How to ask good questions during information sessions

admissions coaching College information sessions

So you’ve signed up for an information session – now what? One of the only times applicants can make an impression with admissions counselors in these sessions is during the Q&A. It can be challenging to figure out just what you should ask. What will make a good impression? A bad impression? In that light, here are a few tips to help prepare you to ask the right questions to get the information you need and leave the best impression.

Do:

  • Come prepared beforehand with a list of questions
  • Review the website to get a sense for what the school values and highlights
  • Pay attention to the backgrounds of student speakers for natural follow-up questions
  • Prioritize your questions on what matters most to you

Don’t:

  • Ask questions that are easily found on the website or that have been answered during the presentation
  • Focus on logistical / operational questions – those can be sent over email

And the most important DO: be genuine.

It’s so easy to focus on everything you need to do to sell yourself to the school but remember that they need to sell themselves to you too. This is your chance to learn if this school is the right place for you to spend the next few years of your life. Take it, find what matters most to you, and see if the school can help shape who you want to be. Good luck, and we hope you find the best fit for you!

Camille attended UChicago to earn her BA in Psychology and Economics. She's currently pursuing a dual Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business.

Comments

topicTopics
academics study skills medical school admissions MCAT SAT college admissions expository writing strategy English writing MD/PhD admissions LSAT physics GMAT GRE chemistry academic advice graduate admissions biology math interview prep law school admissions ACT language learning test anxiety personal statements premed career advice MBA admissions test prep AP exams homework help creative writing MD study schedules mathematics computer science Common Application history research summer activities secondary applications philosophy organic chemistry economics supplements admissions coaching dental admissions 1L grammar statistics & probability PSAT psychology law legal studies ESL reading comprehension CARS PhD admissions SSAT calculus covid-19 logic games engineering USMLE admissions advice medical school mentorship Latin Spanish biochemistry parents AMCAS English literature case coaching verbal reasoning DAT STEM adjusting to college dental school excel genetics political science skills French Linguistics MBA coursework Tutoring Approaches academic integrity astrophysics chinese classics freewriting gap year letters of recommendation mechanical engineering technical interviews units Anki DO Social Advocacy algebra amino acids art history artificial intelligence business careers cell biology cold emails data science diversity statement finance first generation student geometry graphing kinematics linear algebra mental health pre-dental presentations quantitative reasoning revising software engineering study abroad tech industry time management work and activities writer's block 2L AAMC DMD IB exams ISEE Japanese MD/PhD programs MMI Sentence Correction algorithms analysis essay argumentative writing athletics business skills executive function fellowships functions genomics infinite information sessions international students internships logic networking office hours outlining poetry proofs reading recommendations research fit resume scholarships science social sciences statement of purpose trigonometry 3L ADHD Academic Interest ChatGPT EMT FlexMed Fourier Series Greek Health Professional Shortage Area Italian JD/MBA admissions Lagrange multipliers London MD vs PhD Montessori National Health Service Corps Pythagorean Theorem Python Shakespeare Step 2 TMDSAS Taylor Series Truss Analysis Zoom acids and bases active learning architecture art art and design schools art portfolios bacteriology bibliographies biomedicine boarding school brain teaser burnout campus visits cantonese capacitors capital markets central limit theorem centrifugal force chem/phys chemical engineering chess chromatography class participation climate change clinical experience community service competitions constitutional law consulting cover letters creative nonfiction curriculum dementia demonstrated interest dimensional analysis distance learning econometrics electric engineering electricity and magnetism embryology entropy escape velocity evolution extracurriculars fundraising harmonics health policy history of medicine history of science hybrid vehicles hydrophobic effect ideal gas law immunology induction infinite series