good interviews -> no acceptances yet?

[medstylee]

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Hey everyone,

Who else has not been accepted anywhere despite having seemingly good interview(s)? My numbers are decent, but not extremely competitive. I have been to 3 interviews and I was rejected from most of the schools I thought I had a chance at. I interviewed at a school which has numbers comparable to mine and then at two schools which I thought would never give me a shot in hell. I'm currently on the waitlist at two of the schools and I fear that I will be hearing the same from the other in a matter of days since acceptances were sent out earlier this week and waitlists/rejections followed. I feel like my interviews all went very well. The only thing I can think of that hurt me is that my numbers aren't too great. If that's the case, it's frustrating to think that schools offered me interviews while my numbers were just not within their acceptable range. I'm honored to have interviewed at two prestigious schools, but sometimes I wish that the less-competitive ones had given me a shot instead. Does anyone have similar feelings?

 

[DannGee]

perhaps your idea of a good interview differs from theirs.

 

[Jugador75]

Originally posted by DannGee
perhaps your idea of a good interview differs from theirs.

ouch!

 

[medstylee]

Originally posted by Jugador75
ouch!

eh, i mean, everyone's entitled to his own opinion, right?

 

[quideam]

Keep your hopes up.... two waitlists isn't bad; they'll probably start moving once non-rolling schools send out desicions. Also, keep in mind that an interview is just part of the process - as long as you did well, it won't hurt you, but I don't think that an interview really helps you that much unless you did/said something remarkable that really strikes a chord (though I can't even imagine what that kind of thing would be).

Don't worry yet; a few waitlists is good - - you're bound to get in somewhere. Good luck!!!! I'll cross my fingers for you 🙂

- Quid

 

[DannGee]

i didn't mean to sound flippant, i'm sorry. during this process, my idea of what a good interview is has changed, and looking back on my first couple of interviews i realize that i didn't do nearly as well as i had initially thought. also, some of the people i've interviewed with seemed to think that "good" meant sticking to the script they'd practiced and rehearsed, which i don't think some admissions committees would agree with.

again, sorry to sound like a jerk.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

I've had 7 interviews with 4 waitlists and 0 in the acceptance pile.

You're not alone. Keep your calendar marked for March 15th, you may find that some movement might occur at the schools your looking at. Additionally, if that is not the case, don't forget to send update letters, and letters of interest/intent.

Hope you get in.

...and even though Danngee's words sound harsh, try to take them as objectively as possible. Sometimes we do need to look more closely at ourselves (or how we carry ourselves in the interview), even though we think we did well.

Again, best of luck, and keep hanging in there.

Don't forget LOI, Update letters, etc. Good News reports. It can't hurt.

 

[medstylee]

thanks guys,

glad and at the same time not glad to hear that there are others like me. maybe it's just the thought that i'm going to have to wait another month at least to hear anything further. this whole process, as we'll all agree, is so freakin taxing. also, i realized from the beginning that dangees words weren't meant to be a slap in the face. i've seen numerous posts of his on the cleveland clinic threads and i know he's not one of the numerous jerks patrolling these threads. no offense taken at all, dangee. good luck you guys.

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by medstylee
Hey everyone,

Who else has not been accepted anywhere despite having seemingly good interview(s)? My numbers are decent, but not extremely competitive. I have been to 3 interviews and I was rejected from most of the schools I thought I had a chance at. I interviewed at a school which has numbers comparable to mine and then at two schools which I thought would never give me a shot in hell. I'm currently on the waitlist at two of the schools and I fear that I will be hearing the same from the other in a matter of days since acceptances were sent out earlier this week and waitlists/rejections followed. I feel like my interviews all went very well. The only thing I can think of that hurt me is that my numbers aren't too great. If that's the case, it's frustrating to think that schools offered me interviews while my numbers were just not within their acceptable range. I'm honored to have interviewed at two prestigious schools, but sometimes I wish that the less-competitive ones had given me a shot instead. Does anyone have similar feelings?

This goes back to my theory which I will dub Slick's paradox theory of interviewing.

Good interviews = Waitlist, Rejection
Bad, ok interviews = Acceptance

 

[nrosigh]

It's not so simple as that. Often your interviewer's comments are just one ingredient in the pot. If you felt like you had a good connection with your interviewer, write to him/her directly and express your interest in the school. They may offer to put in another good word for you to help get you off the waitlist.

