25 Private High School Interview Questions & Answers
June 11, 2024
I never had to answer any private school interview questions. My first real-deal interview didn鈥檛 come about until after I graduated college. Of course, I showed up way overdressed. Everyone in the office was wearing jeans, tees, and scuffed Chucks; I was rocking dress shoes, a button-down, a preppy blazer, and a chunky tie. This, I realized, is why jobseekers do thorough pre-interview research. Clearly, I hadn鈥檛 done enough. I was already nervous, and the off-kilter looks I was catching weren鈥檛 helping.
The inauspicious start carried over into the interview itself. I responded to perfunctory softballs with monologues that were Homeric in length. I mean, how could I tell my would-be manager why I鈥檇 be a good fit for the role without telling her about myself, and how could I possibly tell her about myself in a few concise sentences? It was impossible to reduce my entire being to a few bite-sized bits of language. One of Walt Whitman鈥檚 is: 鈥淚 contain multitudes.鈥 I wonder if he ever had to interview for an entry-level copywriting gig at an online magazine.
I got the job despite my clunky interview performance. And that illustrates an important point: the interview鈥攚hether it鈥檚 for a private high school, a college, or a job鈥攊sn鈥檛 everything. It鈥檚 important, yes, but for private school admission, so are things like GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities.
For students applying to private high schools, the accompanying interview will most likely be their first. But don鈥檛 sweat: if you鈥檙e reading this article to practice some common private school interview questions, you鈥檙e already more prepped than I was for my first interview. Keep reading for a list of common private school interview questions and tips on how best to answer them.
25 Private School Interview Questions and Answers
1) Tell me about yourself.
This is one of those private school interview questions that鈥檚 known to produce existential angst. But it鈥檚 also extremely common, so it鈥檚 definitely a good idea to have an answer ready. Pro tip: do not delve into a novel-length rendering of your life story. Instead, keep things short and sweet, and use this question to set the stage for the interview to come. Tell your interviewer what grade you鈥檙e in, what motivates or excites you, what clubs and extracurriculars you鈥檙e involved in, and why you鈥檙e applying.
2) How would you describe yourself?
This one is a variation on the 鈥渢ell me about yourself鈥 prompt. Here, though, the interviewer can start to get a sense of how you see yourself鈥攁re you confident, modest, introverted, extroverted? Careful: don鈥檛 engage in too much braggadocio, but don鈥檛 be too self-deprecating, either.
3) How would your family and friends describe you?
Self-evaluation and empathy are qualities that any school would want to see in a potential student. This question requires students to demonstrate both. Show your interviewer that you can inhabit a perspective other than your own, and that you have the ability to be a fair and balanced self-critic.
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4) What are your strengths?
The best answers to this question aren鈥檛 just strings of adjectives. Here, you should do your best to follow that classic writing workshop rule: show, don鈥檛 tell. Pick one or two of your best qualities, and then show your interviewer how those qualities manifest in concrete situations. If you鈥檙e a good problem solver, for example, describe a situation in which your problem-solving skills were at the forefront.
5) What are your weaknesses? (Private School Interview Questions)
We all have weaknesses. Any assessment of oneself requires an appraisal of one鈥檚 shortcomings. The key in an interview is to acknowledge your weaknesses without overemphasizing them. After an honest reflection, pick one or two things you want to improve on. Maybe you want to improve your time-management skills. Instead of lamenting the problem, focus on how you鈥檙e working to address it.
6) How do you like to spend your free time?
What do your interviewers want to hear in response to this question? Probably not that you spend your free binge-watching Netflix, playing video games, or falling down YouTube rabbit holes. Your hobbies and interests speak volumes. Make sure your response isn鈥檛 too bloated, but if you have lots of interests, don鈥檛 be afraid to share them! Having myriad interests and hobbies in all sorts of different realms鈥攁rtistic, academic, charitable, recreational, athletic鈥攕hows your interviewers that you鈥檙e a curious person who鈥檚 engaged with the world.
