"congratulations" after an interview

[p30doc]

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I had an interview this week, the interviewer was pretty abrasive the whole time, but got a little warmer towards the end. At the end the interviewer said "congratulations" in positive tone. It was not qualified what the congratulations was for. Does that mean, congratulations I am going to recommend you for acceptance, or what? =P Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[LadyWolverine]

That's a really weird thing to say at the end of a med school interview.

 

[xanthomondo]

I had an interview this week, the interviewer was pretty abrasive the whole time, but got a little warmer towards the end. At the end the interviewer said "congratulations" in positive tone. It was not qualified what the congratulations was for. Does that mean, congratulations I am going to recommend you for acceptance, or what? =P Anyone have a similar experience?

Take it as a "congratulations for getting this far"

 

[strongboy2005]

Congratulations, you're in?

 

[mdmdt]

I take it you're not visibly pregnant?

 

[Depakote]

well, it's better than "well, you're screwed"

I would regard it with cautious optimism.

I had 2 interviewers (same school) directly tell me that they were going to recommend me and I still wound up on the waitlist. I did get in eventually, but remember that it's a committee decision, not just up to the interviewer.

 

[footballrules]

I had an interview this week, the interviewer was pretty abrasive the whole time, but got a little warmer towards the end. At the end the interviewer said "congratulations" in positive tone. It was not qualified what the congratulations was for. Does that mean, congratulations I am going to recommend you for acceptance, or what? =P Anyone have a similar experience?

It doesn't mean anything, sorry. All the interviewer was saying congrats for making to the stage of being interviewed. The interviewer knows how hard it is to even get to that point. My best advice is not to try and figure out what the "congratulations" meant from here on out and focus on what you can control.

 

[engineeredout]

I take it you're not visibly pregnant?

That was my first thought too.

 

[Marcus Brody]

Maybe it was sarcasm.

 

[p30doc]

Thanks for the responses, all similar to things that have cross my mind. I won't read into it. Also, my Y chromosome kinda kills the pregnancy theory.

 

[MilkmanAl]

You've clearly never seen Junior.It's Arnold. It happened.

 

[Wylde]

I had an interview this week, the interviewer was pretty abrasive the whole time, but got a little warmer towards the end. At the end the interviewer said "congratulations" in positive tone. It was not qualified what the congratulations was for. Does that mean, congratulations I am going to recommend you for acceptance, or what? =P Anyone have a similar experience?

I wouldn't consider it a guaranteed admissions, but at least it is not a bad thing!

 

[Myuu]

Thanks for the responses, all similar to things that have cross my mind. I won't read into it. Also, my Y chromosome kinda kills the pregnancy theory.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCMsKjUeLNU[/YOUTUBE]

(Note: does not actually have a Y chromosome.)

 

[shoEs646]

I would definitely take it as a positive. I had an interviewer tell me that I would make a great physician and I'm taking that as a positive as well. Your interviewer wouldn't say congratulations if he didn't sense something positive.

 

[BlitzSleep]

"Congratulations" is like a metaphor for saying "Don't call us, we'll call you."

 

[TehDoc]

Maybe you seemed like a coward and he's saying congrats for getting through the interview.

 

[Law2Doc]

"Congratulations" is like a metaphor for saying "Don't call us, we'll call you."

More like at the end of a date when the guy tells the gal "I'll call you". He may, or he may not. It's just a nicety some people say because they don't have a good closing line. No point sitting by the phone.

 

[liquid8r]

Perhaps he was a notoriously difficult interviewer and he wanted to congratulate you for successfully locking horns with him. Although it didn't happen at my interview, I think most interviewers are supposed to leave you feeling optimistic. Saying "congratulations" was the only way he could do that if he doesn't show emotion very well.

 

[Airborne86]

Wow, some of you are really cutthroat. I would take it as a good thing. Why not? It doesn't matter either way until you get that phone call or letter saying you've been admitted. So just sit back and wait and don't let it cross your mind either way. The others are just jealous cause they either did not hear a congratulations or haven't had any interviews yet. Best of luck to everyone!

 

[footballrules]

Wow, some of you are really cutthroat. I would take it as a good thing. Why not? It doesn't matter either way until you get that phone call or letter saying you've been admitted. So just sit back and wait and don't let it cross your mind either way. The others are just jealous cause they either did not hear a congratulations or haven't had any interviews yet. Best of luck to everyone!

Us cutthroat people speak from experience.

Jealous? lol.

