" Didn't meet a goal"

[mwsapphire]

Hi everyone,
It's me again with the interview prep questions.
For " describe a time where you didn't meet a goal" I'm trying to stick to the last 4 ish years because I'm already using an older example for my " challenge" answer.
Now, for meeting a goal, I can only think of academic stuff! For myself, personally, I haven't set many " personal" goals ( I just don't operate that way for non-academic things, haven't needed to lose weight or anything else that needs a set goal personally). The only one that seems worth discussing is deciding to take a gap year and taking a late summer MCAT but that is so...lame. I , with the exception of Academic stuff, tend to go with the flow more than set hard goals.

...how did you guys answer this question? ( By which I mean, there may be some examples of my life I can frame as an answer to this Q but I haven't thought of them yet).

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[CyrilFiggis]

The point of the question is to see how you deal with failure.

 

[Rachapkis]

As the poster above states, it's your thought process, what you learned, and how the experience changed you that counts. Examples abound:

An experiment that you designed and implemented, which ultimately did not support your thesis--Explain the reasons why you thought the experiment would work, everything you did to make it work, what you learned from the process, and what you are doing now as a result.

Interpersonal issues--Perhaps you were the President of an organization with feuding factions. Talk about the steps you took to calm tensions, why in hindsight they didn't work (e.g., one of the parties was irrational and intransigent), what you did when the measures you tried did not work, and how you would react to the situation today in the wake of what you have learned.

Academic issues--Talk about a situation where you tried as hard as you possibly could, but the outcome was not to your satisfaction. Explain the steps you took to improve (changed study habits, saw a tutor, sought out different sources of information, etc.), what you learned from the experience, and how you approach things differently now in the aftermath of that experience.

 

[valkirieas]

I think when it's phrased like "set a goal" it gives the impression it was some big formal process. It might help to think more along the lines of "What's a time I was disappointed in myself and what did I do to overcome/address that"...Goals aren't always explicitly known or stated it can be something you realize after the fact i.e. If you struggled with socializing and you made any kind of effort to do smth out of your comfort zone....and it didn't pan out as hoped, what did you do after that?

 

[mwsapphire]

As the poster above states, it's your thought process, what you learned, and how the experience changed you that counts. Examples abound:

An experiment that you designed and implemented, which ultimately did not support your thesis--Explain the reasons why you thought the experiment would work, everything you did to make it work, what you learned from the process, and what you are doing now as a result.

Interpersonal issues--Perhaps you were the President of an organization with feuding factions. Talk about the steps you took to calm tensions, why in hindsight they didn't work (e.g., one of the parties was irrational and intransigent), what you did when the measures you tried did not work, and how you would react to the situation today in the wake of what you have learned.

Academic issues--Talk about a situation where you tried as hard as you possibly could, but the outcome was not to your satisfaction. Explain the steps you took to improve (changed study habits, saw a tutor, sought out different sources of information, etc.), what you learned from the experience, and how you approach things differently now in the aftermath of that experience.

So, maybe mentioning the MCAT is fine? I was going to take it in the winter,but was studying so slowly that I couldn't meet that goal until I drastically changed my study habits. I was then planning for spring, but then it ended up being summer, but I scored well.
What I learned was major - structuring time for a failure or room for error is critical. I would have been totally crap out of luck had i just planned to take it in June and then realized I wasn't ready, I would have needed a second gap year.
Is that enough?

 

[deleted947265]

"Well ya see I really wanted to get into Harvard but they turned me down so I guess you'll do."

Really it's just the "tell us about a time you failed" question worded differently. This is something that happened and I was disappointed in myself. I thought hard about what I did wrong. I worked on the stuff I did wrong and did better. The end.

 

[mwsapphire]

"Well ya see I really wanted to get into Harvard but they turned me down so I guess you'll do."

Really it's just the "tell us about a time you failed" question worded differently. This is something that happened and I was disappointed in myself. I thought hard about what I did wrong. I worked on the stuff I did wrong and did better. The end.

I see I mean I was looking through a list of interview Q's and for some reason thought they could ask both versions. Is my MCAT example okay though?

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone,
It's me again with the interview prep questions.
For " describe a time where you didn't meet a goal" I'm trying to stick to the last 4 ish years because I'm already using an older example for my " challenge" answer.
Now, for meeting a goal, I can only think of academic stuff! For myself, personally, I haven't set many " personal" goals ( I just don't operate that way for non-academic things, haven't needed to lose weight or anything else that needs a set goal personally). The only one that seems worth discussing is deciding to take a gap year and taking a late summer MCAT but that is so...lame. I , with the exception of Academic stuff, tend to go with the flow more than set hard goals.

