Anyone heard from programs post-interview?

[trex92499]

I received an email from a program I am very interested in and wondered if it meant anything or if I should be taking this with a grain of salt?

So anyone get any emails, letters, smoke signals, messenger pigeons, singing telegrams, ninja assassins, or any sort of sign from a program?

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[b&ierstiefel]

I haven't received anything of that sort. At the end of three interviews, these three programs did offer an all-expenses paid second visits. As there are practical reasons why a second visit would serve useful in these cases (i.e., not being able to meet with certain folks during my initial interview visit), I am not reading too much into this. I would expect for all of us to get some correspondences later in the game though (i.e., close to ROL entry deadline).

I received an email from a program I am very interested in and wondered if it meant anything or if I should be taking this with a grain of salt?

So anyone get any emails, letters, smoke signals, messenger pigeons, singing telegrams, ninja assassins, or any sort of sign from a program?

 

[yaah]

A lot of it happens after the new year when they are wrapping up the interviews and have a general sense of the applicant pool. Some send what appear to be form letters that most get (email or regular letter). I got a few that were relatively personalized and talked a bit about some part of my visit or my interests. One chair actually sends handwritten notes to some people. I would say about half is email, half regular mail. A lot of them will say "we were impressed with your visit" and may add in "you are a competitive candidate" or "we will rank you highly."

Depending on the program, some contact people and let them know they are ranked high enough to match, or they hint at this. This is often done with a phone call from someone you interviewed with. A couple of places I was contacted by residents asking me if I had further questions.

As to how much to pay attention to it, well it is a good sign. It might not indicate you are ranked to match there, but if they are taking the time to correspond with you it indicates that you are likely a candidate they wouldn't mind having match with them. So while you don't want to read too much into it (like getting a letter saying "we enjoyed your visit and plan to rank you highly" and taking that to mean you can only rank one program on your list), you also can feel good when you get this correspondence.

Another thing to remind is that this shouldn't necessarily sway your ranking - just because a program expresses their like for you doesn't necessarily mean it is the best fit for you. While it is nice to match at your #1, if it isn't really your top choice then it's not really that great. That program will still be there at #3 or #4 if you get that far. Therefore, when I filled out my rank list I knew I wasn't going to go past #2 because they told me that. Of course, I still ranked 10 programs because there was no point not to.

Sorry, no ninjas or smoke signals or fruit baskets or University of Colorado Athletic Department recruiting practices. ALthough I did get this mailing from one program that contained a thick wad of cash they said was to "reimburse me" for some expenses I incurred during my visit.

 

[deschutes]

I did get this mailing from one program that contained a thick wad of cash they said was to "reimburse me" for some expenses I incurred during my visit.

Which reminds me... at the risk of sounding mercenary, how long after did this happen?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Which reminds me... at the risk of sounding mercenary, how long after did this happen?

I think he was joking about that. Kinda smells like a shenanigans sundae.

 

[yaah]

If you are referring to Iowa, well they don't send cash, they send you a check. But I think they sent something about estimating mileage driven (if you drove like I did, from western michigan) or your flight costs. THen you get a check in february or something like that if I remember right.

I was just kidding about the wad of cash.

 

[deschutes]

I think he was joking about that. Kinda smells like a shenanigans sundae.

Well, believe it or not they've actually promised to - it's just that I haven't heard back yet.

[edit]Cash/cheque - same thing!

 

[trex92499]

Which reminds me... at the risk of sounding mercenary, how long after did this happen?

It was about 3 hours after the interview and they said a letter would also be forthcoming....I assume the package with the keys to my new lexus sc430 will take a little longer (they're customizing it for me).

 

[cytoborg]

Yup, I got an email the day after an interview telling me that I will be ranked to match. While I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to do that, I do appreciate the straightforwardness. Another program basically told me that if I don't send a letter telling them they are #1, I will not match there. To quote Andy, I call shenanigans!

