Top questions you should and should not ask an admissions officer in the US

Important advice for International students wanting to apply to study at university in the US. Discover the top questions to ask an admissions officer and which ones you should avoid.

What questions impress US admissions officers?

The most impressive question that a student can ask an admissions representative is about the academic programs. If you ask a specific question about a particular course program the university offers, it shows that you have done your research and that you’re genuinely interested in the university.

What other questions should international students ask an admissions officer?

What is the program like?
How does it relate to my career goals?
What am I going to learn in the classroom?
Tell me about the professors.

These questions show the admissions officer that you are interested in the university and the program on offer. They’re not generic questions that a person would ask all universities. They show you want to know how the course will help you with your ambitions and goals.

You need to show how different you are from all the other candidates; how you stand out.

What questions should you NOT ask?

There are certain questions that will not impress an admissions officer. Asking about a course that the university doesn’t even offer is a no-no.

Here are a couple of others:

What is your minimum IELTS score?
How quickly am I going to get the visa documents?

These kinds of questions can easily be answered by looking at a university’s website. It gives the admissions officer the impression that you aren’t able to look for and find basic information and that you aren’t genuinely interested in the university or the quality of the courses on offer.

These questions are also not relevant to the admissions process.; they’re generally asked after you’ve been accepted on to a course.