...how did you guys answer this question? ( By which I mean, there may be some examples of my life I can frame as an answer to this Q but I haven't thought of them yet).

What do I say about introspection?

 

[Moko]

Is my MCAT example okay though?

No, I would recommend picking something non-academic. Every question and prompt is an opportunity to showcase something about yourself. Answering this question with your MCAT experience does not demonstrate thoughtfulness and/or introspection, and suggests that you have nothing meaningful to say. Similar responses given by other applicants have struck me as being lazy. Outside of academics, when have you failed to live up to your own expectations? This can be with regards to your personal life, relationship with your partner, family, friends or associates, and/or your experience as a Pakistani-American and Muslim.

 

[mwsapphire]

What do I say about introspection?

I am extremely introspective about things that are too personal to discuss at an interview or are too vague. Please don't make blanket assumptions based on my trouble answering a certain interview prompt with something appropriate to discuss at the interview.

 

[LizzyM]

I am extremely introspective about things that are too personal to discuss at an interview or are too vague. Please don't make blanket assumptions based on my trouble answering a certain interview prompt with something appropriate to discuss at the interview.

Do you have any interests outside of academics? Do you have any hobbies or advocations that have required acquiring and honing skills. Have you ever failed to strengthen your skills as an athlete (even if it is being better at 3 point shots in pick-up games) or wished that you were better at sightreading music when you play or sing? Did you ever make something that didn't turn out well whether it was a piece of Ikea furniture or a no-knead bread recipe? This doesn't have to be a difficult question.

 

[jarednogeek]

I wouldn't say taking a gap year or delaying an MCAT is an adequate answer. Use this question to differentiate yourself from the 4.0 robots and prove that you have a life outside of school, a life that'll be very necessary to survive the stresses of a medical education.

 

[mwsapphire]

I wouldn't say taking a gap year or delaying an MCAT is an adequate answer. Use this question to differentiate yourself from the 4.0 robots and prove that you have a life outside of school, a life that'll be very necessary to survive the stresses of a medical education.

I can discuss trying to get into one of my old prof's favorite labs and instead working as a scribe during my gap year....but that may draw too much attention to the fact that I lack research, that's why I was afraid to use it.( I wanted to work in his lab for myself, not for my app. Just really loved the guys' class and wanted to learn more from him.)

 

[allantois]

I can discuss trying to get into one of my old prof's favorite labs and instead working as a scribe during my gap year....but that may draw too much attention to the fact that I lack research, that's why I was afraid to use it.( I wanted to work in his lab for myself, not for my app. Just really loved the guys' class and wanted to learn more from him.)

This is still academic

 

[mwsapphire]

This is still academic

GGAAAHHH
I didn't have many organized activites outside of pre med stuff in college- I had my social life, home life, and I liked my EC's. I haven't done non " pre med" or non " academic" EC's since HS and even then I did academic clubs...

 

[LizzyM]

GGAAAHHH
I didn't have many organized activites outside of pre med stuff in college- I had my social life, home life, and I liked my EC's. I haven't done non " pre med" or non " academic" EC's since HS and even then I did academic clubs...

Right there I think that you have identified your problem.... and you aren't goal oriented in your personal life, not even setting a goal of, let's say, getting 10,000 steps/day or something pretty ordinary.

 

[mwsapphire]

Right there I think that you have identified your problem.... and you aren't goal oriented in your personal life, not even setting a goal of, let's say, getting 10,000 steps/day or something pretty ordinary.

Oh sorry forgot to answer that.
When you phrase it like that I do have some goals, that were just so minor I thought they were so silly ( like fitness goals). Failed recipes also count? Hell yes. I just thought it had to be like, a serious goal ( like a major step in a romantic relationship or something) and was a bit spooked.
And what's wrong with being interested in academic/pre med stuff! In HS I did acedemic clubs bc I wanted to, and for no other reason!

 

[LizzyM]

Oh sorry forgot to answer that.
When you phrase it like that I do have some goals, that were just so minor I thought they were so silly ( like fitness goals). Failed recipes also count? Hell yes. I just thought it had to be like, a serious goal ( like a major step in a romantic relationship or something) and was a bit spooked.
And what's wrong with being interested in academic/pre med stuff! In HS I did acedemic clubs bc I wanted to, and for no other reason!

Having nothing but academic/pre-med stuff can come across as boring and even gunner-ish.

 

[zooted]

Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution?


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