Choosing interview dates: earliest date a disadvantage?

[zaben]

Hey all,

I have been lucky enough to receive a few interview invites already, but am wondering if it is recommended to choose the very earliest date. If schools give interviews to the most accomplished applicants first and choose a certain number to accept from each interview group, it seems as if you would want to schedule an interview around the 4th or 5th date available. This is because the very first date would be loaded with incredible applicants while the 4th date will be down to the more average applicants and so your chances of acceptance would increase. Is my gut feeling correct here, or am I just being overly paranoid?

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[karayaa]

Overly paranoid.
Consider getting a colonoscopy.

 

[Ismet]

You do realize that applications are usually reviewed in a large bunch however often the committee meets, right? They could review 50 a week or 100 every other week or a few hundred in a month. So picking day 1 vs day 4 makes zero difference in the pool you are reviewed with. Also, each person in an interview day will have a different interviewer (usually). You're being overly paranoid. Just pick the date that works best for you and stop with the mind games, you'll drive yourself nuts.

 

[TheShaker]

Just keep it simple. Trying to figure out what happens in those admissions offices will drive you crazy.

 

[Osteoth]

You're also assuming that those "qualified individuals" who were first offered interview invites will attend the earliest possible interview.

This is not realistic when it comes down to scheduling flights, around jobs, kids, etc.

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

Does it hurt your application to choose a later date (ie picking dates in October instead of September?) Will schools assume you aren't as important to them as other schools or life commitments?

 

[tantacles]

You do realize that applications are usually reviewed in a large bunch however often the committee meets, right? They could review 50 a week or 100 every other week or a few hundred in a month. So picking day 1 vs day 4 makes zero difference in the pool you are reviewed with. Also, each person in an interview day will have a different interviewer (usually). You're being overly paranoid. Just pick the date that works best for you and stop with the mind games, you'll drive yourself nuts.

+1, especially the mind games part. Please just go to your interviews without pretense. You'll be more mentally healthy and less nervous.

 

[Ismet]

Does it hurt your application to choose a later date (ie picking dates in October instead of September?) Will schools assume you aren't as important to them as other schools or life commitments?

October vs Sept doesn't make that much of a difference. You are allowed to have a life and commitments outside of your application to med school...

 

[Goro]

Seek out a therapist stat. This is getting pathological.

Does it hurt your application to choose a later date (ie picking dates in October instead of September?) Will schools assume you aren't as important to them as other schools or life commitments?

 

[lobo.solo]

If you pick the earliest date possible you could get an early acceptance. This allows you to be more picky about the other interviews you decide to go. I'm glad I did this as I didn't have the money to keep going on interviews.