How heavily weighed is the interview in the decision making of the admission committee?

[pharmer1023]

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I have a closed file interview coming up soon and Im wondering GENERALLY how heavily weighed is the interview in the overall decision making process of the admission committee?

Since its a closed file interview, does everyone who received an interview have a "clean slate", meaning now that you have the interview, whether your accepted or not all depends on how you perform in the interview and has nothing to do with your apps or LORs?

Or is your interview performance score combined with the rest of your application (Pharmcas app, supplementals, LORs), and how heavily is each weighed?


Thank you!

 

[dngu12]

I have a closed file interview coming up soon and Im wondering GENERALLY how heavily weighed is the interview in the overall decision making process of the admission committee?

Since its a closed file interview, does everyone who received an interview have a "clean slate", meaning now that you have the interview, whether your accepted or not all depends on how you perform in the interview and has nothing to do with your apps or LORs?

Or is your interview performance score combined with the rest of your application (Pharmcas app, supplementals, LORs), and how heavily is each weighed?


Thank you!

This really varies from school to school. Some will weigh certain criteria more than another. I have heard people say they thought did horrible in their interviews and still get in.

 

[88888888]

Pretty important I would say. Unless the school gives an interview to almost every applicant who complete the required documents..such as Midwestern Glendale and Chicago, your interview can make or break you. I would say, most people that get an interview as a pretty equal shot regardless of their other statistics. If you had a stellar interview, you'll probably get in regardless of your stats. If you're on the borderline (had a average interview and average stats), maybe they'll go back to your application and look at your essays, LOR's, etc...

From my personal experience, the schools I've applied to seemed to look at your interview as the deciding factor after you were offered an interview. The schools that I applied to were mostly like 100 some spots, with 200 or so acceptances and maybe 300-400 interviews. Usually once you get an interview, if you nail it, you're set.

Not sure if this helped..but yea.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Pretty important I would say. Unless the school gives an interview to almost every applicant who complete the required documents..such as Midwestern Glendale and Chicago, your interview can make or break you. I would say, most people that get an interview as a pretty equal shot regardless of their other statistics. If you had a stellar interview, you'll probably get in regardless of your stats. If you're on the borderline (had a average interview and average stats), maybe they'll go back to your application and look at your essays, LOR's, etc...

From my personal experience, the schools I've applied to seemed to look at your interview as the deciding factor after you were offered an interview. The schools that I applied to were mostly like 100 some spots, with 200 or so acceptances and maybe 300-400 interviews. Usually once you get an interview, if you nail it, you're set.

Not sure if this helped..but yea.

I second this post.

 

[Rx Jezter]

I should add that it depends on your competitiveness on paper. If you have a stellar application then the interview would just help differentiate you from other applicants in your academic tier. If, like me, you have not so great or only average stats and experience, your interview gives you a shot at convincing the committee as to why you deserve a seat at their school.

 

[pharmerjohn]

I have a closed file interview coming up soon and Im wondering GENERALLY how heavily weighed is the interview in the overall decision making process of the admission committee?

Since its a closed file interview, does everyone who received an interview have a "clean slate", meaning now that you have the interview, whether your accepted or not all depends on how you perform in the interview and has nothing to do with your apps or LORs?

Or is your interview performance score combined with the rest of your application (Pharmcas app, supplementals, LORs), and how heavily is each weighed?


Thank you!

From my observation, there are 2 ways in which schools accept an applicant, and this really depends on the individual school's "modus operandi." The first is they'll grant interviews to just about every student that meet their cut-off (e.g. 2.5+ GPA and 50%+ PCAT Comp if it's not a CA school) and then assign points for different criteria (GPA, PCAT, interview performance, etc...). Depending on the school, each criteria may be weighed differently. Once the interviewing process is complete, they go back and pick students with the highest number of points and waitlist others with lower point values. They'll continue to compare the waitlisted students with later applicants as the application cycle continues. With this method, even if you did an exemplary job at your interview, you could still be waitlisted if your stats have a lot of weak points, and this is especially true if the application cycle has a lot of strong applicants. The other way that some schools pick their applicants is they only offer interviews to applicants high stats, and if you're invited to the interview, then your performance at the interview will determine your acceptance. At this point, your GPA/PCAT probably doesn't matter too much. I'm sure there are some schools that may operate with a bit of both examples that I gave, but the majority either operate with one or the other. This is the info I gathered from speaking with admission advisors from different schools.

