Florida, in-state interviews this Saturday - anyone else freaking out?

Started by meadow36
Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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meadow36

meadow36

UF CVM 2013
10+ Year Member
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I've prepared some answers, read the interview feedback on this forum, and tried to calm down - but still nervous!!

I think it would help me to talk about it. Anyone else interviewing Saturday? What have you done to prepare? Which behavior questions do you find the hardest? What kind of answers have you come up with?
 
hiya... I too have an interview this saturday.. so far, I've printed out about a page-worth of some of the interview questions (I found in other threads)...today and tomorrow I plan on writing out answers to those questions, and also I plan on going through the interview feedback section to see if there are any other questions I would like to go over. I also plan on reading over the UF vet school website, to refresh my mind on their program. And, I will probably glance over AVMA to refresh my brain on current topics.... and that will about do it for my preparation..... good luck everyone! :luck:
 
You guys will do great!! Just be HONEST and be YOURSELF! Remember, it's a "cold" interview so your interviewers know nothing about you except what you tell them! Breathe! 🙂

And take your bottled water in with you. Your mouth WILL get dry, plus taking a sip gives you a moment to think before answering a question 😉
 
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Yep, I'm freaking out too!

I have 6 pages of interview questions that I've been compiling for about a year now (started it last year to help friends who interviewed last cycle...I'm not quite that crazy). I've been looking over those, writing a lot of the answers in my blog (ha) and keeping track of the questions I don't have a good answer for yet. A couple of friends and I got together for dinner last night and interviewed each other, and we're doing it again tomorrow. That really helps because you can think of things from different perspectives when you hear other people's answers, and you can get immediate feedback from people that have a general idea of what you're talking about.

I'm focusing on practice questions until Friday, and Friday after classes I will, of course, nap, but then I'll look over my VMCAS, personal statement, Ohio State Supplemental, UF Supplemental, refresh on current issues, etc.

From what I've heard, I'm not relying too heavily on current issues and stuff like that. Everything I've been told is that the interview is 100% behavioral and is just full of "Tell me about a time when..." and "What would you do if..." questions.

My main focus right now is to remember that the interviewers haven't read my file, and I have 50 minutes to sell myself. Even though I might have good anecdotes for the questions, I have to make sure I pick the right ones to highlight what I want the interviewers to get out of my answers.
 
Hey does anyone know if friends / family are allowed to go on the tour?
 
Yeah, totally freaking out.

I was at the aforementioned dinner question session, and it made realize I need to do a little more internal digging within myself and be a little more decisive. Hopefully I'll have my nerves under control by Saturday, hah hah. Mostly I'll be doing more practice questions, and reading up on my personal statement/supplemental, just so I remember the things that helped get to this point at least. The hardest behavior questions are the ones for which you can't think of a good anectdote...this is different for everyone, so I'd go through a large variety to see what sort of situations you have trouble recalling in your life.

Not sure about who can go on the tour...
 
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Another question - one vet I work w/ is a UF grad. While practicing questions she asked "what is the strongest / weakest part of your application?" as a possible question. Is mentioning low grades during a certain period of time a bad thing to do? I mean, the interviewers don't have the application, so I don't know if I want to bring that up but it truly is the weakest part. So I'm torn on this.
 
honestly. . .i'm not really freaking out.
more having a sigh of relief for two reasons:
1) relieved I got an interview at UF because it is not only way on the top of my list, but also my IS
2) relieved that I am FINALLY done with interviews after this weekend (I have been traveling for the last month, and this is my 6th interview)

and my BF is driving up with me as well! he is very interested in the law program, so he's going to meet with the law program admissions people this weekend.

Good luck to all of you!!!!! :luck:
 
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ignore me!
 
