Can you get rejected after a great interview?

[youraverageasia]

Anyone have any personal experience of having a great interview but still getting rejected?

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[Carbohydrates]

I'm sure it happens all the time

 

[BioForLife]

Yes, it's definitely possible. You can have a great interview, and there might be someone else who had an even better interview or simply better stats/EC's, and so on. Interviews are very important, but having a strong interview doesn't equal guaranteed acceptance.

 

[JLT223]

It definitely happens

 

[MasterOfNone15]

.

 

[Typical Average Student]

Nova and Baylor interview went amazingly well, lots of laughs and fun, got waitlisted and no response on Dec 1st, respectively.

Midwestern interview went horrible, I barely spoke during my Pittsburgh interview, and I stuttered and teared up during my LECOM interview and got accepted to all 3.

Interviews are weird, bruh.

 

[A Pre-dent]

.

 

[BioForLife]

How can you really know if you've had a great interview? I had one interview in which the admissions director just gave me compliments the whole time, and I was trying my best to receive them graciously. It was the least competitive school to which I applied, and it was the only school that waitlisted me. I don't think it's worth thinking about too much.

That's a good point. Ultimately it's best just to leave interviews hoping for the best rather than think you nailed it or assuming that it went horribly and beating yourself up over it.

 

[Rambunctious]

Let me give you and everyone else on this forum a life lesson. You have little to no control the way someone perceives you or how you interpret their perception of you. You can come out of any interview or conversation for that matter and think that the person loves you or hates you and it can be the total opposite. My best advice is to do your best and try not to interpret the result of the process.

 

[RuffDay]

What do you mean by a great interview? Can you share your interview experience? I also had an interview which i thought went great but I don't even know anymore..

What makes you think that?

 

[DentalGirl5]

Just wanted to jump in here to console some of you guys by making sure you know that your interviewers aren't always the ones making the decisions on whether or not you get in. Even if you had a great interview, some schools have interviewers who simply "recommend" you to the admissions committee that doesn't actually include those interviewers and then they make the decision. I was told this at one of the schools that I interviewed. So even if they liked you, the admissions committee has a lot of stats, ECs and recommendations in front of them and it's hard to gauge personalities from simple recommendations from the interviewers so they ultimately pick the best stats as well as going with what their understanding of you is based on comments made by those who ACTUALLY got to somewhat know you. This kind of sucks, but it is what it is. Just hope for the best and hang in there 🙂 PS. I felt great at both my UNC and UTHSCSA interviews and didn't get a single word on Dec. 1st so I know how it feels!

 

[darknightzzz]

Just wanted to jump in here to console some of you guys by making sure you know that your interviewers aren't always the ones making the decisions on whether or not you get in. Even if you had a great interview, some schools have interviewers who simply "recommend" you to the admissions committee that doesn't actually include those interviewers and then they make the decision. I was told this at one of the schools that I interviewed. So even if they liked you, the admissions committee has a lot of stats, ECs and recommendations in front of them and it's hard to guage personalities from simple recommendations from the interviewers so they ultimately pick the best stats as well as going with what their understanding of you is based on comments made by those who ACTUALLY got to somewhat know you. This kind of sucks, but it is what it is. Just hope for the best and hang in there 🙂 PS. I felt great at both my UNC and UTHSCSA interviews and didn't get a single word on Dec. 1st so I know how it feels!

and they say stats aren't everything.................yea what you said is completely true...........

stats (GPA, DAT) are not everything but they are like significantly more than half of everything.

on the side note. on my nova interview, my interview basically complimented me off the roof, spend time to know how I like to enjoy like and joke around. WAITLISTED high hold.

anyhow, schools do the tuft syndrome thing, so you are either rejected because

1. you aren't good enough for the school
2. you are not the good fit for the school (your stats is what the school looks for but they pick someone with equal stats but more likeable ECs that they want to represent their student body)
3. you are assumed to get in better and/or cheaper school so they don't want to accept you (they waitlist you instead).

this does not mean interview at 5 school and waitlist at 5 schools means you are too good for those 5. its just my speculations.

