemporary or historical?

l            How would your best friend describe you?

l            If you could talk with any one living person, whom would it be and why?

l            How do you feel about: the nuclear freeze, nuclear power, use of drugs and alcohol, advertising, gun control, the election?

l            What events have been crucial in your life?

l            What is the most significant contribution you’ve made to your school or community?

l            What is the most important thing you have learned in high school?

l            What do you consider to be your strongest majors or departments: What are the most popular majors?

l            What are other distinctive majors or programs, or other programs, off-campus (ie: study abroad, internships, Washington semester, etc )?

l            What are your admissions criteria? (ie: how much weight is given to courses and grades, test scores, activities, essays, the interview, etc ?)

l            How many (# and %) freshmen return for the sophomore year?

l            What is your policy concerning the granting of credit and advanced standing for AP tests?

l            What are some of your “overlap” colleges (other institutions which your applicants also consider)?        

l            Explain the freshman advising system.

l            What percentage of students lives in campus housing? Describe the various types of residence halls.

l            What percentage of your students continues on to graduate or professional schools?

l            What do students do on weekends?

l            Do you have “no-need” or merit-based scholarships? What kind of student would be competitive for such scholarships?

l            Is it possible to return for an overnight visit on campus and/or visit classes?

l            How are these arrangements made?

l            What role does the personal interview, or alumni interview, play in your admissions decisions?

l            How important are extracurricular activities in the admissions process? How important is community service to you?

l            Many people get to attend exciting summer programs and travel, but I have to work; will that work against me when I apply?

l            What is your financial aid policy? Do you package preferentially? Is there a chance that I will be admitted, but denied aid?

l            How are you able to distinguish between the variety of transcripts you see?  How can you tell the difference in grading policies?

l            Do you make admissions decisions based on perceived level of interest, and how do you assess that? What kinds of things can I do to make sure you know the level of my interest?

l            If I am submitting tapes of my acting/music, is that allowed? Should they be sent to a specific professor to review first?

l            What’s the one thing students say they wish they knew about this college before they enrolled?