Students Share Advice for Scholarship Day

Scholarship/Leadership Day at Westminster is an on-campus event to qualify for our highest scholarship honors and awards up to full tuition. Below, current students who have been through Westminster Scholarship/Leadership Day interviews share their advice for prospective students.

Take advantage of the off time you have between interviews. Don’t be afraid to go up to other prospective or current students and start making connections. Also, go up to the representatives of the organizations you may be interested in. They will be impressed if you show your interest and enthusiasm in their organization.

Be creative with your answers. Most students are being asked the same questions, so don’t be afraid to respond with something that may not seem like a common answer. This will help you separate yourself! Also, if you do not know an answer to a question don’t freak out. Take your time, think about the question, and if you still don’t know an answer, no big deal, just ask to move on.

— Kristen Warncke (Francis Howell Central, St. Peters, MO) 

Be an active listener, keep eye contact with your interviewer, pay attention to what they are saying, and interact with them as the conversation goes on.

As cheesy as it is to say, BE YOURSELF!! A relaxed and unique conversation is much more memorable than a rehearsed and average one. Personal stories are an easy way for someone to get to know part of your personality.

Have some fun. The faculty and staff at Westminster might be intimidating at first, but they like to laugh just like everyone else, so walk in with a smile on your face and be excited to talk to them.

— Bailey Mitchell (Fulton High School, Fulton, MO) 

Share what you are interested in and passionate about. Don’t be so concerned with saying the “right” answer that you are not authentic. Be yourself. The interviewers want to get to know you during the conversion, so do your best to communicate who you are in the time you have with genuine and thoughtful responses and questions.

— Courtney Gallagher (Barat Academy, St. Charles, MO)

My advice is to just be yourself, one of the hardest things for people to do is talk about themselves on command. Be ready to just have a conversation with whoever you’re talking to! Don’t be shy or just tell them “official” information, let them get to know the real you! And most of all RELAX!!

— Steven (Mik) Ebert (Lindbergh High School, St. Louis, MO)

It’s okay to be nervous! I think being nervous just shows that a student really cares about their future at and beyond Westminster. I also believe that nerves can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. I believe this because I consistently see the relief and confidence in the students that come out of their interviews knowing that they have overcome their nerves and fears.

Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself! I love the interviewing process here at Westminster for our Scholarship Days because it really is about the faculty and staff getting to know future students. So, when prospective students go in for their interviews, my advice is to not shy away from sharing achievements and personal experiences when prompted or that may relate to the conversation.

Ask questions! As simple as it may sound, coming in with questions for the faculty and staff members is a great way for prospective students to show their interest in the college academically as well as their potential place in the Westminster community.I can almost guarantee that any interviewer will ask if a student has any questions and having some, either prepared ahead of time or during the interview via active listening, is a fantastic way to show the faculty or staff member that a prospective student is engaged and interested in their future and the college.

Have fun! Many faculty and staff members do not want to simply sit and ask predictable questions so prospective students should expect the unexpected and should never shy away from showing enthusiasm and excitement.

— Katie Mann (Lindbergh High School, St. Louis, MO)

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