 

[JLT223]

Unless you're on the admissions committee, you won't ever know exactly why or why not you're accepted. I wouldn't lose sleep over it; it's out of your control. All one can do is be genuine and sincere and hope for the best.

 

[youraverageasia]

Thanks for all the replies! It just seems unfair that a school would invite you for an interview, and then reject you later on even after you did well on the interview. Why invite candidates to an interview at all even if they're not going to accept you regardless?

 

[darknightzzz]

Thanks for all the replies! It just seems unfair that a school would invite you for an interview, and then reject you later on even after you did well on the interview. Why invite candidates to an interview at all even if they're not going to accept you regardless?

are you a boy or a girl?

I am a boy. and since birth, I don't check out 1 girl. I check out multiple girls and talk to multiple girls. however, when actually date, I can only date 1 girl (some people date more than 1 but yeaa). and I met a girl that looks way out of my league but when she talks, i am so out of her league due to her being obnoxious, self-centered. or we just are not a good fit.

the above is just an example. lol

it is the same thing with the interview so I heard the school interview 3x more than their slots (they usually accept more than their slots also, so the ratio cuts to around 1:2). This is when I think stats plays a role after interview also. Anyone can practice and carry out themselves well in a few hour interview. but stats is a consistent process over a long period of time.

 

[JLT223]

are you a boy or a girl?

I am a boy. and since birth, I don't check out 1 girl. I check out multiple girls and talk to multiple girls. however, when actually date, I can only date 1 girl (some people date more than 1 but yeaa). and I met a girl that looks way out of my league but when she talks, i am so out of her league due to her being obnoxious, self-centered. or we just are not a good fit.

the above is just an example. lol

it is the same thing with the interview so I heard the school interview 3x more than their slots (they usually accept more than their slots also, so the ratio cuts to around 1:2). This is when I think stats plays a role after interview also. Anyone can practice and carry out themselves well in a few hour interview. but stats is a consistent process over a long period of time.

If a school offers you an interview, stats are out of the picture for the most part. They wouldn't invite you to their school if they thought you would be unable to handle the work. The only way stats could play a role is if they narrow down 2 candidates for 1 seat who have similar backgrounds, ECs, etc.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Thanks for all the replies! It just seems unfair that a school would invite you for an interview, and then reject you later on even after you did well on the interview. Why invite candidates to an interview at all even if they're not going to accept you regardless?

I am not trying to be rude here, but how do you know you rocked the interview. You may have felt it went smoothly, but the things you said may have actually not been what they were looking for.

You would never have been granted an interview if they weren't considering you as a possible candidate. After the interview, they just felt you didn't fit the mold of candidates they are looking for. All you can do at this point is look back at your interview and try to learn from it. Try to figure out what you could have said / done differently. You obviously have the scores they we considering.

Good luck

 

[Carbohydrates]

Thanks for all the replies! It just seems unfair that a school would invite you for an interview, and then reject you later on even after you did well on the interview. Why invite candidates to an interview at all even if they're not going to accept you regardless?

Boy, you are in for some cold hard truth.
That is just life. Dont want to sound rude, but if you dont accept that, you're gonna have a hard time accept the fact that you have been rejected at some schools.

Grab a beer/coke/hennessy/tequila/oj, whatever you prefer and chill.

 

[ajj70]

Thanks for all the replies! It just seems unfair that a school would invite you for an interview, and then reject you later on even after you did well on the interview. Why invite candidates to an interview at all even if they're not going to accept you regardless?

Being invited to an interview isn't the same thing as being guaranteed acceptance and while you may feel the interview went well, obviously the admissions committee did not. For most schools, only about 1/2 of those interviewed get accepted, some schools are a little higher, some are a lot lower. Using Typical Average Student's example, maybe he liked that they laughed a lot in the interviews and that made him comfortable but maybe the ad comms left the interview thinking "hey, that guy was funny but not at all serious about going to dental school' (not likely, just an example). Life lesson, fair doesn't mean everyone gets what they want....

