After how many interviews should one start debating whether to attend ?

[huskiesrule]

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I currently have 6 interviews. Given the expensive traveling costs(airfare, hotels, cab..) is it advisable to possibly pick and choose after
A certain number? 6 seems like a good number to see although my top 3 choices still haven't interviewed me yet? it's costing me $400-500 per city to travel so that's 3,000 bucks for 6 interviews so Far.

 

[hunterx2]

Some ppl will tell you to go to every one but others will tell you to only interview at places where you can see yourself attending. I think around 4 IV's make you a safe bet for acceptance. Yeah I hear you about the travel costs I have 7 myself and it is really adding up. But hey you are lucky some ppl have zero and they would pay you to get even a single IV if they could.

 

[LFA20]

i'd go to all 6 if you can see yourself attending any of those schools

 

[Ionz]

After I got my 8th invitation, I started to decline interviews. You're right the cost really does add up..😳

 

[Illfavor]

I feel lucky. 4 interviews, none of which are >5 hour drive from me.

 

[LaughingGas]

I feel lucky. 4 interviews, none of which are >5 hour drive from me.

Not really in the position to complain, actually very grateful, but all the interviews I had so far are 6+ plane hours grrrr.....And talk about jetlag......😴 during interview.

 

[Illfavor]

Not really in the position to complain, actually very grateful, but all the interviews I had so far are 6+ plane hours grrrr.....And talk about jetlag......😴 during interview.

Man that's rough.

 

[Scorpion1993]

I totally get you. Trust me, I had no idea this process was going to be this expensive.

I would say 6 is a good number. But, I would highly recommend not to decline any interview. I would schedule 6 of them pre-dec and leave the rest for like February or January. That way, if you dont get in anywhere on Dec 2nd, you still have the option to interview at the rest of schools. But if you do get in, then you can just withdraw your application from those school. So, definitely dont decline an interview.

 

[lmr9y]

If I were you, I'd say to make it to as many as possible. There's a small chance (small) but each of the 6 schools could either wait-list or reject you and you don't wanna be in a situation where you're saying "Man, I wish I went to X interview instead of saying no". However, after Dec 2nd, I'd say only go to interviews if you really wanna go to that school.

Basically what Scorpion1993 said.

 

[dantemac]

I went to 8/10 I was invited to. I turned down interviews from schools I didn't see myself going to. They were safety schools.

So, go if you could see yourself going to that school

 

[El Dentistador]

This is the way I look at it. The interview cost is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of attending dental school. Next to that, this process is expensive enough to have to go through it again. I would fight for as many seats as possible.

 

[dantemac]

I agree. Take no chances. See as many programs as possible. Schools will surprise you.

My top choice became a bottom choice. A fringe choice became my #1 choice. I ended up attending neither school haha.

 

[jojomojo]

I'm just going to suck it up and pay for the all the travelling. I have 5 interviews (all in Oct) so far, and I don't want to take the chances of NOT getting into dental school this cycle. Think about all the money you've ponied up so far, for DAT test-prep, DAT fees, AADSAS fees, supplementals. Not to mention a few grey hairs from the emotional toll of the whole process. If you don't get in this cycle, you'd have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN and waste a year. I think it's worth it to just go to all the interviews and have no regrets.

(I'm just praying for no more pre-Dec interviews LOL. I have to fly to 4/5 of my interviews)

 

[NDPitch]

I went to 8 interviews. On December 3rd, once I had acceptances, I turned down the 3 or 4 post December interview invites that came in because I already had my mind made up. I was wait listed to my top school and accepted to number 2, so I knew it was going to be between those 2. I ended up getting off the wait list to number 1, but either way there was no need for me to attend the other interviews.

Obviously everyone's situation will vary. But if they're all pre December interviews, I'd probably go to all of them because you don't have a guaranteed acceptance in hand.

 

[Aetherius]

You can cut down on costs by "stringing" the interviews together, if possible.
For 2 of my interviews, I scheduled them so one is a Friday and the other is a Monday so that I can go from one school to the next without having to pay for 2 round trip tickets.

It would be just like:
Home --> Location 1 --> Location 2 --> Home.

This method saves me ~$500.

 

[huskiesrule]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I did string two interviews together on consecutive days actually in the same geographic area and that saved me a ton of airfare. I'm hoping to receive 1 or 2 more pre-Decembers so I can pick and choose top 7. A couple of the schools I got invites from were "back-up" schools which I do not see myself attending but will probably go to regardless.