Davis Interviews

[mom2jnc]

While talking to several interviewees this week, it seems as though people either had a really laid-back interview or were really grilled. Mine was fairly relaxed, so should I be worried that I wasn't challenged more? Those who were grilled seemed to be younger students so was it the interviewer's way of seeing if the younger students would crack while it was assumed that us older ones (I'm 29) could already handle more pressure??

I've just been very surprised at the variety of reactions, especially since some left the interview in tears. Has this disparity occurred in interviews at other schools? Just curious as to what you guys think...

As always, good luck to all!

 

[ShelterGirl]

... or it could be people on the bubble get grilled more. I don't really know. It sure seems like the 1st years at the interview workshop all had laid-back interviews.
I'll let y'all know how mine went Monday night when I get home. I'm older than you, Melissa, so here's hoping mine is relaxed too

 

[Fairyblastt]

Really, some ppl got grilled? Ouch. Gosh, my interview was pretty laid back, but maybe different interviewers have different styles?

 

[kate_g]

Those who were grilled seemed to be younger students

Or, those who *perceived* they were grilled were younger students.

My Davis interview was weird. The interviewers were nice, certainly, and fairly casual (except for the stilted "I'm DOCTOR Firstname Lastname, I'm DOCTOR Firstname Lastname" they went through at the beginning, rather than the "I'm Peggy and this is Sue" I got elsewhere). But not exactly laid-back. Certainly not conversational - my other interviews were downright chatty. The Davis interviewers were businesslike, they obviously wanted me to answer their questions and get out. I don't think I was grilled, though I was asked questions I didn't know the answers to (and I said so).

At my other interviews the interviewers were very encouraging, tried to convince me of why their schools would be good for me, etc. I got nothing at all like that this time. The one negative impression I keep getting from Davis is that they pretty much figure they're your first choice (e.g. not promising to have decisions sent until April 15th, by which date every other school requires a decision). I'm really glad that the whole first-year workshop/orientation thing made up for that quite a bit in my estimation.

Anyway, if the rest of your interviews were like the rest of mine *and* you're just a touch over-sensitive, I could see my Davis interview feeling like a grilling. I could also see those same interviewers, if they were just a little less sure about somebody's qualifications or maturity, or if the interviewee *didn't* stop and admit it when they didn't know the answer to a question, coming off pretty harsh.

 

[k9 <3er]

i'm a fairly young applicant and thankfully experienced a laid back interview. the adcoms were really friendly, they put me at ease right away, and they asked questions that touched on almost all the different areas of my app. a lot of times it was more like a conversation but overall i think i only did okay ... but they definitely were not grilling me. if future interviewees have questions feel free to pm me.

 

[wildfocus]

well, i thought i had done well, but i've spent the last couple of days dissecting every detail of the interview. it seemed laid back, and we talked about some pretty intense experiences from my past. they seemed genuinely interested in me as a person and what i have done. i definitely can tell now who was the "bad cop," and i guess she grilled me, but it was never really uncomfortable. i'm an older student, good (but not the best) grades, and only fair gre's. it's my life experience that will get me in b/c i'm under that out-of-state 3.8/80th percentile average. ugh... 23 more days - at least!!! but, then it will be finally over!

 

[Fairyblastt]

They didn't promise anything, but I heard from some ppl that we might be hearing as soon as last year did, march 20ish (give or take a couple days). More details on my interview, it was definitly was more... confrontational than some of the other interviews, but if you're prepared to explain the downsides of your application, then they don't have a reason to get horrible on you. Also, I really think that they are what they say- they want to get to know us. Everyone there was super nice, and all the interviewers tried to put me at ease (if only to get me to talk slower, I'm sure lol). But I still think that if other ppl were grilled, they probably got interviewers with an overall different style. That sucks, but that seems like what probably happened.

 

[ShelterGirl]

I'm curious ... for those of you who had the less "warm and fuzzy" interviews, how do they compare to, say, a job interview? Most job interviews I've been to have been fairly business-like, impersonal, and sometimes a grill session. If it's like that, then no worries - been there, done that.

 

[mtrl1]

I'm a very young applicant, and my interview was definitely designed to probe my maturity. My interviewers were friendly, so it didn't feel like I was being grilled, but they hammered me with ethical questions. I also found mind to be short (less than 25 minutes), so I don't know what that means. But I thought mine went pretty well.

 

[kate_g]

Most job interviews I've been to have been fairly business-like, impersonal, and sometimes a grill session.

Yeah. Much more like a job interview. Very matter-of-fact. No compliments, straight quesitons about anything they can pick out of your application that might be questionable. I got lots of questions about my research, they wanted me to explain in detail how I did things - I kind of wonder whether they wanted to know if I had actually done everything I said I had, or whether I was just talking big. They want to get to know you in the sense that they want to know whether you can hack it at their school, not whether you'd make a scintillating dinner companion.

This is not a bad thing, of course. Probably much more relevant to deciding between me and 1000 other applicants than my other interviews were...

 

[ShelterGirl]

Thanks kate_g. It was very much like job interviews I've had, particularly because the focus was on me selling my skills to them (vs. them selling their organization to me). It was totally relaxed, though. Good luck to everyone with interviews coming up! They definitely aren't that bad

 

[lilobug]

Hey everyone congrats to those who had interviews, I hope you all did well. I am instate and still have not heard a thing from davis, except that my app was complete and that was months ago. I am pretty confident I am rejected considering interviews were last week and thats ok because I have been accepted to other schools. However, I want a concrete answer. Does anyone know what going on???
I'm getting pretty annoyed

 

[kate_g]

I am instate and still have not heard a thing from davis

At the interview workshop last Saturday, they said "all of the interview invitations have gone out, so if you haven't been contacted yet, you're not going to be offered an interview." So it doesn't look good. The only reason I can imagine they haven't sent rejection letters is to cover their own ass, like just in case they get higher than usual numbers of people turning them down and need to interview more people. Seems pretty impolite to give no word one way or the other at this stage. I guess it could be an "only so many hours in a day" phenomenon, and they're putting rejections off until the interviews and acceptances are done... Still, seems rude to keep you guessing longer than necessary.

 

[lilobug]

Thanks kate_g, yeah I kinda figured that i am rejected by now. Oh well I actually am not that upset, I have big enough decision to make already (Washington or Michigan, + waistlists). Good luck to you.

 

[soxbox]

I have to say that Davis seems like a really great city... everyone I encountered was extremely nice and I had 12 hours to kill after my interview before my flight (and I had to check out of my hotel) so I wandered around quite a bit... the campus is HUGE. I guess coming from a very small private college in New England and working at Tufts (in the middle of nowhere) that came as such a surprise to me... Always seems like there is something to do!! and wow, can you say bicycles?

Anyways, I was really impressed with the city... the interview left a bit to be desired. Very short and extremely business like... (not sure if it was me as as the candidate or perhaps just the group of interviewers I had... I was also the first interview of the day) Also, my tour was not given by a student, rather a hospital volunteer. He was extremely nice, but explained things as if I had never seen an animal before. I really wish there would have been students there that I could have spoke with... also wish that there would have been something else that the school had organized... it just seemed that they didnt put forth much effort...

none the less... i was very happy to get out of zero degrees massachusetts and fly into 73 degree weather, even if it was only for a day