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7) What are you passionate about?
It鈥檚 possible to be passionate about a lot of different things, and it鈥檚 okay to tell your interviewers that. But I鈥檇 advise a little contextual awareness here. Your interviewers are looking for you to go a little deeper into what makes you, you. What truly inspires you? What moves you to action, and how do those things inform how you want to model your life after high school and college? Spend some time reflecting on those questions and you鈥檒l be well-prepared to confront this common private high school interview question.
8) What extracurricular activities are you involved in or interested in? (Private School Interview Questions)
This is one of those private school interview questions that you can use to connect to the school you鈥檙e applying to. Tell your interviewers about the extracurriculars you currently participate in, and then relate how you鈥檇 engage with them at the school you鈥檙e applying to. You can also do some research to help you prep for this question. Are there any extracurriculars offered at your goal school that aren鈥檛 offered at your current school? Is there something you haven鈥檛 tried out that you鈥檇 be interested in trying?
9) What is your favorite subject?
This is one of the most commonly asked private school interview questions. There鈥檚 no wrong answer to this question, but remember to stick to the 鈥渟how, don鈥檛 tell鈥 maxim. Don鈥檛 simply state that history is your favorite subject; rather, explain what it is about the subject that excites and fascinates you. Is it a particular historical period that鈥檚 especially interesting? A historian you learned to love? The way your evolving historical understanding has shaped your worldview?
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10) What is your least favorite subject, or what subject do you have the most difficulty with?
The shadow side of the 鈥渇avorite subject鈥 prompt isn鈥檛 as scary as it sounds. Be honest, but as with other questions, don鈥檛 be overly self-deprecating or hard on yourself. Other pitfalls here include blaming your lack of success in a subject on a teacher or the content. The best way to answer this question is straightforwardly. Then, tell your interviewers what you鈥檙e doing to improve your performance in the class. And if you鈥檝e already started taking steps toward that end, be sure to mention it!
11) Are you proud of your grades? Why or why not?
This is another chance to engage in honest self-evaluation. It also gives you a chance to tell a story about your academic performance that may not come through in the raw numbers of your transcript. If there鈥檚 a slight drop off in grades from one year to next, why was that? Were you dealing with a sickness, a family issue, or some added source of stress? Don鈥檛 fall into excuse-making, but feel empowered to put your academic performance in a larger context. Alternately, if your grades improved from one year to the next, what explains that? What changes did you make?
12) What do you do when you鈥檙e having a hard time in a subject?
This question is a chance to demonstrate how you deal with adversity. Be concrete in your response, and be sure to ground your answer in your experiences. Your interviewers will appreciate hearing that you鈥檙e a proactive participant in your education. If you鈥檝e struggled in a class, what did you do about it鈥攕peak to the teacher, reach out to a friend or parent, utilize your school鈥檚 extra help resources? Don鈥檛 shy away from the fact that you鈥檝e struggled; lean in to your effort to improve.
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13) If you could teach a class at your school, what would it be?
This is a common private school interview question that is not only about a student鈥檚 academic interests鈥攊t鈥檚 also about their value system. In other words, your answer here will reflect what you鈥檙e interested in and what you value or deem important. Maybe you鈥檙e passionate about animal welfare, so you could teach a class on factory farming. There aren鈥檛 really any wrong answers here, so be bold.
14) How would you react if someone asked to copy your homework?
There are plenty of ways to confront this question, but for my money, here鈥檚 the best way to go about it: first, you鈥檒l want to state unequivocally that you wouldn鈥檛 let the person plagiarize your work. Then, show that you鈥檙e interested in the well-being of your fellow students鈥攎aybe you鈥檇 ask them what they鈥檙e struggling with, or offer to help in a way that doesn鈥檛 violate academic integrity standards. You could also tell your interviewers that you鈥檇 redirect the student towards extra help resources, or even suggest a meeting with the teacher. With that kind of answer, you鈥檙e on the right track morally, and you show your interviewers that you鈥檙e interested in helping those around you.