 

[AggieWannabeDentist]

If a school offers you an interview, stats are out of the picture for the most part. They wouldn't invite you to their school if they thought you would be unable to handle the work. The only way stats could play a role is if they narrow down 2 candidates for 1 seat who have similar backgrounds, ECs, etc.

Is this true for all schools, particularly Houston?

 

[cotoncub]

Just based on numbers only a portion will end up getting acceptances. Although they have already considered your stats and how you look on paper for the interview invitation, once you interview they will take in consideration how your interview went along with your application all together. It is then the comparisons from this point onward that make the decisions so uncertain since you don't know how your fellow candidates performed in theirs.

Also there is no way of knowing if you had a great interview or not. The interviewer could just be extremely nice/friendly and sound reassuring, but internally may be judging you negatively. I think the only interview I had where I thought I did well was when the interviewers literally told me afterwards that I had a great interview and that they hoped to see me there in the upcoming fall.

 

[BetaHelix]

Can you be denied after a stellar interview? yes of course. Can you be accepted after a mediocre interview yes. The interview is one piece of the pie. Other factors also go in to acceptance. For example "Likelihood of accepting offer and attending" If you do extremely well but the ADCOM believes you'll probably get in elsewhere and prefer to go elsewhere you may not be accepted even though on paper and in person you did great. This is more common than you think because most ADCOMS are running on limited time and personnel to sift through all the apps. In the end they want to select people they believe will attend, do well, and graduate with the limited support staff they have.



If you felt like you aced an interview and were denied I can imagine there to be 3 main reasons. 1. Other people also aced the interviews with more impressive stats.

2. You did very well, so well that with your stats and interview skills they may be inclined to believe you'll get multiple acceptances and not choose them. "If he/she did amazing here he/she probably did amazing at several other (cheaper or closer) schools and likely wouldn’t pick us unless we have reason to believe he/she would"

3. How you determined whether an interview went well was not using the same factors that the interviewer uses to determine if a candidate does well.

This is of course my opinion.

 

[aceofbass]

In theory, shouldn't ADCOMs only invite you to interview if you have a chance of being accepted, conditional upon your interview? If that's the case, then after a great interview you should have a great chance of acceptance. However, if there are X number of applicants with better stats and better interviews than you, then you wouldn't get in.

 

[Pro-Dentite19]

Yes it probably happens a lot....I would imaging that a tie goes to the stats.

 

[keewee981]

Once you get the notification of your status then you will know for sure

 

[PlasmaMembrane]

Once you get the notification of your status then you will know for sure

...I've never seen a more pointless post on this forum.

 

[keewee981]

...I've never seen a more pointless post on this forum.

It's common sense you can't know for sure until you get that email. Talking about how the interview went and what you felt won't change the status of your acceptance at that school. Incase you didn't notice, it's not up to you to make the choice it's the admission people. There is no way to know beforehand unless you are told directly that you are accepted.

 

[PlasmaMembrane]

It's common sense you can't know for sure until you get that email. Talking about how the interview went and what you felt won't change the status of your acceptance at that school. Incase you didn't notice, it's not up to you to make the choice it's the admission people. There is no way to know beforehand unless you are told directly that you are accepted.

Breaking news everyone, it turns out you won't know what the outcome of your admission status is until you're told what the outcome of your admission status is. Fascinating insight, keewee981.

 

[keewee981]

Breaking news everyone, it turns out you won't know what the outcome of your admission status is until you're told what the outcome of your admission status is. Fascinating insight, keewee981.

Anytime.

 

[Rambunctious]

Breaking news everyone, it turns out you won't know what the outcome of your admission status is until you're told what the outcome of your admission status is. Fascinating insight, keewee981.

Anytime.

Not sure where the hostility towards keewee is coming from? What she's saying is common sense, but a lot of people on SDN are in denial and don't want to accept it. People need to hear the truth sometimes and its very simple like how she put it.

 

[Jbrowndds]

Nothing garuntees you a spot in the class. You could have a 4.0 with a rock solid interview and still not get in.