After the interview..

[docinthemaking10]

So once you have an interview, do admissions committees solely base your acceptance or denial on the interview or do they also take into account your EC's, letters, etc.. Does it depend on the school? I know sometimes those are used to determine if one gets an interview but if you do below average on the interview do your stats still help out?

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[Goro]

So once you have an interview, do admissions committees solely base your acceptance or denial on the interview or do they also take into account your EC's, letters, etc.. Does it depend on the school? I know sometimes those are used to determine if one gets an interview but if you do below average on the interview do your stats still help out?

We look at both interviewer's comments AND the entire app. Our Adcom has rescued people from rejection or wait listing because the interviewer's comments were felt to be too harsh, or their expectations too high or even outright unreasonable.

Contrary to SDN mass delusion, essays and LORs do not have magic qualities and will not save a poor candidate. A bad LOR can kill you, even if your interviewers liked you.

We have also waitlisted (and then rejected) people who had good interviews, but the interviewers said something like "nice kid, but I'm worried about that sGPA or low MCAT score", or pointed out something else that they felt was disturbing.

On the whole, we trust our interviewer's comments more than the stats on the app, but the interviewers have to be close to unanimous.

 

[Goro]

One more thing...some light reading:
Goro's Guide to Interviews: The View from Behind the Curtain

 

[Lardy Boy]

Good to know. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Goro]

Well this sounds quite scary. How is one supposed to utilize an interview to "overcome" a lower GPA if a small comment made during an open file interview is enough to sink an app?

You do the best job you can. That is all you can do. Always have a plan B.

 

[DrDwayneJohnson]

If you have been invited for a interview, which at most 20% of applicants per school receive, you have presented sufficient basis for not being held back solely on the basis of a lower GPA. Applicants overlook that it isnt only your performance at an interview but just how good everyone else is. This is an olympic level event where of 100 participants, only 3 will get awarded medals at any individual school. A fraction of a second may separate medal winner from the "also rans"

To add to this... most schools will tell you that if you're at an interview then your metrics are viewed as sufficient. This may always be to help keep you relaxed, though.