 

[pekq]

Many people think they have a good interview. But that may not always be the case. It may just mean they had a good interviewer who is conversational and masks their thoughts and emotions well. They do a very good job of making you feel good so that you wouldn't feel bad and translate the negative thoughts to that school. Signs that people read as signs of positive interview (handed business card, positive concluding comments) are just standard procedures.

I like to think that an interviewr smiles and nod at you because they are imagining your look when you get the rejection letter

Now if you think you had a bad interview (grilled up the wazoo), that's good because it means the interviewer is serious about you as an applicant and therefore really wants to know more about you.

 

[Tezzie]

Don't freak out yet. The process is not over. Plus your waitlist can eventually become an acceptance.

I have a very good friend of mine from a very high ranked undergrad, with good scores that got waitlisted/rejected everywhere that he applied to so far and he is waiting to hear back from the non-rolling schools. He interviewed at all the big name schools but he is very depressed and feels that he won't be accepted there either.

Anyway i will say to you - what i said to him. Don't give up until it is over. Keep your hopes up and be optimistic.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by Slickness
This goes back to my theory which I will dub Slick's paradox theory of interviewing.

Good interviews = Waitlist, Rejection
Bad, ok interviews = Acceptance

haha slick...no way. i disprove your theory 😉.

all my interviews have been awesome and thus ive been fortunate. ive laughed, gotten emotional, casual, etc...and all has led to good results. and waitlists arent bad especially if your school has some good movement. so in the end. your "good" interview will hopefully lead to an acceptance.

 

[rgporter]

Originally posted by DannGee
i didn't mean to sound flippant, i'm sorry. during this process, my idea of what a good interview is has changed, and looking back on my first couple of interviews i realize that i didn't do nearly as well as i had initially thought. also, some of the people i've interviewed with seemed to think that "good" meant sticking to the script they'd practiced and rehearsed, which i don't think some admissions committees would agree with.

again, sorry to sound like a jerk.

Yeah, I'll buy that. My first 3 interviews I was really nervous. I felt like the interviews went well but then inevitably I would get wait-listed. Then I had a death in the family and I said to myself, "Screw it, there are more important things in life.". The end result were several interviews that were more laid back and honest. None felt great at the time, real but not great. I've been accepted at all of those schools though.

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by jlee9531
haha slick...no way. i disprove your theory 😉.

all my interviews have been awesome and thus ive been fortunate. ive laughed, gotten emotional, casual, etc...and all has led to good results. and waitlists arent bad especially if your school has some good movement. so in the end. your "good" interview will hopefully lead to an acceptance.

My theory only applies to average applicants. Since you are an above average applicant, my theory doesn't apply to you. 😉

 

[CalBeE]

One thing I believe strongly is that if your interview started off pretty relaxing, then suddenly your interviewer started firing off a whole bunch of hard questions...it can mean that the interviewer has a very negative impression of you (Try to persuade you to go to another profession), OR very positive impression (They actually care about knowing you as an applicant).

I got that at SUNY Upstate, which really threw me off, and was completely stuck at multiple questions...but yet I got a sense at the end that the interviewer's impression was positive, and I did get into the school.

 

[clumpymold]

I would think if a school gave you an interview to begin with, despite your "horrible" grades and MCAT scores, there must be something about you they're curious about. Isn't this similar to a job interview? I don't think a school would simply interview you for the hell of it. I'm sure it's an expensive process and would be a horrible investment for the school to interview everyone. If you STILL got denied after what you call a "good" interview, then apparently it wasn't as good as you thought. I dunno. Correct me if I'm wrong. I have yet to apply so am new to this whole process. 😛

 

[hope280]

medstylee, what are your grades and scores like? do you have any big flaw in your application? That is probably your one obstacle. Also, what happens march 15th?

 

[cornell2004]

March 15th is the day that all schools have to accept at least the number of spots they have available, including non-rolling schools

 

[kito]

Can someone confirm that the above is true?

 

[doctorcynical]

Mockery is the lowest form of flattery.

 

[Zahri]

Originally posted by ankitovich
Can someone confirm that the above is true?

