February interviews

[Tree1996]

Hello all!
I was lucky enough to receive an interview invite for this week. I’m wondering if interviewing at this point is mainly for the waitlist or if there is still a fair chance at acceptance. Thank you!

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[chlorocruorin]

Your chances of being on the waitlist is certainly greater now simply due to time, but never go into the interview w that mindset. They are interviewing you for a reason, do so well that they have to accept you. You could also contact the school to ask them how many offers they have made to give you a better understanding.

 

[Mr. Babe]

Does the school have rolling admissions?

 

[Tree1996]

Your chances of being on the waitlist is certainly greater now simply due to time, but never go into the interview w that mindset. They are interviewing you for a reason, do so well that they have to accept you. You could also contact the school to ask them how many offers they have made to give you a better understanding.

True! I’m definitely going with a positive mindset, glad to have received an interview at all

 

[Tree1996]

Does the school have rolling admissions?

Unfortunately yes, but I’m hoping they haven’t filled up all seats yet

 

[LikeAirIRise]

I'm kinda in the same boat. Attending two interviews - one late February and another early March. It would definitely be easy to just stay home and save the $700-900 in plane, hotel, food, and travel fees but just because there's a chance at acceptance I think the best decision is to just go.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Does the school have rolling admissions?

All medical schools have rolling admissions; some just choose to directly advertise that fact on their website while their counterparts don't...

 

[LizzyM]

All medical schools have rolling admissions; some just choose to directly advertise that fact on their website while their counterparts don't...

However, some schools will pace themselves so that they still have offers to make after the last of the applicants has interviewed.
Let's say a school will interview 600 and make 200 offers. After 60 interviews are complete, the top 15 of the pool receive offers and the other 45 stay in the pool. After the next 60 are interviewed, there are 105 in the pool and the top 15 receive offers. These top 15 might be from the first or second wave. Rinse and repeat 7 more times. When the last 60 are interviewed there are 135 (9*15) offers out and 65 offers (200-135) yet to be made with 465 in the pool. As long as the way in which a numeric score assigned to each applicant after interview taking into account the application and the interview (my staircase analogy) remains constant, over the application season, you are no more at a disadvantage if you interview early as if you interview late. When you enter the pool, you need to rise to the top. Some people who weren't at the top at the start, may be in the top third overall which is where you need to be to be one of the 200 out of 600.

 

[lalalallala]

However, some schools will pace themselves so that they still have offers to make after the last of the applicants has interviewed.
Let's say a school will interview 600 and make 200 offers. After 60 interviews are complete, the top 15 of the pool receive offers and the other 45 stay in the pool. After the next 60 are interviewed, there are 105 in the pool and the top 15 receive offers. These top 15 might be from the first or second wave. Rinse and repeat 7 more times. When the last 60 are interviewed there are 135 (9*15) offers out and 65 offers (200-135) yet to be made with 465 in the pool. As long as the way in which a numeric score assigned to each applicant after interview taking into account the application and the interview (my staircase analogy) remains constant, over the application season, you are no more at a disadvantage if you interview early as if you interview late. When you enter the pool, you need to rise to the top. Some people who weren't at the top at the start, may be in the top third overall which is where you need to be to be one of the 200 out of 600.

Do you think that most schools that interview in February/March pace themselves? Or do they invite their 'most qualified' applicants in the fall and accept more of them and then have very few spots left in the spring?

 

[lalalallala]

It’s school dependent.

agreed - I was trying to get a sense of if it's like 50/50 or if a large percent of schools are using one system or another

 

[LizzyM]

Some schools will take the very best applicants in the fall and make them offers but keep in mind that those are also the people who have 7 choices so all things being equal they'd expect to nab 14% of that pool. (Some schools do better, some worse, at nabbing the top prospects.) Then the people who might be more likely than not to accept an offer if it is made and, toward the end, those who have to be interviewed as a special favor to someone as well as those who may be very likely to accept (sent multiple updates, ties to the area, etc).

 

[DameJulie]

, those who have to be interviewed as a special favor to someone as well as those who may be very likely to accept (sent multiple updates,

I am waiting for a school to recognize me in that group.

