Choosing the earliest interview date

[kirtip]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Is it recommended to choose the earliest interview date a school offers? Or are those dates typically more competitive due to the best applicants being offered interviews first?

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Is it recommended to choose the earliest interview date a school offers? Or are those dates typically more competitive due to the best applicants being offered interviews first?

Choose earliest. Its not like a bell curve type of thing. If there are 10 people interviewing and 9 of them are a good fit they will take 9. Whereas later in the cycle if 10 are interviewed and 9 are a good fit, they may only be able to offer 4 or 5 a spot because it starts to get tight. Technically you are competing for spots, but its not necessarily that you are competing against just those people you are interviewing that day. Its more like you are competing against yourself to be the best applicant that you can be.

I sense some gunnerisms going on... best to just do the best that you can do and provide yourself with the best opportunity for getting in - which would be an early interview.

 

[ndafife]

Youre not competing with the people you interview with for spots specifically. If you interview the 1st day there'll be 200+ spots available. If you interview the last day there will be far fewer. How you match up with the people you interview with doesnt really matter until you get down to the last few interviews when there arent many spots available. Until then, if you are a good enough applicant you will get accepted whether you are the best or worst person that interview day.

 

[SN12357]

Is it recommended to choose the earliest interview date a school offers? Or are those dates typically more competitive due to the best applicants being offered interviews first?

1. Take earliest spot possible
2. Rock interview
3. Enjoy sweet, sweet October 15th acceptance

....at least, you have a reasonable chance of that happening if you interview early. Don't try and game the system. Don't start projecting your own neuroticism onto your fellow interviewees. The only reason to postpone an interview is if your schedule doesn't allow it to happen at the earliest time offered.

 

[kirtip]

Choose earliest. Its not like a bell curve type of thing. If there are 10 people interviewing and 9 of them are a good fit they will take 9. Whereas later in the cycle if 10 are interviewed and 9 are a good fit, they may only be able to offer 4 or 5 a spot because it starts to get tight. Technically you are competing for spots, but its not necessarily that you are competing against just those people you are interviewing that day. Its more like you are competing against yourself to be the best applicant that you can be.

I sense some gunnerisms going on... best to just do the best that you can do and provide yourself with the best opportunity for getting in - which would be an early interview.

Thanks! I can see why you might think it was gunerism coming out, but honestly I'm just not as knowledgeable about the interview process as a lot of other people are on here, and I wanted to know if there was a general understanding on if either date gave me a better chance.

Youre not competing with the people you interview with for spots specifically. If you interview the 1st day there'll be 200+ spots available. If you interview the last day there will be far fewer. How you match up with the people you interview with doesnt really matter until you get down to the last few interviews when there arent many spots available. Until then, if you are a good enough applicant you will get accepted whether you are the best or worst person that interview day.

Thanks, that explanation makes a lot of sense. I'll jump for the first possible day.

 

[Scribblers]

I doubt it makes much of a difference what time you interview within a week or two. All other things being equal, interviewing one week earlier will probably not have a meaningful impact on your chances, especially this early. It might matter more if we were talking about interviewing in September vs. interviewing in January.