Sandra: She's Going to UCLA

Thank you.

Excellent. I wanted to, um, just kind of first give you a debrief. Yeah. And then we'll kind of jump right into it. I know you have a ton of studies and a lot of applications, so we're not gonna like take forever. Um, a couple of really important things straight away. The first one is what you're wearing is totally great. You want to wear something that is something that when you put on, you look in the mirror and you feel confident. Okay, whatever that is.

All right.

That's super important. The second thing is the lighting in the room. Is this the room you're going to be doing the interview in?

Yes. It's only like professional-ish area.

They're okay if it's your room and it's a blank wall. What's most important is zero interruption. Okay, try not to have the dog barking, the sister yelling, the parent scream, you know what I mean? Like, yes, they won't care, but you'll be mortified, right? Like all of a sudden you're gonna lose your train of thought and panic. They really don't care. Just so you— if it does happen, it's not a big deal. They realize you're at home, okay? So the, the other piece is angle your computer. See how my head is just this, this much closer to the top angle. I need you a little— perfect. Why? Because when I'm here, I'm less of a person. When I'm here, I'm confident. Okay, super, super tiny, but I always tell students, take your pinky finger. And put it like right above you. And if it's— exactly. If it's more than that, if it's like this, that's way too much. So just nice and full frame. Excellent. Just like that. Lighting is good. Sound is good. All of that is super important. So do you know what nonverbal communication is?

Yeah, but not like a lot about it. Like, you just like present yourself confidently. Like, don't sit like this, like that kind of thing.

Right. So nonverbal. Tell me what if I— if you log in and I'm like this, what does that tell you?

You don't look very approachable. Yeah.

What about if I'm like this?

You look bored.

Yeah. What about if when I'm talking, I'm like, like this?

It's just kind of distracting.

Like, yeah, yeah, you're right. It's just— it doesn't do it good or bad. It's just doesn't help. Yeah, what I do, a trick, take something that if you have a lucky something, a lucky coin, a lucky rock, whatever it is, and I take and I put both thumbs on it, fingers on it like this, and I set it in my lap.

Why?

Because you can't play with your hair, you can't touch your face, you can't, you know what I mean? It, you have no distraction. And it allows you to have good posture. Okay, super simple. And you can be fidgeting like crazy underneath the desk. Like, sometimes I'm like, like this, they'll never know. Okay, so it's just an interview trick, and you can do it any interview that you go on. Some students like to have a, you know, girls wear their hair tie around their thing, and they'll play with that. The problem is, is if you pull it and it snaps and you are like, okay, now we're in trouble again. Okay, where a fidget something. I don't know, I just have my lucky coin when I get on that interview that I kind of feel like, all right, I'm good. And then if your hair bothers you in front, start with it in back. If it doesn't bother you in front, leave it in front. I can just try to stay away from this and this and this and this, and it's a girl thing. Boys do not do it. The weirdest thing. Boys do other weird things. Okay, so kind of practice. And what I would encourage you to do—

do you—

are you on a Mac or a PC?

I'm on a PC. Okay.

Do you have a video capability on a PC where you can video yourself?

Yes. Yeah.

Okay. I want you to practice and video yourself because it is nonverbal. You don't realize you're doing it.

Yeah.

When you watch yourself, you're going to be like, oh my gosh, I touch my face a lot.

Okay.

For me, I don't like when my hair is in front, so I tend to fight with it like this. But it seems so, you know, it's like, okay, that's silly. If you decide to go another place and you have a swivel chair, be very careful. This is awful, right?

Yes.