What a weird game this is.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Yup, I got an email the day after an interview telling me that I will be ranked to match. While I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to do that, I do appreciate the straightforwardness. Another program basically told me that if I don't send a letter telling them they are #1, I will not match there.

Good stuff man with regards to the email. The story about sending a commitment letter sounds all too familiar.

To quote Andy, I call shenanigans!
What a weird game this is.

Now now, it's not like I invented the word . Another SDN person used the term, "Andy-ism" which now comes to mind since you're quoting me.

Now, when it comes down to the phrase "donkey balls", I absolutely take full credit.

Carry on...

 

[cytoborg]

Good stuff man with regards to the email. The story about sending a commitment letter sounds all too familiar.

Thanks, I was pretty happy to get the email, since I really liked the program. So like yaah was saying, at least now I can relax knowing I won't go too far down on my ROL...but I'm going ahead and ranking other programs anyway...don't want to be one of those people who believes a rank promise and then gets screwed! Ya never know I guess.

As for the other program, I got such a bad vibe there overall for so many different reasons that I don't think I will even rank them. So HA! They can go suck...well...you know. Enough Andy-isms.

 

[stormjen]

I got an email right away from a program I hated, which was no surprise since they're probably desperate to get people. I didn't even bother to send them a thank-you, as I don't plan to rank them.

I got a personal letter from the program director at a place where I really fit in, telling me they will "seriously consider me" should I decide I want to match there. I think they mean it, since they clearly liked me when I interviewed.

The program director of one of my top choices offered me a personal tour of one of the auxiliary hospitals the Saturday after my Friday interview. Interestingly, there was a gunner applicant interviewing the same day as me, one who obviously wanted to go to that program. This person appeared a little miffed to find out I was offered a personal tour. Hahaha.

 

[psammoma]

I got an email right away from a program I hated, which was no surprise since they're probably desperate to get people. I didn't even bother to send them a thank-you, as I don't plan to rank them.

I got a personal letter from the program director at a place where I really fit in, telling me they will "seriously consider me" should I decide I want to match there. I think they mean it, since they clearly liked me when I interviewed.

The program director of one of my top choices offered me a personal tour of one of the auxiliary hospitals the Saturday after my Friday interview. Interestingly, there was a gunner applicant interviewing the same day as me, one who obviously wanted to go to that program. This person appeared a little miffed to find out I was offered a personal tour. Hahaha.

I've been getting a whole mixed bag from the programs that I have been to. Even some of the better programs which I expected to just "let things ride" actually did have residents whom I met and the program director all e-mailed and thanked me for coming and said they hoped I would come back to visit them again.
On another note, one of the programs had the program director write a letter (very promptly after my visit) that seemed personalized which said something to the effect that the "residents and faculty were unanimously impressed w/ you which was most unusual". At first, I was flattered but then given the "game" that this whole Match is, I thought twice about how many of these letters he might have sent to other applicants. Anyone out there get one like this? Truthfully, this is a program that I am VERY interested in so I wouldn't mind playing along if I will reap the benefits.
Good luck to all out there w/ surviving this game we all willingly have entered!

 

[Ubiquitus]

Got three thank-you letters in the mail post-interview from a few programs. Was told I will receive an email with the listing of a programs ranking of me closer to March. That's about it.

 

[stormjen]

Got three thank-you letters in the mail post-interview from a few programs. Was told I will receive an email with the listing of a programs ranking of me closer to March. That's about it.

Huh, really? I didn't know programs did that. I knew that occasionally they'd tell you "we've ranked you to match", but I didn't think they'd do much more than that.

 

[trex92499]

Okay, now my most favorite program has sent me a Happy New Year email, reiterating their interest in me. It's sort of getting my hopes up and making me feel like not going on some of the interviews I still have scheduled....what do y'all think?