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

Hello all!
I was lucky enough to receive an interview invite for this week. I’m wondering if interviewing at this point is mainly for the waitlist or if there is still a fair chance at acceptance. Thank you!

Definitely depends on the school. But even T20 schools will be hitting their WL for some students, so you need to put your game face on and just do a great job on your interview. In some ways, you will be more likely to be remembered by the ADCOM than a student who interviewed back in mid-October. Moreover, you are showing a lot of interest just by going on an interview at this point. You will not likely be competing with any students who are using the school as a "safety" at this point -those students likely already have gained admission to their school of choice and just by going to an interview at this point, you are differentiating yourself from those types of applicants.

And if you have been lucky enough to have done some other interviews this year, you will be well-prepared. And regardless of your interview history this year, hopefully you have gained a sense of serenity as the process has unfolded. Best of luck!

 

[Tree1996]

Definitely depends on the school. But even T20 schools will be hitting their WL for some students, so you need to put your game face on and just do a great job on your interview. In some ways, you will be more likely to be remembered by the ADCOM than a student who interviewed back in mid-October. Moreover, you are showing a lot of interest just by going on an interview at this point. You will not likely be competing with any students who are using the school as a "safety" at this point -those students likely already have gained admission to their school of choice and just by going to an interview at this point, you are differentiating yourself from those types of applicants.

And if you have been lucky enough to have done some other interviews this year, you will be well-prepared. And regardless of your interview history this year, hopefully you have gained a sense of serenity as the process has unfolded. Best of luck!

This was actually inspiring, thank you. I've had the good fortune to receive 3 II's, but I do have a follow-up question. If I received a II around this point in the cycle at a school with heavy IS bias ( I am OOS and it is a state school), is this a good sign?

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

This was actually inspiring, thank you. I've had the good fortune to receive 3 II's, but I do have a follow-up question. If I received a II around this point in the cycle at a school with heavy IS bias ( I am OOS and it is a state school), is this a good sign?

At this point in the season, the ADCOM staff is tired. They have spent a lot of money, time and energy interviewing applicants. They have begged all of their interviewers just once too many to fill in for last minute cancelations, they may have had to deal with a lot of weather emergencies (even in a warm climate - bc interviewees have gotten stuck, etc!) They would not be wasting their resources if you had little chance of acceptance.

So I think that if they invited you, they are interested in possibly accepting you or putting you on WL in high enough position to be offered a spot. They know you are OOS and they are choosing to bring you in. They may need a few more great OOS candidates, or you may bring some diversity in terms of GPA/ MCAT score, home state, race/ethnicity or experience. Remember that some state schools need to get some higher stat OOS students to bring up their numbers. (and sometimes, they like the revenue the OOS students bring!) If a school usually has a very high IS preference, it is possible that they did not get a lot of great applicants from OOS, bc this is information that the smart students learn on SDN or elsewhere and many do not waste their money on these "donations". Unless you have an acceptance from a more preferable school, it is worth it to go on this interview!

 

[LikeAirIRise]

Lol shoutout to this thread for being one of the most reassuring places on the internet for aspiring MDs who are currently in limbo

 

[Tree1996]

At this point in the season, the ADCOM staff is tired. They have spent a lot of money, time and energy interviewing applicants. They have begged all of their interviewers just once too many to fill in for last minute cancelations, they may have had to deal with a lot of weather emergencies (even in a warm climate - bc interviewees have gotten stuck, etc!) They would not be wasting their resources if you had little chance of acceptance.

So I think that if they invited you, they are interested in possibly accepting you or putting you on WL in high enough position to be offered a spot. They know you are OOS and they are choosing to bring you in. They may need a few more great OOS candidates, or you may bring some diversity in terms of GPA/ MCAT score, home state, race/ethnicity or experience. Remember that some state schools need to get some higher stat OOS students to bring up their numbers. (and sometimes, they like the revenue the OOS students bring!) If a school usually has a very high IS preference, it is possible that they did not get a lot of great applicants from OOS, bc this is information that the smart students learn on SDN or elsewhere and many do not waste their money on these "donations". Unless you have an acceptance from a more preferable school, it is worth it to go on this interview!

Bless you, this is a much needed boost right now