You want to have both feet on the floor just like you are right now. Perfect. Sitting up tall versus slouched. All of those are more important than what you say. Okay, because if they're so distracted about you constantly doing this, they're not going to hear what you say. Yeah. So that's where most students make their biggest mistake. Okay. You're doing fantastic. All right. The second thing is you want to understand the only reason they're interviewing you is to see if your application does not match you. That's it. They— you could screw this whole thing up. And have a disaster interview. All they want to know is what you put down. Is that what you're going to talk about? Parents have completed one too many applications, and they interview the student, and the student's like, no, I wasn't part of that organization. And they're like, uh, there's a problem here. Yeah. So my son actually is an interviewer for Harvard and for UC San Diego. And he tells me what they are looking for. This is it. Keep it really simple. If you do not match your application, that's it. That's all they're looking for. And or if you show up and you're like this, or they see the top of your head and, you know, that's a problem, right? If there's awkwardness, if there's, uh, somebody who's just physically freaked out, you know, where they're turning bright red and they can barely breathe, like, those are problems. None of my students have had any of those problems because I want you to remember These interviewers are past alumni. Okay? They're not somebody who is going to be making your decision. They're going to rank you on 1 to 5, 5 being yes, she is who she says she is. And she was pleasant to talk to. Okay, that's a 5. Can you not do that?

I hope so. Yeah.

I mean, one, I know you wouldn't lie on your application, so I feel good about that. I would definitely think about 3 things you want Stanford to know before they get off the call with you. 3 things about you. So think about your core values, think about what you've accomplished, who you are, your gifts, your talents. If you do not share they will not know. Okay? Most interviewers do not get to see your application. They just get to ask you questions. All right, but if their answers don't match your application, that is a problem. That's all they're looking for. If that makes you feel like you can't screw this up. This will not make or break your interview for you. I do have— I've had 2 students in 13 years I said, do not interview. It will not help you one bit. They were very socially awkward and they, they couldn't speak. It was very distracting. Other than that, I've had plenty of students who've had lots of success. So just go into it thinking, okay, if I'm just me and I talk about me, I can't screw this thing up. All right. Yeah, that's all it is. So with that, there's a few things that we're going to role play in a minute because that's always fun. But before that, did you come with 3 questions that they're going to ask you? Do you have any questions?

Yeah.

And what will you say?

I have 3, but I'm not sure if this is the kind of questions that we're looking for.

Um, try it on me.

Something that's really important to me is the relationship with the professor. And so one of my questions is, with a 5-to-1 ratio student— see, this is the thing I do, like, I can't talk very nicely.

They know you're nervous, honey, okay? They've been in your shoes. They couldn't have got into Stanford without being in your shoes. So just remember, if you get flustered or you, you It's okay. All right. They are totally going to understand. And even if you have to look down, I would practice, like I said, recording myself and just say, you know, I do have a question. You know, the relationship between a professor and a student, so important to me. And I've read that you have a 5-to-1 ratio. So will I have opportunity for office hours to get to know my professor? You know, I'm really interested in maybe research opportunities or internships that we can work on? Do you see what I'm saying? Yeah, these are thought-out questions that are not the generic question that every student's going to ask. So only ask the ones that are— that matter to you. And why is it important for you to have a relationship with your professor? I'm asking you, why is it important?

Um, I don't have like answers to these. Okay, wait, we're not actually role-playing right now, right? Because I'm like taking notes on what I should have answers for.

I'm trying to help you get clarity for the reason you're asking the question, because if you, if you're asking a question just to ask it, you're going to get really flustered. But if it's heartfelt and it's important to you they're going to see you speak from the heart. You know, I, I am really interested in a private education because that is what I'm used to, and I love having a one-to-one relationship with my professor. Now I realize college is going to be a lot more students, and I look forward to that. I really want to embrace that because they're thinking now Oh, she's used to a teeny tiny school. Maybe Stanford's not going to be a good fit because it's so large. But you're going to tell them before they ask, but I'm really looking forward to having the opportunity that a larger school will provide.

Yeah.

So I want to know, this is not mock interview. This is nothing. I just want to know, why is it important for you to have a one-to-one relationship with a professor?

I mean, I have always had that because I've been going to private schools since preschool. So I've had the opportunity to come in during office hours and I got to know my professors and I was able to receive help for all of my questions that I had. And I thought that was very valuable. Like I was able to succeed more in my classes because I was able to bring all my concerns to the professor who helped me out with everything.

So will you be okay if you can't always find a professor to answer your questions?

Well, yeah, I mean, of course, there's stuff you have to do on your own. Like, you have to be willing to study on your own, look through the textbook, find online resources. But it's helpful to know that you have a professor who you can turn to when you're not able to find answers.

That is the perfect question. Did you see how you relaxed into it? Because you spoke from here. You started off coming out with this coined question and it flustered you because it didn't feel genuine.