From : http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/recommendations.htm



For the information of prospective medical students and their advisors, the recommended procedures for offering acceptance to medical school and for student responses to those offers are as follows:

Each school of medicine should prepare and distribute to applicants and college advisors a detailed schedule of its application and acceptance procedures and should adhere to this schedule unless it is publicly amended.
Each school of medicine should agree not to notify its applicants (except for those applying via Early Decision Program [EDP]) of acceptance prior to October 15 of each admission cycle.
By March 15 of the year of matriculation, each school of medicine should have issued a number of acceptances at least equal to the size of its first-year entering class.
Only after May 15 are schools free to apply appropriate rules for dealing with accepted applicants who, without adequate explanation, hold one or more places in other schools. These rules should recognize the problems of the applicant who has multiple offers and also of those applicants who have not yet been accepted. Only schools whose first official day of classes begins prior to August 1 may start to request decisions from accepted applicants prior to May 15 but not earlier than April 15. This rule applies to all accepted applicants for the entering medical school class, including those individuals entering M.D./Ph.D. programs and individuals to whom merit scholarships or other special scholarships have been awarded.
By May 15 of the year of matriculation, an applicant who has received offers of admission from more than one school should choose the one school that he or she prefers and withdraw from all other schools to which he or she has been accepted.
*Prior to May 15 of the year of matriculation, an applicant should be given at least two weeks to reply to an offer of admission. After May 15, schools may require applicants to respond to acceptance offers in less than two weeks. An applicant may be required to file a statement of intent, a deposit, or both. The statement of intent should provide freedom to withdraw if the applicant is later accepted by a school that he or she prefers. Under no circumstances should an applicant be asked to withdraw from waiting lists as a condition of accepting a place.
*It is recommended that the acceptance deposit not exceed $100 and be refundable until May 15. After that date, a school may retain the deposit as a late withdrawal fee. If the applicant matriculates at the school, the school is encouraged to credit the deposit toward tuition.
Subsequent to June 1, a school of medicine seeking to admit an applicant already known to be accepted by another school for that entering class should advise that school of its intent. Because of the administrative problems involved in filling a place vacated just prior to the commencement of the academic year, schools should communicate fully with each other with respect to anticipated late roster changes in order to keep misunderstandings at a minimum.
After an applicant has enrolled in a U.S. school of medicine or begun a brief orientation program contiguous to enrollment, no further acceptances should be offered to that individual. Once enrolled in a school, students have an obligation to withdraw their applications promptly from all other schools. Enrollment is defined as being officially registered as a member of the first-year entering class at a school.
All letters of recommendation submitted in support of an applicant to a medical school are confidential. No portion of the letter should be read to an applicant during an interview. This requirement is subject to any Sunshine Laws within specific states.
*Most of what is stated in these two procedures does not pertain to students accepted through the Early Decision Program (EDP), because such students agree in advance to attend a given medical school if offered a place during the "early decision" segment of the application year.

 

[gschl1234]

Originally posted by medstylee
Who else has not been accepted anywhere despite having seemingly good interview(s)?

I feel like my interviews all went very well. The only thing I can think of that hurt me is that my numbers aren't too great. If that's the case, it's frustrating to think that schools offered me interviews while my numbers were just not within their acceptable range. I'm honored to have interviewed at two prestigious schools, but sometimes I wish that the less-competitive ones had given me a shot instead. Does anyone have similar feelings?

Could you tell us a little more about what happened at your interviews? Did they just continue to fire questions or did they just have a conversation wtih you?

Maybe your numbers are actually pretty good (even though you say they're not stellar), thus you got the invitations for 2 prestigious schools. Other less prestigious schools may have figured that you may not want to go there so they didn't invite you? If you have a strong tie to any one of the less prestigious schools maybe you could call them and ask to speak to an admissions counselor (if they have one) or write a letter. At one of my acceptances that's what I had to do because they initially rejected me pre-secondary.

Finally, who knows what really goes on after the interview. I think that the adcoms are probably composed of a lot of people who obviously never met you. At one of the schools where I interviewed, I met another applicant who was applying for a second time. She said that last year they interviewed her and then rejected her even though her interivew was great. They said that ultimately it was because of her low numbers which they already knew about before inviting her. I'm not sure why they wasted her time and theirs if they already knew that they'd probably reject her but some schools do screwy things like this, although if you interviewed at very prestigious schools, I can't imagine them doing something like that. Good luck with the rest of the process. It's still not over so hang in there.