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meadow36 said:
Another question - one vet I work w/ is a UF grad. While practicing questions she asked "what is the strongest / weakest part of your application?" as a possible question. Is mentioning low grades during a certain period of time a bad thing to do? I mean, the interviewers don't have the application, so I don't know if I want to bring that up but it truly is the weakest part. So I'm torn on this.
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I'm interested to hear opinions on this too.
 
meadow36 said:
Another question - one vet I work w/ is a UF grad. While practicing questions she asked "what is the strongest / weakest part of your application?" as a possible question. Is mentioning low grades during a certain period of time a bad thing to do? I mean, the interviewers don't have the application, so I don't know if I want to bring that up but it truly is the weakest part. So I'm torn on this.
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I'll start off by saying I was not asked this question at my personal UF interview. I was told last year that every interviewer has the exact same list of questions, but I don't know if they go through them all or pick & choose which ones to ask.

I do think that honesty is the best policy! Some of my best interview moments came from when I was talking about regrets that I have or goals that I was unable to meet. Why? It shows you are human! That you make mistakes and, most importantly, learn and grow from them. Your interviewers aren't interested in hearing about how 100% awesome and infallible you are. It's great to highlight your personal successes, obviously, but if you have a weakness - own it! Your interviewers have weaknesses too, I promise you!

They're also aware that you would not have gotten an interview if your GPA wasn't up to snuff, you know?

Just my opinion, YMMV 🙂
 
Strengths/weaknesses are hard to address in interviews, I think. I try to remember that every single answer counts, and that I need to sell myself and can't afford to "waste" answers. That being said, any weakness that I bring up, I am going to make sure that I end whatever I'm saying on a positive note. The whole weakness that's actually a strength thing.

As far as GPA goes, I wouldn't not bring it up. I think it's fine to say something along the lines of your GPA being a bit lower than you'd like, and that it doesn't reflect your work ethic or ability as a student or however you'd want to phrase it. I would just follow that up by saying that although you don't have a 4.0, you spent time during undergrad participating in other things/extracurriculars/work/having a life. I think in one of my interviews we discussed grades, and I said something like I could have had a higher GPA or gotten A's in a couple of classes that I ended up with B's in if I'd spent more time studying. I said that I do spend a lot of time studying, though, and that if taking a B in the class meant still being able to have a social life and be normal, that I'd take the B any day of the week. It was an honest answer, and I'd say it in my UF interview too. Not judging anyone that has an awesome GPA, but I wouldn't be able to get A's in all the classes we have to take without being a complete hermit, and I would have gone insane a while ago if I'd taken that approach.
 
dear god the hour is approaching. hahah oh man some of these questions are so difficult for me! describe a situation in which you had to break a serious commitment? a time I had to make an unpopular decision? a time I had to stand up for something I believed in? If I get asked these questions I'll pee my pants.
 
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MonieBalonie said:
dear god the hour is approaching. hahah oh man some of these questions are so difficult for me! describe a situation in which you had to break a serious commitment? a time I had to make an unpopular decision? a time I had to stand up for something I believed in? If I get asked these questions I'll pee my pants.
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If they continue to follow last year's format, you'll be asked all of them.
 
It's over! :woot:


How did everyone do?

I think mine went really well, actually; I'm feeling pretty good. Almost all my questions were already in the interview feedback or I'd seen them online, so I felt really well prepared. Then I went to the basketball game this afternoon and we beat the hell out of Kentucky! Go Gators!
 
Hah...I feel so good all my interviews are done! 😀 I think my interview went really well too... looking at the interview feedback really helped me prepare. Even though most of the questions were not exactly the same, they were generally quite similar so it helped that I had refreshed my memory on all of my experiences....I had interviewed last year, and I feel that it is completely black and white comparing the 2 years (although, I did have the same vet student, and I was interviewed in the same room...but she was awesome and so nice, so she really made me feel comfortable going into it). I'm so stoked to hear from UF...I want a decision NOW...my impression of the school has definitely gone way up (which makes me very happy considering UF is my IS, and my best shot!)... good luck to the rest of you interviewing the 21st! :luck:

P.S. I am going to post some feedback in the "interview feedback" section....
 