Yeah, feel—

be genuine. The only thing they want to know is who are you and why does it matter? That's it. So if you're being this person who you're not, because the genuine you, when you talked from your heart, oh my gosh, it was brilliant. That is what I encourage. No, you will, you will have these. It's just normal, right? You're speaking to somebody you've never met. That's normal. But these little hints of how to get past them is how you'll be successful. So in your questions, that's important to you. Now think about if you answer it one way, because I'm used to it, could they be thinking 'Oh, she's probably not going to do well at a larger school,' unless you follow up with saying, 'And this is why I know that I'm really excited to be at a larger school, because not only will I have a 5-to-1 ratio, but I'll have all the other resources that I've never had at my fingertips.' So you can see how you were able to, uh, take what could have been their concern and answer the concern before it ever became a concern.

Yeah.

Right. And that's what you told me. I didn't make that up, right? Yeah. I just told you what you told me. So what was your second question you were going to ask?

My second question was a personal one for their experience. Like, which extracurricular experience did you find the most valuable and why? Okay.

That's very generic. Every student's going to ask that. Okay. Make it your own. Why, why do you want to know that? Are you big on extracurriculars, or what was the reason for the question?

Well, obviously academics are the top priority while you're in college, but it's important to get involved in clubs and stuff too. And I want to know, like, there are so many opportunities. I want to narrow down what, like, opportunities did you find most valuable so that I can make my experience the most meaningful in the short amount of time I have.

Yeah, that sounds way better.

Okay.

The other thing is, you know, I've been very active in my school, in my community, and it's important that I can provide my gifts and talents to the school as well as receive them. So the opportunity to get involved is really important to my whole entire college experience. Do you see how different it was than just the, the, the one everybody's going to ask? So tell me about your, you know, because you're not, you're not asking about sororities and parties and that kind of thing. You're asking for genuine connection. So a good way to approach it would be, you know, that the college, going to Stanford means so many opportunities. And not only for the best education, but I also look forward to it really being a connection to my peers, to my professors, and to share in that experience. I want to give and I want to receive. And therefore, are there opportunities or anything that you can share with me that was the best memories you have of Stanford? Same question, just a little more genuine.

Okay.

So your questions are good. They're just coming across as you read them on the internet somewhere to ask the, the, the perfect, or the, the interviewee. So they're good because you, you, it's important to you. So what's your third one?

Um, it doesn't get more generic than this. It was the, is there anything you wish you knew before you went to Stanford kind of question.

So how can you make that more about something you really are genuinely interested in? So at Stanford, what did you apply? What major did you apply as?

Human biology.

Okay. So if you don't ask about human biology, do you think there might be a concern?

Yeah, yeah, I'm just worried, like, does my interviewer, like, can they answer those questions? Like, if it's not their field?

Tell me a question you're— you are curious about, about human biology at Stanford.

Um, so there's this program that they have, it's the Human Biology Research Exploration Program, um, and I really want to be involved in that, but I'm not sure how many questions I can ask my interviewer because it's so specific to the field of human biology. Like, if you didn't major in this, you're not even allowed in the program.

Okay, so based on my research, there's this program that seems like a perfect fit for me. Are you familiar with the biology research blah blah blah blah blah? And if they say no, then say, would you recommend— is there somebody I could speak to that could give me more details? Because it sounds like the perfect fit for me. Do you see? You, you got your question answered. You did your research. You know why you're going to Stanford. Like, maturity, maturity, maturity, maturity. Who cares if they can't answer it, right? You're not really— you're not really looking for them to answer the question. You're just showing them that I am— you know, I had a student, when I asked this question, they say, oh my gosh, The trees are so beautiful at Samford. Are they all natural? That was their question. And you're like, oh my gosh, this is going to be awful. That is the other extreme where you're just like, okay, there was no thought to that question at all. The goal here is either read the student newspaper and ask a question from the student newspaper I saw in your student newspaper, The Gazelle, that this has been a big controversial blah, blah, blah. And they're gonna be like, whoa, she read the student newspaper. Okay, that, that's mind-blowing. It always works. The second thing is, ask something specific to your major. A good one for pre-med or biology is, at many colleges, I know that students have a dedicated major counselor to help them pick the right classes in the right order, be efficient. And is that something that Stanford offers? Because I see huge value in having a plan for the entire time I'm here. What a cool question. Yeah, right. I'm recording this just so you don't have to take copious notes. You can—

thank you.

