After many conversations and much soul searching, you’ve decided to enroll your child in a private day or boarding school. This is a big decision with many moving parts, so it’s important to start the test preparation and application process as early as possible so that you (and your child) don’t get overwhelmed.

From a summer job at the ice cream shop to attending your dream college to landing that perfect job after graduation, there’s one thing that they likely have in common: an interview. You will probably do many interviews over the course of your lifetime, and for some students, the college admissions interview is their first experience with interviewing.

There are so few places in the college application process for a student’s voice to be truly heard. Sure there’s the essay and email communication with an admissions representative, but what makes a college admissions interview such a valuable opportunity is the chance to talk about yourself in a less structured and less formal way. It’s an opportunity to share your story the way you want it to be heard.