A panel of seven students sits on the stage at Shriver Hall, facing an auditorium packed with eager parents just dying to ask about cafeteria food or whether engineering students make friends.
Fortunately, these students know exactly how to handle the sea of questions, ranging from the basic to the bizarre. For a student Admissions Representative (AR), running an info session or interviewing a prospective student is all in a day's work.
The Admissions Representative Program, a student group with about 40 members, gives juniors and seniors an opportunity to play a key role in the admissions process at Hopkins.
"This is the most selective student group in the admissions office," said Amy Brokl, assistant director of admissions and current supervisor of the program.
Becoming an AR requires an application, a recommendation and of course, a willingness to take on tasks ranging from on-campus interviews, staffing student panels at open houses and even doing general office work whenever an extra hand is needed.
"This is a somewhat unique experience," Brokl said. "It really shows that we have faith in our students. They are our trusted ambassadors."
A number of campus activities are offered to prospective students, such as campus tours, open houses, overnight stays and the admissions interview.
The whole idea of students interviewing students arose both from a need for additional bodies in the Admissions Office and for an outlook that differed from what the staff members could provide. Students have been interviewing and running the info sessions since Brokl's own years at Hopkins, as a student Admissions Representative herself.
The program has remained fairly consistent in its activities, but each group's particular character varies from year to year.
"Certain classes will be a little more involved, a little more serious," said Brokl.
Last year, juniors Shelby Boxenbaum and Rebecca Shields were both drawn to the unique opportunity and hope to continue in the fall.
"I think the idea is, who better to interview prospective students than students themselves?" said Shields, a public health major.
Boxenbaum, a double major in International Relations and History, said she never found it hard to be so close in age to her interviewees.
"If anything, it makes it easier to answer questions about student life and academics," she said.
Shields added, "It's not that strange. They don't seem that close to me in age, even though it's not a big difference."
As she explained, the AR's role is to meet with the student, who is thinking of or has already applied, asking and answering their questions in the space of just half an hour.
"It's like a typical interview," she said. "Then we do a write up of our impressions, whether they would succeed at Hopkins, and that gets added to the application file."
Although these optional and informal interviews don't carry a great deal of weight in the actual decision process, Brokl explained, they give Hopkins a chance to get to know prospective students, who in turn get to ask the questions that most concern them.
"As we always say, our interviews are more informative than evaluation," Brokl said. "They're an opportunity for students to learn more about the University."
But even if the interview doesn't affect a student's chances of getting in, the AR gives vital feedback that contributes to the entire admissions process.
"You rank on whether you see them as someone who'd do well at the school," said Shields. "It's cool to meet someone and think 'this person would be such a great match.'"
According to Shields, the training process involves observing two info sessions and three interviews, combined with additional training days and mock interviews with old representatives to help prepare the new group. Finally, they're ready to have their first interviews observed and critiqued.
"They want to get students from all different parts of Hopkins, different majors and activities," said Shields. "It's a mutual process. While you're interviewing them, you're also selling them on what Hopkins has to offer."
For Shields, it's important to have students helping to pick new students.
After all, "They know best."
Next year's group has already been selected, but applications will be available next February for rising sophomores and current juniors interested in participating in the following year.
