Monday, May 01, 2006

We interviewed 5 students this weekend for a scholarship (ended up adding one for a second student), and I'd like to offer some tips for any readers who are applying for admission/scholarships, or have children who will do so:
1) Keep up with current events - you don't have to know the junior senator from Montana or anything, but skim a news site or magazine every so often. Or even *gasp* a daily paper.
2) Volunteer with something you're interested in - in addition to looking good on an application, it will probably give you good anecdotes for interview answers.
3) Learn how to take a position on an issue. I've never been a fan of the debate model where the important part is the persuasion, but have enough confidence to say "I think X because of A, B, and C." It's even cooler if you have enough confidence to discuss this belief with an open mind.
4) Look for something outside of school that interests you. School activities can be very important and productive (heck, I think almost everything I did was in school), but the process of going outside your normal activities to find an effort to contribute towards is what it will be like in college and later life.

Enough on that soapbox. One interesting thing I found out: apparently the Terry Schiavo case stuck in teens' heads much better than the recent Dubai ports contract.
posted by Unknown 8:30 AM | 0 comments