Interview Questions

Jack McDevitt

1. What are your plans for next year? Are you going to a two or four year college, or are you entering the work force or the military?

- I'm going to St. Thomas University. I plan on going there for some type of business degree for 4 plus years.

2. What do you look for in a college?

- I had a tough decision on where I wanted to go. My gut was telling me one place, and my head was pointing me in another direction. I ended up going with my gut, and what felt right. I think I made the right decision.

3. Do you and your parents look for the same things in a college, or different things?

- My parents were very supportive of whatever decision I made, and they were confident that I knew what priorities came first. They know the decision is mine, and they let me make it.

4. Who do you think plays the biggest role in your choice of schools for next year? For example, your parents or friends may influence your opinions in a certain school.

- What feels right. You're never going to know if it's right until you get there, so you have to go with your gut feeling. Money, location, parents, academics all matter, but if you go into college having a negetive feeling, it's never going to work out.

5. Are you worried that because of outside influences on your decision of picking a college, you
may not be as happy as you would if you would have made the decision completely by yourself?

- In my situation it was pretty much my own decision. My parents are paying for college, so that wasn't a factor really. They were very happy with my decision.

6. If you could change one thing about the college decision process, what would it be and why?

- I think it was very easy for the most part. My highschool counselors were telling me things that ended up not being true in colleges I was looking at. I think everyone has to get all the information they can before making a decision. I did, and it paid off a lot, I didn't have to take another year of Spanish, while the highschool counselors were telling me to.

Jenny Handke

1. Have you decided what you're doing next year?

- Yes, I'm planning on going to either The U of M twin cities, or the U of M Duluth campus for psychology or sociology.

2. What factors affect your decision?

-Location, size, major choices

3. Do you and your parents look for the same things in a college?

-In general, yes. We all want me to go to a good 4-year college that I'd enjoy myself at, can graduate in 4 years, has all the things I'm looking for (music, soccer, and of course... reputation for crazy partying. ...just kidding). The only thing I resent my parents for is not letting me apply to more out of state schools. My parents believe that education is the same no matter what big University you go to (of course all that are comparable), but I strongly believe that your experience is just as important as the education you'll be getting. I really wanted to go out of state, but my parents limited my applications to out of state schools to a maximum of two. I got into both, but neither of them have what the U has, so I'm hoping that come April 15th I'll find out that I'm admitted.

4. What is different between the things you look for in an University, and what your parents look for?

-My parents really look for in state schools because its cheaper for them. They're paying for three years so its understandable that they want me to stay in MN. Thats about it.

5. When did you start thinking about your plans for next year, and did your parents have influence over that as well?

-I started thinking about college my sophomore year, but toured and took more initiative to research junior year. My parents had a big influence on me, but we were all on the same page about timing, like touring schools and figuring out whats important to me in a college. My parents didn't have much influence on what schools I wanted to look at though, that was pretty much all me.

Rachel Raske

1. As a junior, have you started thinking about your plans following graduation?

- Yes, I started thinking about what colleges I would like to attend and what I want my major to be. I searched for schools based on my majors I was interested in.

2. Have your parents brought up anything about college yet? Do you expect them to soon?

- Yes, we've talked multiple times about what schools I am looking at, and what they think of those schools. We've also talked a little about financial aid.

3. What is your idea of a "dream" school?

- I think a bigger college that has a good program for my major would be a great school for me.

4. Do you think that idea is the same as your parents would have?

- Yes, we both have similar ideas about the type of school I want to go to and what I want to major in.

5. When do you think is the right time to start talking to your parents about college?

- I think the end of junior year is a good time to start talking about college, but considering we've already started talking about it, I think my parents and I are pretty set.

6. Does your church play a role in your decision?

- No, not especially. I'm not very involved in my church.