I'm trying to get as many interviews done before school starts in the fall. Would it be too much to do 3 interviews in 5 days (Mon, Wed, Fri)? I care a lot about the school i'm interviewing last on the friday. Do you think I will be too exhausted or well prepared? Another concern is that I won't have enough time to prepare for each interview since I'll only have a day to dedicate to reviewing each school. Thoughts?
3 interviews in 5 days. Too Much?
- Thread starter leihoma97
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2019
- Messages
- 816
- Reaction score
- 1,979
Why would this leave you with only one day to review each school? You don't have to limit all of your prep to the day before. I'm assuming your interviews are in a few weeks, at least. You would have time to prepare in advance.
But more importantly, like gonnif said, this sounds exhausting and you run the risk of affecting your performance by cramming everything in together.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2016
- Messages
- 1,366
- Reaction score
- 3,714
In a similar spot of wanting to get as much out of the way prior to school semester. You really have to know yourself and your own stamina. I know I can sleep just about anywhere and be fine the next day, and would only need a day to recoup from something like an interview. If you know yourself and think you can do the same, go for it. But if not, maybe rethink the strategy of interviews before school starts. If you do go for it, prep ahead of time, maybe the week before, start figuring out what you want to prep for each school. Then, you can go over your prep the day before and know that you put the time in. If not, missing a few classes isn't the end all be all - especially when compared to performing at your best in order to set your future career.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2019
- Messages
- 84
- Reaction score
- 309
Please don't do this. I had one interview several days after another and regretted it a lot. Couldn't imagine doing 3 in 5 days
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2017
- Messages
- 195
- Reaction score
- 346
In early Oct last yr, I had 2 sets of back-to-back interviews, and they were doable, but exhausting. The most stressful situation I had was getting across the country on a connecting flight for an interview I had the very next day. There was a bit of weather trouble, and I almost missed the interview. I was at one interview, calling the other school to let them know what was happening. Not a good feeling
Anyway, my main concerns about this type of thing would be logistical. Are you giving yourself enough time to get to each place? And do you have good spots to sleep? Will your suit be clean? In this situation, I had solid hosts/SO’s apartment/home to sleep in. Better than going host —> host —> host in one week, with plane travel added in.
Anyway, my main concerns about this type of thing would be logistical. Are you giving yourself enough time to get to each place? And do you have good spots to sleep? Will your suit be clean? In this situation, I had solid hosts/SO’s apartment/home to sleep in. Better than going host —> host —> host in one week, with plane travel added in.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2016
- Messages
- 1,366
- Reaction score
- 3,714
+1 DEFINITELY make sure you have the logistics down!
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2015
- Messages
- 2,409
- Reaction score
- 11,386
Also make sure to not get the names of schools and cities mixed up.
(I remember interviewing at 3 places in a week. Wasn't fun, but it was doable. I would not recommend it though if you can avoid it)
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2017
- Messages
- 290
- Reaction score
- 505
I think the only way this would be reasonable would be if you lived in the city where all of these medical schools were located so you didn't have to worry about travel/logistics (e.g. living in Philadelphia and interviewing at Jeff, Temple, & Drexel all in one week). Even then it would be really tiring
D
deleted972488
Space them out. Your reasoning is because school starts in the fall? Your grades will matter very little as soon as you get into medical school.
To take the other side on this: I think with your stats it's possible you could get lots of IIs, and if you do, taking lots of separate trips when school starts really sounds very disruptive. I agree with the point about thinking through logistics in detail. Hotels might be better than hosts if you can afford it, since they're easier and you don't have to worry about communicating with or keeping your host updated. I think especially with a day between each interview, I would totally do this to avoid having to take days off school.
Or maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part, since I've done the same (scheduled myself for 3 in a week), but after school starts
Or maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part, since I've done the same (scheduled myself for 3 in a week), but after school starts
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2017
- Messages
- 3,580
- Reaction score
- 2,993
Please space them out. Book them for weekends or take a day off classes here or there- absences for interviews are excused. Are you a rising senior? Man....3 II from an applicant w/o a gap year and it's barely August.
9
907914
You should meet @u_raptor
9
907914
I have not personally had this issue yet, but I totally get the sentiment. My school doesn’t start until Sep 24 so I have a little more leeway, however having a 6 credit lab class (12-5 MWF...It’ll be rough) I intend on doing the same thing. If the opportunity presents itself, I am actually hoping to do back to back interviews if I can.
I think the most honest answer for OP is know yourself. If you have he stamina, have the interview prowess, then do it.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2016
- Messages
- 1,366
- Reaction score
- 3,714
It's something else, but each II is an accomplishment on its own to be happy about 🙂. In terms of the matter at hand, I guess we both see it similarly in preferring it back-to-back huh?
Just got to know how much one can handle!
9
907914
Agree 100%. I know I personally would prefer back-to-back (mostly because the cost of flying to NYC from say Chicago is a lot cheaper than from Spokane lol) but also, getting them out of the way if one can handle that.
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2017
- Messages
- 848
- Reaction score
- 855
9 IIs!!!
Back on topic, OP should space them apart and devote time to each school if necessary.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2018
- Messages
- 967
- Reaction score
- 2,067
I assume that your goal is to attend medical school. If so, I would treat each interview opportunity as precious. Missing a day or two of school will not be fatal. Performing sub-optimally during an interview may be fatal. Why risk it by cramming so many interviews into such a compressed timeframe?
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2019
- Messages
- 454
- Reaction score
- 1,115
Humblebrag tbh
Another thing is that the 3rd interview is one that I care a lot about. If I do the 3 interviews in that one week, it'll give me more practice in preparation for my 3rd interview. Thoughts? Travel is also not too bad since one of the schools I'm interviewing at is in my hometown, and all three schools are pretty close to eachother in flight time. I already have the Monday and Friday interviews reserved, still deciding whether to put in the wednesday interview in between. It can help by giving me more prep for friday, but also might burn me out for friday.
D
deleted972488
I personally would not schedule the interview for the Wednesday between your other interviews. But the choice is yours.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2019
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 51
I did this when I was interviewing. It wasn't so bad, honestly. Yes, you have to prep, but it's not like you need to read about the school for 12 hours the day before. I applied while volunteering abroad so I had to squeeze all my interview into a 2-3 week period, because that's all the time off I had. I don't actually remember feeling very stressed about it. Of course, know yourself, and if you think you're going to get overwhelmed, don't do it. But if you plan it out well, prep for each school, and show up fresh to each one, I think you can pull it off.
Also FWIW, I got admitted to both the first and the last schools I interviewed at (as well as some in between), so I don't think either less experience in early interviews/feeling burned out from later interviews made that much of a difference. Just know what you are capable of!
Also FWIW, I got admitted to both the first and the last schools I interviewed at (as well as some in between), so I don't think either less experience in early interviews/feeling burned out from later interviews made that much of a difference. Just know what you are capable of!
