How do you answer "Have you applied to other schools?"

[kyneuromania]

Is it bad if you say yes?
Last week, my interviewer asked me this question and I said yes. Then he went on and kept asking me about other schools. I guess that's not a good sign.

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[cva299]

What do you think about the reply " yes I have applied to other schools, but what I am here for today is to discuss my genuine interest in your school, and if its alright with you I would like to focus on that" ? Too straightforward?

 

[spicedmanna]

Is it bad if you say yes?
Last week, my interviewer asked me this question and I said yes. Then he went on and kept asking me about other schools. I guess that's not a good sign.

I don't think this is the most appropriate interview question, but I think you probably answered it well. I would have said, "yes", as well. I don't think it's "bad" to have answered this way, if you handled it appropriately. For one thing, it's the honest answer and most everyone applies to more than one school (so saying that you didn't would probably have been viewed as a lie, unless, of course, it is actually true that you only applied to their school). It's good that you told the truth. Perhaps he wasn't the most experienced interviewer to persist like that. But it's certainly not unheard of for an interviewer to do this. I would have attempted to gently direct/steer the focus back to the school I was presently interviewing at. But I wasn't there and don't know the nature of the situation. Oh well, it's done. Take a deep breath and relax. Wait and see. You never know.

 

[spicedmanna]

What do you think about the reply " yes I have applied to other schools, but what I am here for today is to discuss my genuine interest in your school, and if its alright with you I would like to focus on that" ? Too straightforward?

Good idea, but I'd be more subtle and gentle than that. But that's the general idea, I would think.

 

[MirrorTodd]

"No, I'm going to this school. Didn't you get the memo?"

 

[Bubblehead-to-MD]

I would think that interviewers expect people to apply to more than one school - if not, why not throw your hat in the ring for EDP? The interviewer may have continued to ask questions about the other schools to try to gain an understanding of which schools the people they are interviewing are applying to. In my opinion, this would be an excellent way of finding out what aspect of certain programs is attracting similar applicants to other schools. Then, if that aspect is missing from the program you are currently interviewing for, they have information on how to improve their program.

Just a thought. Remember that this does go both ways. While we stress a lot about how well we do at these interviews, the schools are working hard to sell themselves to us as well.

 

[floridakppr]

I think it's fine. At my most recent interview, the interviewer stated after I responded with a list of the schools I have upcoming interviews at, "So, you're really willing to attend med school out-of-state?" Duh. I think it worked in my favor this time.

 

[Rafa]

How do you answer "Have you applied to other schools?"

With a backslap to the face and a "none o'your business!"

Or,

"That's on a need-to-know basis, Mac." (Stop, smirk) "...and you don't need to know."

Note: If your interviewer is female, "Jane" will work instead of Mac. It doesn't matter if you actually know her name. The point is to show you've played the game before.

 

[stiffany]

I think with med school applications it's generally expected that you'll apply to more than one school if you're not an early decision applicant. Not doing so even with a 4.0 GPA and a 42 MCAT seems rather ballsy/cocky in my opinion given the sheer volume of applications relative to acceptances at any medical school.

That being said,to answer the question you should just say "I applied to x, y, z, etcetera" because I wanted "this, that, and the other." Your school fulfills all of those plus would offer me "a, b, c" that I couldn't get elsewhere. Fill in the blanks as necessary of course...

 

[somemaybedoc]

Is it bad if you say yes?
Last week, my interviewer asked me this question and I said yes. Then he went on and kept asking me about other schools. I guess that's not a good sign.

I applied to a number of schools because I thought they may be a good fit. I am hoping that my interview experiences at the schools help me determine which school is the best fit. Thus far I believe blah blah has an excellent program for me.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Yeah what Stiffany said - you should definitely say yes and there is no shame in saying where and why.

I think saying "Yes but I am here to discuss your school" is rude, uncalled for and will give them a bad impression of you.

Every question is asked for a reason - even if you don't know what that reason is. And to try to chuck off a question and avoid answering it makes you look like you're hiding something - or like you're arrogant. Its like the person who interviewed at GW last year and when asked "What would you do if you didn't get into medical school" simply said "I've already been accepted to one so thats irrelevant." The guy then threw a fit that the interviewer wanted him to answer the question anyway - arrogant bastard. They want to see an aspect of your personality that answering that question will show.

By telling them what other schools you applied to and why it gives them a better sense of what you're looking for (without you just parroting their webpage back to them) and a better idea if you're a good fit. Just answer the damn question - dodging it will look VERY bad.

 

[Xypathos]

With a backslap to the face and a "none o'your business!"

Or,

"That's on a need-to-know basis, Mac." (Stop, smirk) "...and you don't need to know."

Note: If your interviewer is female, "Jane" will work instead of Mac. It doesn't matter if you actually know her name. The point is to show you've played the game before.