International students who are keen to get admits to universities across the world must have a ready reckoner up their sleeve when it comes to asking relevant questions. And when it comes to the admissions manager of a college, the questions must be incessant.

After all, admissions managers are the gatekeepers of the hallowed portals of your desired college and with that come to the responsibility of disseminating maximum information to potential students.

Moreover, the fact is that admissions managers do want you to ask questions so that you match your personal, professional and educational goals to the college you are applying for.

So, grab that opportunity of the college fair, and ask these 5 questions to your admission manager:

What is the College Looking for in a Potential Student?

Considering that objective assessments like GPA and test scores of an average candidate are instantly available on college websites, it is more fruitful to ask about abstract and subjective attributes that make a student stand apart from the crowd, thereby increasing the chances of acceptance at the college.

As an example, the student could ask how an applicant can stand out, does the college look for students with robust summer internship experiences and the like.

Does the college admissions process value leadership qualities in a candidate? Are you only concerned about what students do during the time they are at school or does the process take a well-rounded approach in student assessment?

Since different colleges have varied admission metrics, there cannot be a wrong question in this case. Admission managers love to talk about what their own admission criterions are, so don’t be afraid and ask questions without hesitation

How Do the Requirements for Admission Vary Across Courses?

Different courses and majors have different prerequisites for admissions in all colleges. It is therefore imperative for al international students to ask how they need to tweak and modify their applications to apply for diverse courses.

Do students need to write additional essays and statements of purpose? Does it beget the need for a portfolio submission or an audition? It is also important for students to come prepared with the knowledge of general academic interests and then gain information about what it takes to gain admissions to these.

Are there any New Courses or Majors Introduced this Year?

Is there anything new going on at the college that you might have missed in the course of your research? Are there any potential new courses, programs or collaborations that are exciting and could match your chosen field? What other programs can be taken advantage of in your journey as a student at the college?

These are the questions which need to be asked in order to gain an understanding and be up-to-date with regard to the match between your interests and the programs offered by the college.

Also, admissions managers are here to guide you through in every step of the way when it comes to new majors or courses introduced at the college. The initial year of a new course is a potential opportunity in terms of applied to admitted ratio due to the general lack of awareness and inquisitiveness among students.

This is where relevant questions to the admission manager can serve you well to get admitted to a course of your choice while minimizing chances of rejection.

What is the School’s Vision and How Does it Plan to Implement it Over the Next Few Years?

Getting to know the idea behind a school’s goals and a general vision of its management for the institution is as important as knowing about courses relevant to your field of study. A college is also defined as a subset of its own grand vision for the future and how it plans to transform itself with the changing nature of the study, work and technology across the globe.

You can ask the admission manager about future plans of the college in terms of both educational and physical infrastructure, collaborations and research projects. Will there be new dorms, buildings or libraries on the campus in the future? Does the college plan to expand enrolment in its courses and increase student intake?

These are some of the pertinent questions that can be asked to get to align your expectations with what is planned at the college. In such cases, it is possible that the future plans of a college may not be in sync with your expectations. For example, if you were looking for a smaller classroom setting and the college is expanding classroom sizes, it may mark a negative score in your metric to judge the suitability of the course.

This way, you can take note of the things that will change immediately or in the future while you will be here and then compare those plans with your expectations. This exercise will help you evaluate the suitability of your admissions process in that college.

What Kind of Support Does the School Offer Students During and After Graduation?

Does the school support students during college, particularly in the first year, or after completing college? Does the college support international students, particularly in terms of cultural transition? These are critical questions and need to be asked to admission managers so that students can be clear about what to expect in terms of support from college during and after their stay. Particularly, for international students, support is critical to get them familiar with a new culture and country.

Another important question can be with regard to help to find summer jobs or internships. Along with that, support for tutoring and academic support also need to be considered while evaluation of a college for admissions.

These are some of the questions which need to be answered to differentiate between an average and a superb college experience. You must not hesitate to ask questions and also make sure you are answered to in the most satisfying way possible so that it enables you to make an informed decision and avoid potential nasty surprises after enrolment.