 

[cytoborg]

Don't get tricked...I think a lot of this is just games, and even if they are being sincere, you never know how it's going to shake out in the Match. I've had friends (albeit in other specialties) who believed positive feedback to the point of cancelling their other interviews, and then got screwed. Unless they actually come out and say that you will be ranked to match, don't count your chickens. And even then, I wouldn't. Maybe I'm just cynical.

 

[yaah]

Okay, now my most favorite program has sent me a Happy New Year email, reiterating their interest in me. It's sort of getting my hopes up and making me feel like not going on some of the interviews I still have scheduled....what do y'all think?

Dunno. I think it's risky to cancel interviews because of a nice email. I mean, it is nice to get favorable correspondence but it is in a program's advantage to be nice to everyone they are going to rank. It doesn't cost anything to send out nice emails, and doesn't take up much time. Odds are they sent this because you are a good candidate and they would be happy to have you match there. But the question is, "How happy?" It is to your advantage to maximize your chances, which means going to more interviews, impressing more programs, and getting on more rank lists. It could all be overkill, you could match at your #1. But do you want to take this chance simply to save a couple hundred bucks (if that) on another interview? No one can tell you what to do but I just suggest being careful.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Don't get tricked...I think a lot of this is just games, and even if they are being sincere, you never know how it's going to shake out in the Match. I've had friends (albeit in other specialties) who believed positive feedback to the point of cancelling their other interviews, and then got screwed. Unless they actually come out and say that you will be ranked to match, don't count your chickens. And even then, I wouldn't. Maybe I'm just cynical.

I am in complete agreement with this dude here. There is nothing binding about a verbal agreement or a letter that a program probably sends to people in addition to you anyway. I've always taken these correspondences with a grain of salt. Think about it...we send thank you letters right to all the programs right?

My true classmates (class of 2002) went through this a couple of years ago and I heard of some really painful stories of how people got f*cked by shenanigans like this.

Again, this is a game. They play it. We gots to play this too. They butter us up. We gotta butter them up...except for the programs we don't plan to rank anyway.

 

[trex92499]

I know, but it's that the wording in the letters from them (2 emails and a 2 page letter) is so STRONG and I am so sick and tired of interviewing and being away from my husband and kids and wearing a suit and panty hose and eating airport food and on and on...oh well, I'm about to leave on another interview road trip...YAY for me!

And I've heard bad stories too....I just want to believe I'm somehow special in this process and the program that's sending them is the right fit in so many ways. Plus a Happy New Year's email?

 

[trent05]

I also got the happy new year email, the immediate post interview email, and the 2 page letter. All with the similar(if not exact) strong wording. Let me guess the program is in the "southwest". I guess we both can't read into it too much, but I agree it feels real good and it's an excellent program that is sending it. It seems like I have more positive feedback from this program than the program at my home school, which is not nearly as strong.

 

[deschutes]

Thanks trent05, your chipping in is a timely heads-up to us all...

Chin up everyone! It's January already!

I just want to believe I'm somehow special in this process...

You said it! Boy oh boy do I hear you there.

As for me, I'm going to go resurrect that worrywart thread some day soon.

 

[QuietSylph]

I also got the happy new year email, the immediate post interview email, and the 2 page letter. All with the similar(if not exact) strong wording. Let me guess the program is in the "southwest". I guess we both can't read into it too much, but I agree it feels real good and it's an excellent program that is sending it. It seems like I have more positive feedback from this program than the program at my home school, which is not nearly as strong.

Yup, me too. Guess we must be ranked #1, #2, and #3.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Thanks trent05, your chipping in is a timely heads-up to us all...

Chin up everyone! It's January already!

You said it! Boy oh boy do I hear you there.

As for me, I'm going to go resurrect that worrywart thread some day soon.

This is all a crapshoot. More apps this year. Many good candidates.

Just interview...rank...pray...watch...see...match...rejoice...drink...be merry.

 

[skoller]

Yup, me too. Guess we must be ranked #1, #2, and #3.

Oh, and my husband and I must be #4 and #5, since we got the same emails and very nice letter. Who knows, though - it is a big program.