Yeah. You can listen to my words again. That's another brilliant one. Because you're just— do you remember when I started off, you want to tell them, you want them to know 3 things about you?

Yeah. Yeah.

What would— what are 3 important things they should know about you? You tell me.

But like different from what my application already reveals?

No, it could be anything. It could be exact same thing. You don't have to get creative here. Okay, um, what do they need to know? Who are you and why does it matter? Okay, um, just 3 bullet points.

Oh, okay, so like without explanation, like hardworking and diligent. Okay, um, I want them to know that I'm compassionate, I care about my community, um, and that I want to be involved in a lot of different things. Like I don't want to be just the person who goes to classes and then goes home and does the work.

Awesome. I need you to now— 3 examples of you proving that. Okay. So when, when they ask you a question, so tell me about yourself, which one of those 3 are you going to lead with? Okay. That is a very common interviewer way to start the conversation, right? The worst thing you could do is, well, I go to high school, 17, and you know what I mean? It's like, okay, really? That's pretty shallow. I want you to wow them with, you know, my friends call me just hardworking and determined. My parents would say I'm caring and compassionate. My sister would say whatever that third one was. Boom, done. Interview's over. They heard exactly what you wanted them to know. You don't have to get all wordy about it. You get— all you have to do is share, this is who I am. Now if they say, well, well, tell me about a time you were hardworking, you want to have that in your back pocket and be like, Oh my gosh, an example is when I did this, this, this, and this. Most people would give up, and I almost did, but I'm just like that until it's over. I can't stop. Perfect. And you just know it doesn't have to be long winded. If they want to know more, they'll ask more. The worst thing you can do is get all caught up in the weeds, like, woo, where'd she go? It's Yeah, stick to the question. Think about the prompt when you wrote your essay. You had to answer the prompt. So when somebody asks you a question, it's always important to restate it so they make sure— you make sure you, you heard it correctly. So if I said to you, um, can you share— share one of the best memories you have of high school? What would you say?

Would I start it like with one of the best memories I had in high school?

Oh, just like that. Do you see how easy that is? Because if, if that's not what they're asking, they're going to be like, no, no, no, no, no, no. I meant in your senior year. Oh, okay. So the best memory of my senior year. And that way you don't get off topic going down this big dark hole and they're going, oh my gosh, where's she going with this? But it could be you just didn't hear the question properly. Yeah, it's called active listening. Okay. And what you're doing is you're engaging, you're repeating the question back to make sure it's confirmed. And then you have time while, while they're doing their thing and you're like, okay, now this is what I'm going to share. So the next secret is take a little Post-it note and have the 3 most important things you want them to learn about you and put it right next to the camera on your computer. I don't want you to look down unless you're taking notes. That's okay to take notes, but don't look down as if you are making this up or, or have it pre-scripted. All of that comes across very ingenuous, you know. So I always tell students, I call them the panic note, like if all of a sudden you forget everything in your world. All you have to do is think about, okay, I need to talk about this. I need to— I can talk about my 3 most important things all day long. It doesn't matter how long or how short the interview goes. Don't judge success on duration. Okay, I've had students get in there with a friggin 10-minute interview. And I've had students get in with an hour and a half interview. It's not the student, it's the interviewer. Some interviewers are going to be bullet point, bullet point, bullet point, and some of them are going to want to be your best friend. Oh, you know, I know my sister's uncle's friend, they went to your high school, do you know them? And you're like, oh, so it can go any direction. It doesn't mean it's a good or a bad interview.

Yeah.

As long as you walk away with those 3 things and the 3 solid questions. That's it. So take away all the fear, the anxiety, because if I— think of your 3 things you want them to know, and I will now ask you 3 different questions. Okay. All right. So let's see. Tell me about— did you have a favorite teacher in high school?

I did.

Tell me about him or her. Why were they your favorite teacher?

