How will their life be different once they complte their degree. I want to really understand why they want to attned college and would havng a degree really help them accomplish their dreams.
What is you tipcal day like? That tells me all about a student where they work to what Kinad a phone they use. Possible what they had for lunch or if they bring there lunch to work.
I agree it is a very broad and open ended question. I sometimes have problems with that question because the first response I get is "I don't know, what do you want to know?" Sometimes the question seems to cause prospective students to put their guard up because they don't know what type of answer you are looking for.
"How will have this degree be a life changer for you?" I really like this question because it really gives me a gateway to dive beneath the surface of the water and get a look at the true size of the iceberg. It usually works very well.
30 sec elevator speech. I want to know who the student is.
What is making now a good time to go to back to school? This question often reveals the motivation and level of intent for wanting to go back to school.
What are you doing now jobwise? This question gives me an idea about how they feel about their current career...or lack of career.
What will this degree do for you? This question gets the student to vocalize how a degree will change their current situation.
This is a good question since people are most comfortable talking about the present. I would then follow up with, "Is there something you are looking to imporve or change about any of that?"
Jeff:
Interesting starting question. Does that open people up to just asking you question? How do you maintain control of the conversation? I'm not sure I would start there.
What problem are you trying to solve by getting a degree?
What are you hoping a degree does for you?
You say your goal is ______, what brought you to making that a goal?
They work very well after some rapport is built!
I can see how this totally allows the student to feel comfortable with you and in turn trust you as you guide them toward an education
I love these types of questions. Having the student really think about how their life will change builds excitement and allows them to see a future in their career field.
My favorite question is... What got you interested in that field? It opens up so many different doors and allows the student to really show their passion in the area of study. This insight helps me make sure the program is the best fit for that student.
One question that I always ask is about their educational background. This helps me determine if they're starting fresh, or planning to bring prior college credit to the table. By doing this, I can speak directly to what type of degree they are looking for, and how long they plan to spend in school.
Those are great open-ended questions that take a look at their interest and their future goals. Thank you for sharing.
What interests them about X program. What are they hoping to accomplish by visiting us today? What made them decide to come in today? What are their goals in a few years and how will this education assist them with their goals.
Thank you for sharing Amanda. The questions you are currently using will certainly provide you with very important but specific information since they are closed-ended questions, meaning that there is a very specific answer (yes, no, my parents, the internet, etc.). Have you considered asking open-ended questions that will not only provide you with the same information and more? For example, the question 'What types of jobs have you had in the past?' is very specific to knowing job types. Reframing as 'Tell me about your previous jobs.' allows the student to explore a bit more and may offer you information that is valuable but not specific to the 'type' of job they had. How can you reframe your other questions as open-ended questions?
Have you ever been to college before? What types of jobs have you had in the past? Why is now a good time for you to go to college? Who, in your life influences your decision? Who will you be talking your decision over with? Are you currently working? How did you hear about our school?
You're going in a good direction because it's important to consider who might be involved or may impact the student's decision. You can further explore the student's support system by asking open-ended questions that start with What and How. Thanks for your post.
I ask a lot of questions about their support system. People in their lives (family or friends) can either make or break their decision to come to school. These kinds of questions help me determine who I need to bring into the conversation.
Are there people in your life who are supportive or critical of your plans?
Have you shared this interest with anyone else? If so, what was their reaction?
Do they know that you're here today?
In what ways are they supportive of your decision?
Are your family and friends supportive of you coming to school? How are they supportive? Emotionally? Financially?