15) What is your favorite book?
This is one of my favorite private school interview questions. While it may seem straightforward, it is possible to misstep here. Don鈥檛 say, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 read,鈥 or, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have one.鈥 Whether you want to go into medicine, computer science, or screenwriting, reading is an integral part of every student鈥檚 intellectual and personal development. Your interviewers want to see that you recognize that. Also: avoid stating the title of a book you once read with no follow up. Be prepared to elaborate on why said book is your favorite.
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16) Who is someone you look up to?
Avoid non-sequitur answers to this question. Your answer here should resonate with the way you鈥檙e presenting yourself in the interview. If, for example, you鈥檝e told your interviewers that you鈥檙e passionate about environmental sustainability, maybe you highlight a prominent environmental advocate that you鈥檝e learned from. At the same time, don鈥檛 feel like you have to name a celebrity or public figure. If you look up to your mom, dad, sibling, friend, or teacher, say so鈥攁nd tell your interviewers why.
17) What is something you鈥檙e really proud of?
Be honest here, but don鈥檛 be afraid to stray away from the obvious candidates like winning a tournament or award. Of course, if you have a major accomplishment in your repertoire that you鈥檙e really proud of, then by all means鈥攇o for it! But there are plenty of worthy 鈥渆veryday鈥 answers as well. Think about a time you inconvenienced yourself to help someone, repaired or improved a personal relationship, or made a tough moral decision鈥攖hese are all worthy answers.
18) Tell me about your family.
You don鈥檛 need to provide a family tree or describe each member of your family in excruciating detail. This question is all about how your family has impacted you. Share a meaningful moment with your family, a cherished memory, a lesson you learned from them, a fun family tradition鈥攁nything that鈥檚 made you who you are today.
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19) What do you admire about your friends?
Your friends are your chosen family, and this is your opportunity to tell your interviewers not just about your friends, but about the social milieu you鈥檙e a part of. Are you connected with your friends because of a shared interest or a common mindset? Do your friends challenge or support you? Your answer to this question will continue to deepen your interviewers鈥 understanding of who you are.
20) How would you describe your social media presence? (Private School Interview Questions)
Depending on how you use it, social media can be a powerful tool or a toxic distraction. In asking this question, your interviewers are most likely looking for you to demonstrate some savvy re: social media and technology in general.
21) Why are you applying to our school?
Make sure you have an answer to this question that goes beyond, 鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 a good school,鈥 or, 鈥淢y brother/sister/mom/dad went here.鈥 What is it about the school that draws you to it? The curriculum, educational approach, extracurricular opportunities? This is one of the most commonly asked private school interview questions, so have an answer ready.
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22) What鈥檚 one thing you could change about your current school?
This question requires a light touch. Your interviewers are not interested in hearing you trash your current school. But there might be something about your current school that just isn鈥檛 ideal for you. Respect state that, and move on to why the school you鈥檙e applying to would be a better fit.
23) What will you bring to our school?
Be super specific here. If you鈥檙e going to participate in a sport or club, tell your interviewers how you鈥檒l contribute to that enterprise. Be specific about what you want to do at the school and how you鈥檒l contribute to the school community overall.
24) How will you benefit from our school?
Don鈥檛 worry, your interviewers are not asking this question to hear you deliver a monologue about how awesome their school is. They want to be sure that their school is the right fit for your academic and personal development, too. What about your goal school makes it right for you鈥攁 particular educational approach or philosophy, the faculty, the school鈥檚 culture? Stay true to yourself in answering this question and you鈥檙e sure to nail it.
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25) Do you have any questions for us?
This is not only a chance for you to get more information about the school you鈥檙e applying to; it鈥檚 also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your legitimate interest in the school. Have a few questions ready, because it鈥檚 a mainstay of any interview.
Private School Interview Questions and Answers – Additional Resources