My favorite teacher was my AP Chemistry teacher. That's the class I'm currently taking right now. They are my favorite teacher because I always felt like— I'm sorry, this is so random. Can I put a pillow?

Do you say why we're practicing?

Yes. Okay, there you go. Sorry, I was like slouching and I'm like, I can see it in the camera and it does not look good. Okay, all right, um, can you ask me the question again? We'll just do it all over.

Yeah, do you have a favorite teacher in high school?

I do, uh, my favorite teacher is one of my current teachers, my AP Chemistry teacher.

Um, why, why is, why is she or he her your favorite?

He's my favorite teacher because his style of teaching is, I present you the information and I allow you to sit with it and then you can ask me questions kind of style. He is always there to support us, but in a very like, bring me your questions, struggle through it before you come to me kind of way. Like he is, the way he does his homework is, it is a completion grade and he just wants to see that you attempted it. It's not about being right or wrong, it's about struggling struggling through it and then asking for help. And I love that because it allows me to learn more through the struggles. Like if the teacher just hands you the answer, you're not learning, you're just memorizing information. But when you struggle through it, you learn those skills, the critical thinking skills as you work through the problem. And I love that about his teaching.

Did you answer one of your 3 things that they need to know about you?

Um, I was hinting at hardworking, like I like working through the problems.

You did, you did a great job of it. Okay, so now you have 2 more that you need to weave in. Okay, all right, another question. Um, let's see, what was your hardest subject in high school, hardest class, and why?

My hardest class in high school. Um, I feel that my hardest class in high school was— this is a really hard question. It shouldn't be this hard.

The other way they're going to approach it is, um, tell me something you're not really good at or something you've struggled with. What they're trying to get out of this question is, has life been really easy for you and you haven't had to work for anything, or are you able to have a thought process? And you know, when you go to college, you're on your own. You've got to be able to work through things. So they want us— they want to know, you know, are you perfect? Of course nobody is perfect. Right, so think about, um, a class or something that was difficult for you that you were able to— it's that the essay prompt that tell me a time that you had a struggle and that you were able to get through it. That's what they're trying to get out of this. Okay, so, um, I'll ask it a different way, maybe that threw you, but think about, um, has there ever been a teacher, a class, a struggle with a subject that you had a difficult time with?

Yeah, in, in my sophomore year, um, I took honors algebra 2 and trigonometry, and this class is definitely this class that I struggled the most with. Um, the teacher was not available for office hours. Uh, when we asked questions, um, he would dismiss our questions and we were not able to voice our concerns. Um, and The overall structure of the class just made it very difficult to form a relationship with our fellow students and with our teacher. But it also taught me how to, like, work on my own. I learned how to read the textbook and learn from the textbook. I learned how to watch videos online to learn because I wasn't able to ask my teacher for help. And so even though it was very difficult and I struggled a lot with it, I did come out of it more mature and I learned new skills in my studying practices.

Excellent. Did you add one of the things you wanted them to know?

I feel like I just went with hardworking again.

Okay, that, that's, it's just practice. That's all it is. Okay, just like any other muscle, you just got to get used to it. Yeah, so that's why I have them right up in, you know, by the camera, because I'm like, okay, okay, yeah, I need to, I need to weave in compassion. How am I going to weave in compassion? You know, I didn't really have a class that was really difficult, but I will tell you, my sister has had the toughest time with Algebra 2, and I sat with her for hours just trying to help her learn the fundamentals because I know it's a building block to the next level. And so I, I knew that it was important. And so even though it wasn't my struggle, I was able to help my sister through hers.

Woo!

