DAHLIA, Thank you for posting! When asking questions, it's important to consider what you are going to do with the answer to that question. Further, making sure it's stated in a positive way! Given that, do you see any questions you ask that could be framed more positively?
Dr. Jean Norris
Some of the questions that I ask are:
1.What is your interest in this program?
2. This is a tedious program, are you up to the challenges that it brings?
3.What makes you believe that this is the ideal program for you?
4.Do you have children, what are their ages and do you have reliable childcare available for them for the duration of the program?
5.Have you informed your family and support system about your interest in pursuing your education and are they supportive and in agreement with your decision?
6. Are you financially able to afford this program especially because we do not provide nor accept financial aid?
7. Are you able to become a full time or part time student?
8.Are you able to accommodate the class and program schedules?
9. What is your plan upon completion of this program?
10. Do you have all the requirements needed to enroll and to complete this program?
The answers given will determine how the admission staff and the prospective student will proceed. These questions will give an insight into the students mindset and also allow the staff to listen attentively to the student, ask relevant and important questions and assist the student in creation possible solutions to problems that they have been found and also to determine if the student is a potential candidate for the program in which they choose to enroll.
I like to start by asking them about how they are today as I am accessing information on the career or college program they are interested in. At my school, it is more of a telephone interview as a first step to enroll. The best part of this is that the rapport building is absolutely essential in the conversation. Student-prospects can tell if you are genuinely engaging them or if you are distracted on the phone. Just as an on-campus visit, they can "hear your smile." I like to ask them about what kind of experiences they had in the past regarding education and the prospect seems very receptive to it.
Amanda, That question is a nice open-ended, exploring question. After hearing the student answer, what would be your next question?
Elizabeth Wheeler
My favorite question to ask prospective students is "What made you come in for your appointment today."
Elizabeth, Thank you for sharing in the forum! Inquiring about past experiences is a great way to get to know a student's environment.
Dr. Jean Norris
I also like to ask prospective students to tell me about themselves. I especially find this helpful if the student is transferring from another institution. Reflecting on previous educational enviornment(s) helps the student to determine if our environment is one in which they might succeed (is our institution a good fit for them).
What are you currently doing now? What does your day look like now? How did you become interested in xyz program? How do you feel becoming a "XYZ" will help you in your future goals? Who knows you are here today and is supporting your decision?
Noemi,
These seem like "safe" enough questions to get the ball rolling. Have you ever had a negative response to the travel question or someone actually was having a bad day? What do you do then?
Dr. Jean Norris
My favorite questions to begin with are general questions that might break the ice like "How was your traveling time/ drive?" "How is your day going?" These questions get the dialog going. Once we have become a little more comfortable, I like to ask questions like "How did you hear about our program?" or "How long have you considered taking this course?". These questions allow me to get a better feel of where the students are coming from.
Kim, Yes, they can. What are some questions you can ask about their goals or positive things in their life?
Dr. Jean Norris
Some favorite questions to ask to find out more about our prospective students are asking them what their interesting major, what their challenges, what their concerns. These questions help me to understand more prospective student issues, how they want and what their expectation when they enroll our school. These questions can help school improve in teaching methods.
One of my favorite question to ask prospective students is " What kind of success do you imagine for yourself in this field?" Asking this question will help me understand the goal(what they want) and interest (interest in the field) of this students and be able to help plan and guide them thorough the process of achieving their goal.
Quiannia, Those are great open ended questions. What are some questions you ask to identify goals?
Dr. Jean Norris
I usually interview my students. I start by asking them to tell me about themselves. Then I ask what is the driving force behind you becoming an esthetician?
Asking about their goals is great, Ana. How do your student feel about that question?
Dr. Jean Norris
I usually ask the student to tell me about their dream careers, what field they woulf like to work in, because it gives me the opportunity to guide them better.
Julie, These are great questions, and it sounds like you can get a lot of information. I'm curious, how do your students react to rating themselves?
Dr. Jean Norris
What is going on in your life right now to make this the right time?
Tell me your work schedule?
Do you have family/friend support?
what about childcare?
transportation/
Have you been in college before?
i also have a form they rank themselves on in all of these areas to tell me where i need to focus on aiding them to resolve whatever the issue may be.
