2nd Interview?

[katiep]

Hi,

I interviewed last year at Columbia, but obviously wasn't accepted. I'm reapplying again this year, but to boot with a ~4.0 GPA my entire senior year in all upper level/graduate science classes, three A+, ivy league, extra academic research and clinical volunteer activities. It was hard to add more to my app without retaking the MCAT and winning the Nobel prize.

Yet, January 8 and still no invite. I felt that my interview last year went very well with Dr. Frantz.

How is this possible? Do they take into account last year's interview performance? What should I do? Should I contact them and ask why? Is that presumptuous? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

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[Trek]

Contact 'em and ask what's up. What do you have to lose if they really weren't going to interview you? Best of luck! --Trek

 

[katiep]

Somewhat of a bump here, hoping to get the evening people's input!

I'm hesitant to just call them, in case they are still waiting to invite me. I don't want to seem like I'm asking for them to do so, or give them the impression that I expect it. Should I call and speak to an admissions officer, or should I write a letter maybe?

Thanks again.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Most definitely write a letter

Just wondering though, How could you interview at columbia and have such "great" experiences and stats yet not get in anywhere last year???

 

[katiep]

Scooby,

Everybody's wondering the same thing, even once on an interview this year!

Actually, I got as far as waitlisted last year, but I only applied to NY schools (sick mother, don't want to leave her), bad GPA from long ago average with good one from now is still pretty low, and 29R MCAT, so my stats are not soo hot.

Still, Columbia did interview me, so I had to have done something right. Maybe it was a mistake last year, though.

 

[Daas Seeng]

Katie, i interviewed at CU too. I hope you didn't talk too much about your sick mother - that could be a red flag to them because they might assume you won't be able to focus on your education.

another thing that might have hurt you is your MCAT - which is good but may not be enough to overcome your early grades.

i would contact dean frantz and let him know how much going to CU means to you and try to address any doubts you think they may have about you in your communications.

CU is also my first choice.

Good luck to you.

Daas

 

[katiep]

Thanks for the advice. I've decided to contact Dr. Frantz by mail.

Incidentally, their office told me that they are slightly backed-up. They're pretty accommodating and will tell you if your app has been reviewed by the committee.

 

[killerrabbit]

This thread was kinda surprising, particularly considering that you have been through this process once already. If you have to ask others if you should call a school then.....
also you interviewed last year with the head of committee at Columbia your grades are slightly better but even you say the one thing holding you back you haven't approach. Honestly you lucked out last year, via rumors I heard Dr. Frantz either interviews people that Columbia really wants or people they want but aren't 100% sure academically will cut it....so you were in the position last year to control your desitiny...my honest opinion of this thread is you are beating a dead horse...move on and be happy (hopefully you are looking at more than just one school since there are 5 (+NYMC) other schools in NYC alone) <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

 

[Nomemory]

Originally posted by killerrabbit:
•This thread was kinda surprising, particularly considering that you have been through this process once already. If you have to ask others if you should call a school then.....
•••

Well s/he is in a NEW situation this year which is probably why s/he wanted more info than that to go on. I'd also like to disagree on the dead horse issue. Of course I have no idea whether or not it's a dead horse, but my point is...neither does anyone esle. Just playing devil's advocate.

 

[katiep]

I'm hand carrying a letter to Dr. Frantz shortly. If the horse is dead, it's dead, but if not, I want to go there too much not to let him know how much I want it.

My interview with him went well last year. Or at least I felt it did. It was a very enjoyable conversation about my artistic activities, and what I want to achieve with medicine. I can't imagine that that alone would have ruined it for me.

Finally, killerrabbit, the reason I started this thread is simply because I wanted people's opinion on whether they take into account last year's interview in their present evaluation. Otherwise, I would have thought that my application only improved so it only makes sense that I should've received another interview. I noticed you didn't answer that question, though...

 

[killerrabbit]

Actually I didn't miss the point that you said that you improved your grades...but you still leaving the gapping hole with your MCATs and if you were missing the "stand out" feature of your application that Dr. Frantz hand picks the class for then your grades aren't ever going to make up for that. I am just surprised that if you are coming from an ivy school (and if I even make the leap to the one in NYC because of your mom) then your advisor probably would have have pointed this out (and if you go to the barnyard...then that is another whole thread) and since this is your second year applying either A) you didn't apply to enough schools B) you were entirely over confident with yourself C) you don't interview as well as you think D) you say offensive things...plus look at interviewfeedback.com, no one at columbia has a bad interview (and you were one of the fortunate ones as I pointed out above that actually got to interview with the single man who makes the decisions) and somehow about 900 people just don't make it...Dr. Frantz doesn't forget people any of them...so take constructive criticism and re-evaluate your situation

 

[katiep]

killerrabbit,

A) True, I have family, plus sick mother. I'm limited to NY. I simply cannot leave her, and she can't come with me.

B) I was never too confident with myself. Others were with me, but not me with myself. Everyone was surprised I didn't get in. Eventually I believed them :&lt;

C) Hopefully not true, but until I can prove otherwise...

D) I didn't mean to be offensive; I was just being defensive. No offense intended. And, gosh, I certainly hope I wasn't offensive during our interview!

By the way, who are you? How do you know so much about Dr. Frantz? Are you a student there? Faculty? Dr. Frantz himself? If so, did I mention how much I want to go to your school!

 

[daisygirl]

I think it is a good idea to send a letter to Dr. Frantz. Make sure that you address all of the issues that you feel may have affected his decision to reject you. Additionally, make sure that you speak of all that you have done in the past year that would make you a better applicant this year. You have nothing to lose! Good luck.
Keep us posted

 

[Amy B]

This post can be used as a reminder to folks this year. After you are rejected by a school you can contact them and they will usually tell you what in your file was lacking so that you can use that year to improve on that aspect that got you rejected the previous year.

Our local med school says NEVER just reapply to a school without finding out why you were rejected the first time. If you improve on whatever they tell you then you stand a very good chance of being accepted the following year.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Amy Beth: After being rejected post-interview by my alma mater (quite a painful rejection, let me tell you), I scheduled a meeting with the admissions coordinator. I've done almost everything she advised me to do, but have heard nothing from them yet. I'm hoping there is some truth to what you have said.

I've heard that the applicant pool is much more competitive this year, so perhaps applicants like katiep and myself are being affected. Maybe there are just too many good applicants and too few interview slots?

Good luck, katiep!

 

[katiep]

Thanks for the vote of encouragement. I'm walking the letter over tomorrow. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything. Who knows, perhaps they were going to extend me an interview, but the letter will make them change their minds ("just too aggressive")!