Do you see that? So you're still weaving in compassion, you're weaving in struggle. You haven't really gotten away from it. And you, you can obviously put it in your own words. I'm just trying to give you examples of how you can take a question and share. Politicians do it all the time. You know, the reporters ask a question, they don't even answer it. They're like, woo, right? And this is what you learn as an interviewer. So it just takes practice. The most important thing is that you speak from your heart and you're genuine. The last thing I will tell you is don't throw anybody under the bus. Okay, we've all had terrible teachers, all of us. But you don't know if the interviewer was a teacher. Yeah, right. So you're just like, oh, this teacher, they were awful. And they're probably thinking, yeah, my students thought I was awful. And you know what I mean? Like, who knows what they're thinking? So I always tell students, take the ownership and just go, you know, I can't think of a class I didn't like. There was some challenging classes, I'm not gonna lie, like Algebra 2. I had to self-teach a lot, and I did have to look at the book, and I did have to look at other resources, but you know what? It made me a better student. Not one bit about the teacher, right? Yeah, yeah, I said the exact same thing, and I implied, but I didn't I owned it. Okay, these are all just little tricks. You're going to do awesome. The last thing that I would tell you is thank them for their time and don't ask what comes next because they don't know. Yeah, and just say, you know, I really appreciate it. And they— if they say, is there any last questions? And just say, can you share why you think Stanford is the best college? That's a great closing because you just connected with them. You made it about them. Everybody loves to talk about themselves. If you get really stumped in this interview at any point, like your heart just starts racing, whatever, just ask them something about themselves. Because as soon as they're talking, you're settling, you're calming, right? They're talking.

Yeah.

And all of a sudden they become a real person and you start to relate and you connect. Just like when we started, you started with this huge anxiety. I felt it when you came on camera and now you're smiling and you're relaxed and you've settled into yourself. That's the thing I would tell you is just be genuinely you. This interview is an honor, but it does not matter because you're a great candidate. And you are who you say you are. So it's kind of over before it even started. But they don't know that, that they don't know that you're truly who your application says you are. And that's all they're trying to figure out. All right. So I just like to let you know that, that it really is just formality. And it's a chance for them to see if somebody's psycho. Like, you know, truly, I've had meetings where I'll log in with a student and the room is black and all I see is this. And it's kind of like, this is not a good thing. And you just know that this is probably not going to be a great interview, but you're not that person. You're going to be fine. Any other schools that allow you to take the interview, take the interview. Always, always, always. It's an honor. Not every student gets one. And it gives you an opportunity to bring your story to life. I mean, you've done some awesome things. Think about what you want them to know or what's easy for you to talk about. That's the other thing. Whatever it is, it could be You know, a current class you're taking because of the subject, or it could be the way a teacher handled themself in a classroom, or how they brought AP Gov to life. You know, whatever it is, that's the kind of stuff that's going to make you so brilliant, because everybody else is going to say the same generic questions, and you don't want to be that person. All right. So that's the thing. The next thing you want to do is add Stanford to every social media channel. Friend them like you friended. They keep track. There's a point. There's a point system. And have your parents do the same thing. Think about it as stalking the cute boy in school. And all your friends are like, oh yeah, oh yeah, we're going to, we're going to be, we got this, right? Same thing. Stanford wants to know that you like them. Yeah, they want to know that you— because it's easier to ask somebody to come with you if you know the answer is yes.

Yeah, right.

If you're making a new friend and you're like, I don't know, maybe they don't like me, you don't ask them to go to get ice cream. But if the new friend is blowing up your phone texting, oh my gosh, You're like, yeah, my good ice cream. You know what I'm saying? So Stanford wants to feel the love. All your colleges want to feel the love.

Yeah.

Okay. And make sure your social media is grandmother-worthy. I'm sure yours is, but I tell students all the time, and you're going to do super. All right. Any questions about the process, the procedure, what they might ask? Any questions I can help?

Yeah, I like, I like to think about my answer before I just start talking. Is it okay, like, if I pause before I answer when they ask me a question? Like, I don't want the awkward silence just there.

So a good way around it, and, you know, awkward silence is okay. I know it's uncomfortable, but it is okay. A way around it is, you know, I have several things that match that idea. Let me think of the one that would be best to share with you.

Yeah. Okay.

That's okay. Right? I mean, would you dock me on points? So like being thoughtful about my answer? No, you're going to be like, wow, they, they're really going to give me the best answer. So it's okay. The thing, the only one it's awkward for is you. That's it. I promise the interviewer, they're not, they're, they're like, Okay, think about it. Great. It's better than just spitting something out that's stupid. Yeah, right. It's, it's okay. A smart person is an active listener and they are an active speaker, which means you give them a thoughtful response.

Yeah. Okay.

It's totally fine.

Okay, good.