Yeah, I think I did pretty good too! Thank you SDN interview feedback and those who introduced me to SDN 😀 Now we just have to wait another 3 weeks...*sigh*
 
That was by far the longest and most difficult interview this semester...but it was surprisingly a lot of fun!
 
I feel my interview went very well. It will be a long three weeks. I'm going to try to relax about it as much as possible, because now it's totally out of my hands.
 
My interview went well also. The waiting is going to kill me! Anyone else in the 3:30pm group?
 
splashie said:
Yeah, I was in the 3:30 group! I must have seen you there 🙂 Good luck!
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Hi!

My name is Lee, I was wearing a black pinstripe pant suit w/ a blue shirt underneath. Long brown hair (straightened it for the interview, normally curly). I was asking all the horse questions on the tour. 🙂

Good luck to you too!! :luck:
 
meadow36 said:
Hi!

My name is Lee, I was wearing a black pinstripe pant suit w/ a blue shirt underneath. Long brown hair (straightened it for the interview, normally curly). I was asking all the horse questions on the tour. 🙂

Good luck to you too!! :luck:
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Yes, I'm pretty sure I remember you! My name is Brianna, and I was wearing the gray suit with the maroon shirt and had shoulder length brown curly hair. I don't think I talked too much on the tour, hah hah.
 
I have an interview at UF this Saturday at 4:30pm. Does anyone know...do you do the tour first or after your interview? The letter says to come 15 min early, but I thought I remembered someone saying they went on an earlier tour. I'm arriving the night before, so I'll have all day. How did you guys that interviewed a few weeks ago do it??
Thanks
 
I think the majority of people in my group went after our interview group was done. They have everything really well organized and have your name for where to sit in your "holding room" before they come and get you for your interview. Everyone basically gets called in the same time, after Dean Vickroy talks to you a bit. Also, after the interview, you are escorted to another room where you wait for all the people in your group to finish, then you get "debreifed" by Dean Vickroy and can ask questions. After that, you're released, and there's a first year waiting to give whoever of your group wants a tour. The tour is about an hour (maybe longer), so if you were planning on getting in with another group I'd definitely go way early 😉 Good luck with your interview!
 
BayleeVet2B said:
I have an interview at UF this Saturday at 4:30pm. Does anyone know...do you do the tour first or after your interview? The letter says to come 15 min early, but I thought I remembered someone saying they went on an earlier tour. I'm arriving the night before, so I'll have all day. How did you guys that interviewed a few weeks ago do it??
Thanks
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Technically, the order is "before" room --> interview --> "after" room --> tour. But if you came early enough you could get in on an earlier tour. I did hear, though, that the tours are rather long so I don't know how early you'd have to show up to make sure you're back for your interview.
 
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Yeah, my tour was closer to an hour and a half long. Personally, I wouldn't do a tour before my interview, but just because I'd be too nervous and anxious to focus on anything but the interview. My interview was in the morning, though, so it wasn't really an issue.

If you really want to do the tour before your interview, I'd suggest getting to the vet school around 2:30. That way you can go on the 1:30 interview group tour and be done in time for your interview. I would say trying to go on the tour with the 2:30 interview group (so the tour would start around 3:30) would be cutting it too close.
 
Hey BayleeVet2B....I had a 4:30pm interview...except I was driving up the day of (I live about 2.5 to 3 hours away from Gainesville)...so I drove up early to get a tour before my interview...it ended up working out perfectly for me. I arrived at 2:15pm....and I caught the tour that started at about 2:30pm. It is a long tour (a little over an hour)....so when the tour finished, I went to the "before interview" room, and sat around for only about 20 minutes before the 4:30pm interviews started....I liked getting the tour first, bc it helped me clear my mind and not not obsess over the interview..... good luck!
 
