Questions and Statements College-Bound Students Don't Want to Hear

Student: I got into [insert name of college here]
You: Congratulations! So do you want to go there?

See, most students don't apply to schools they don't want to go to, especially when it comes to early action applications. Instead, you could respond with "Cool, is that your top choice?"

You: Where do you want to go?
Student: Well, I'm torn between [insert name of college here] and [insert name of other college here]
You: Oh, well which is your top choice?

If someone says they're torn, it means they don't have one top choice, they have two top choices they are trying to choose from. Don't put them on the spot by asking which one is better or which one they'd prefer. It's a tough decision.

Student: I got into [name of college here]
You: That's a great school!

Students don't usually apply to schools they think are crappy. That student probably knew it was a great school, that's why they applied!

Another annoying thing to do is tell the student about the school he or she applied to or got into. Obviously if they applied to the school, they knew enough to know it has a great theater program, or a famous sociology professor, or a good study abroad program. In fact, sometimes students are constantly informed of certain highlights of a school, from the campus tour all the way through orientation.

Don't ask them if they think they can get in. They may be wondering the same thing, in fact they may be worrying if their SAT scores are enough, so they don't really want to hear "Are you sure you can get in?"

High school seniors in general aren't very enthusiastic about the college process. They're stressed, nervous, and would probably rather talk about anything else. Ask a few basic questions, like "where do you want to go?" or "how are the applications going?" but don't push the subject. You may be interested, but don't force them to talk about a topic they obviously want to avoid.