Do you have any other questions? Do you have any questions that you, you want to run by me that I could answer for you? Or, I mean, I'm 100% confident you're going to kill this thing, so I don't want to— your time is valuable. I don't want to keep talking because you're going to do really, really great. But if you need me, I want to, I want to give to you.

I'm not sure what kind of questions they're going to ask. Like, I looked up the generic interview questions, but I was wondering if there's like some that we know Stanford typically asks.

No, because it's the interviewer.

Oh, it's not like a— I know they say it's not a set of questions. I don't know if that actually means it's truly not a set of questions.

They give them parameters, kind of like when I asked you, um, tell me about a class that was difficult. It was really a question about tell me a time that was something hard and that you got through it. So it's not like a generic— Stanford doesn't have like a list of questions that every interviewer asks like a robot. That's not it. It's really, who is the student? When they get off the call with you, they're going to write down, this student is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's it. So if you give them what you want them to know, It's over. All right, if you don't give them anything, they're going to have big question mark. I don't know who she is or what she's done. Maybe she's not a good candidate. So it, it's really just, it's really just a time for you to take the words on your paper and bring them alive. That's all it is. Think about your essays that you wrote It's okay to talk about them because they haven't read them.

Okay.

Yeah. Okay. So feel free. I mean, you can talk about your Common App essay, you can talk about your short essay, whatever. I'm hoping you know that story well because you wrote the essay, right? Yeah. Wrote it like 3 times. All of that is fine to talk about. Totally fine. The most important thing is just listen and answer and repeat. And if you have genuine questions, those are so important. I say have 3. You may not get to all 3. OK, you may not, but I don't want them to say, do you have any questions? You go, no, I'm good. Yeah. Oh no, that's not good. Every student should have at least one question.

Yeah.

Let's say you are in the interview and two of your questions were answered. Whoa. Now you're like, oh God, Shellee said I had to have three. It's not like that. It's— I want you to have three in case you— they ask you, do you have another question? And you're like, well, yes, I do. But they may get all of those answers and you may get all your answers. And if so, that's when you go to— I would love to hear about, you know, what would you tell yourself as an entering freshman? Something introspective that only the interviewer could answer that, right? I think that's important. They sometimes will ask Orange County students if they think they're going to have a hard time leaving their family to come up north. That's sometimes they'll ask that. So I tell students all the time, don't sound too like overly excited about leaving your family, but genuinely, genuinely say, you know, my family's had been fortunate that we've done some great travel, and I love the opportunity to experience different situations, different cultures. The opportunity to go up north is just an extension of what else I can learn. Yeah, see, it doesn't talk about, yeah, I can't wait to get out of the house, my parents are so strict, oh my gosh, this is a blessing, you know what I mean? Like, that would not be good. Because they're like, whoa, she's a wild girl. And I know you wouldn't do that, but I'm just trying to show you like really what could happen.

Yeah.

But genuinely talk about, I think living in Northern California would be a great experience and this is why.

Yeah. Okay.

So they're going to come natural to you. I'm just trying to kind of give you some generic ones that I've heard students tell me. You know, they may ask you, what do you do for fun?

Yeah, alright, we're already on the last question. Okay, what do I do for fun? Yeah, I like to draw and paint. I just find it so relaxing, like I can just feel like my worries melting away when I'm painting. I also like to spend time with my friends. I am a social person, I really enjoy human connection. And so those are the two things I spend most of my free time doing. Wonderful.

That's it. That's all you have to do. Okay. It's nothing more than that. Be you, be genuine. All of that was great. I wouldn't change one bit of it.

Okay.

You're going to do great. If you have any questions or you think of something at the last minute, just text me. Yeah. Okay. And I'll get back to you. I don't have a worry in the world, and I hope you don't. And remember, if you do feel nervous, it's normal. Take your little fidget thing and fidget all you want down underneath your desk. Yeah, up here we're calm, we're cool, we're good. All right.

Yeah.

Awesome. Well, I'm going to wish you luck. You don't need luck because you're brilliant. If after you want to debrief, you have questions, something Just call, text, or email me. I'm here for you.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome. Have fun with it.

Thank you.

All right, I'll send you the recording.

Thank you.

You're welcome. Bye for now. Bye.