kiki1983 said:
Hey BayleeVet2B....I had a 4:30pm interview...except I was driving up the day of (I live about 2.5 to 3 hours away from Gainesville)...so I drove up early to get a tour before my interview...it ended up working out perfectly for me. I arrived at 2:15pm....and I caught the tour that started at about 2:30pm. It is a long tour (a little over an hour)....so when the tour finished, I went to the "before interview" room, and sat around for only about 20 minutes before the 4:30pm interviews started....I liked getting the tour first, bc it helped me clear my mind and not not obsess over the interview..... good luck!
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Thanks everybody for your input!! Wish me LUCK!! :luck:
 
Good luck BayleeVet and everyone else interviewing this Saturday!! Don't worry, it wasn't that bad. The tour was fun. OMG two more weeks until the letters are sent out!! Time has never gone so slooowwwwlllyy. 🙂
 
And I'll be the girl with the hot pink collared shirt and super awesome black glasses, possibly looking totally rundown after having been there since 7am. On the other hand, by that point I may have gained my 2nd wind knowing I'm so close to freedom/flying home to see my boyfriend for spring break. Haha!
 
Hey everyone, just wanted to congratulate you all on surviving your interviews!!! If you interviewed in the morning, I greeted you at the door. In the afternoon, I tried to inspire peppiness in you post-interview, mostly failing (totally your fault, not mine! Haha) I enjoyed meeting you all, even if I didn't realize I was talking to an SDN-er at the time! Hoping you all get accepted!!! 😀
 
Oh gosh Rockstar, I just realized that I saw you today... and totally didn't think about it until now (I guess my nerves got to afterall, lol).

Um, I was the girl... in the suit. Yeah. It was a dark suit. Guess that's not really all that much help either, but I had a great time (thank you!). :laugh:
 
Girl in the suit, yeah that narrows it down! LOL

Glad you had a good time, we tried to make sure you would!
 
Yeah...me too....realized afterward that it was you...must have been the nerves...think I did OK on the interview. It was very relaxed, loved the campus....we'll see! 🙂
 
Ya the interview was okay today. The tour was semi-decent. The person giving my tour didn't really seem to know too much about the hospital other than the names of the rooms. She didn't really tell us anything about the special programs the school had to offer, and seemed to want to rush through the tour and get back to the main room. I understand that there was supposed to be another tour coming, but it kind of made me feel like they were just amusing us by letting us walk through the hospitals.
 
StillDreaming said:
Ya the interview was okay today. The tour was semi-decent. The person giving my tour didn't really seem to know too much about the hospital other than the names of the rooms. She didn't really tell us anything about the special programs the school had to offer, and seemed to want to rush through the tour and get back to the main room. I understand that there was supposed to be another tour coming, but it kind of made me feel like they were just amusing us by letting us walk through the hospitals.
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Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that! Our 2 main tour guides for the day both called out sick, so we had to scramble to find people who could do it last minute. So I know at least 2 of the day's tour guides had only learned the tour route about 10 minutes before giving their first tour. That might have been why it was less than stellar, I don't know.

Do you still have questions that I could perhaps help answer for you? UF is great and I want everyone to have the best possible experience!
 
RockStarKDub said:
Do you still have questions that I could perhaps help answer for you? UF is great and I want everyone to have the best possible experience!
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I'm ok. I am pretty familiar with the school and have been in contact with a couple doctors of programs that i am interested in, so my questions have been answered. I just know that this is how i felt and that there were several other grumbles in my tour group.\\

No worries tho... I still love Florida
 
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meadow36 said:
Letters go out on Monday ..... less than a week!! :scared::luck::xf:😱
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Um, let's not forget last years escapade of supposed to get them on the 1st, and kept being told they were 'going out today' but ended up not being sent out til the 3rd or 4th...

Don't hold your breathe or stalk your mailman just yet. I have faith in florida, but i also don't want anyone turning blue! lol

Good luck to everyone tho!:luck::xf:
 
I know it feels like forever ago now, but I forgot to ask earlier. Everyone said our interviews were closed file, but during mine one of my interviewers said something like, "In your personal statement you mentioned you researched XYZ, can you tell me the results?"

Did this happen to anyone else?
 
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