 

[Law2Doc]

Wow, some of you are really cutthroat. I would take it as a good thing. Why not? It doesn't matter either way until you get that phone call or letter saying you've been admitted. So just sit back and wait and don't let it cross your mind either way. The others are just jealous cause they either did not hear a congratulations or haven't had any interviews yet. Best of luck to everyone!

Um, some of us aren't jealous because we are already years beyond this game.

We are suggesting that the OP not take it "as a good thing", (and instead, just ignore it) because some of us have seen the dozens of threads that will follow threads like this one, where an OP is upset about being rejected after an interviewer basically looked them in the eye and said "congratulations".

Set your expectations low, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Set them high and you are more likely to be disappointed.

 

[footballrules]

Um, some of us aren't jealous because we are already years beyond this game.

We are suggesting that the OP not take it "as a good thing", (and instead, just ignore it) because some of us have seen the dozens of threads that will follow threads like this one, where an OP is upset about being rejected after an interviewer basically looked them in the eye and said "congratulations".

Set your expectations low, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Set them high and you are more likely to be disappointed.

A rule of life: Expect the worst and hope for the best.

 

[shoEs646]

man, all you guys make life seem like its not worth living

 

[tncekm]

A rule of life: Expect the worst and hope for the best.

x2 - i.e. right now I'm expecting not to get any acceptances 🙁

 

[Law2Doc]

man, all you guys make life seem like its not worth living

Life is worth living. But putting stock in hollow promises is not a good way to live life.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

while I understand the psychology of happiness being discussed right now, I also want to make another comment concerning expectations:

Studies in psychology have shown that imagining/ thinking/seeing the end result or reward( in your case acceptance) can significantly motivate the individual by giving him better self-evaluative judgements. This means that thinking of an acceptance letter will reinforce your motivation and help you present yourself better.

 

[Law2Doc]

while I understand the psychology of happiness being discussed right now, I also want to make another comment concerning expectations:

Studies in psychology have shown that imagining/ thinking/seeing the end result or reward( in your case acceptance) can significantly motivate the individual by giving him better self-evaluative judgements. This means that thinking of an acceptance letter will reinforce your motivation and help you present yourself better.

Maybe. But then when the rejection comes, won't that just shake his foundation to the core and have the opposite effect? Better to maintain an even keel rather than create highs and lows for yourself.

 

[jdandturk]

I know someone who was told at the interview "I think you will do great at our school" only to get rejected two weeks later

 

[DrMattOglesby]

my bad...here are the references for those studies i vaguely alluded to earlier:

Bandura and Cervone, 1983. Self-evaluative and self efficacy mechanisms governing the motivational effects of goal systems. Journal of personality and social psychology. 45 1017-1028.

And thats a great point Law2Doc -- I remember having what I felt was an amazing interview before, only to get rejected and devastated a week later!

It seems to me that you're arguing for ego preservation while I am arguing for interview performance. In which case, I feel your views are more realistic to hold post-interview, and mine are more beneficial to hold pre-interview (as well as during). Would you say that's a fair understanding?

 

[GoHop]

I take it you're not visibly pregnant?

HAHA so good!

 

[SDN2013]

a coworker at my mom's lab interviewed at WashU 5 years ago, and was verbally told by the interviewer that she would be accepted. She was waitlisted, withdrew from it and attended vanderbilt instead.

so yea, keep in mind that most interviewers can't really promise that you'll get in.

 

[bcat85]

From my own interview experience, I would share with you the following rule:

Interview Rule Number 1: No matter how the interview ends (excepting yelling or cursing), you can never make a prediction as to whether you will be accepted.

I was told by an interviewer: "You are an excellent applicant, I will certainly recommend you highly."

Rejected

At another school my interview ended with "Well... um... it was... nice to meet you... ok then."

Accepted ASAP

 

[Destro96]

We are suggesting that the OP not take it "as a good thing", (and instead, just ignore it) because some of us have seen the dozens of threads that will follow threads like this one, where an OP is upset about being rejected after an interviewer basically looked them in the eye and said "congratulations".

Set your expectations low, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Set them high and you are more likely to be disappointed.

This is a wise strategy.

The comment is certainly not anything negative. People are just making valid points that the interviewer doesn't have the authority to grant admission.

Also, in the other direction, my pre-med advisor has told me stories (without names of course) of applicants who have come to him in near tears reporting that an interview went over the line, prompting him to call the dean of admissions and request a 2nd interview--then it turns out that the dick in the first gave his highest possible scores.

Bottom line: you can't read much into an interview.