Your best bet is to do extremely well at your interview to increase your chances of being accepted, because one thing is for sure... If you did horribly at the interview (e.g. somehow offend the interviewers), then there's a good chance you will be rejected even if you have stellar stats.

 

[poobidis]

From my observation, there are 2 ways in which schools accept an applicant, and this really depends on the individual school's "modus operandi." The first is they'll grant interviews to just about every student that meet their cut-off (e.g. 2.5+ GPA and 50%+ PCAT Comp if it's not a CA school) and then assign points for different criteria (GPA, PCAT, interview performance, etc...). Depending on the school, each criteria may be weighed differently. Once the interviewing process is complete, they go back and pick students with the highest number of points and waitlist others with lower point values. They'll continue to compare the waitlisted students with later applicants as the application cycle continues. With this method, even if you did an exemplary job at your interview, you could still be waitlisted if your stats have a lot of weak points, and this is especially true if the application cycle has a lot of strong applicants. The other way that some schools pick their applicants is they only offer interviews to applicants high stats, and if you're invited to the interview, then your performance at the interview will determine your acceptance. At this point, your GPA/PCAT probably doesn't matter too much. I'm sure there are some schools that may operate with a bit of both examples that I gave, but the majority either operate with one or the other. This is the info I gathered from speaking with admission advisors from different schools.

Your best bet is to do extremely well at your interview to increase your chances of being accepted, because one thing is for sure... If you did horribly at the interview (e.g. somehow offend the interviewers), then there's a good chance you will be rejected even if you have stellar stats.

Thank you. Very informative.

 

[PhunwithPharm]

Pretty important I would say. Unless the school gives an interview to almost every applicant who complete the required documents..such as Midwestern Glendale and Chicago, your interview can make or break you. I would say, most people that get an interview as a pretty equal shot regardless of their other statistics. If you had a stellar interview, you'll probably get in regardless of your stats. If you're on the borderline (had a average interview and average stats), maybe they'll go back to your application and look at your essays, LOR's, etc...

From my personal experience, the schools I've applied to seemed to look at your interview as the deciding factor after you were offered an interview. The schools that I applied to were mostly like 100 some spots, with 200 or so acceptances and maybe 300-400 interviews. Usually once you get an interview, if you nail it, you're set.

Not sure if this helped..but yea.

This is inaccurate. Midwestern Glendale gets about 1000 applicants and gives out about 400 interviews and 250-300 or so get accepted. It does not give an interview to every applicant who completes the required documents.
I would say the interview is pretty important. As long as you come off as competent and compassionate, you will be fine.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

Its this simple:

Your application gets you the interview.
Your interview gets the job/admission.

While there is always a sliding scale in that small goofs in the interview might be overlooked by favorable admissions statistics, or the opposite for that matter... No one will care if you have a 4.0 and 99th PCAT if you come across as arrogant, incompetent, noncompassionate.... and so on. Harvard rejects 90% of its valedictorian and perfect SAT score applicants. Shouldn't that be telling that numbers aren't everything?

 

[88888888]

Its this simple:

Your application gets you the interview.
Your interview gets the job/admission.

While there is always a sliding scale in that small goofs in the interview might be overlooked by favorable admissions statistics, or the opposite for that matter... No one will care if you have a 4.0 and 99th PCAT if you come across as arrogant, incompetent, noncompassionate.... and so on. Harvard rejects 90% of its valedictorian and perfect SAT score applicants. Shouldn't that be telling that numbers aren't everything?

Yes but pharmacy schools are not that selective compared to Harvard. Maybe UCSF but most school if you got a 4.0 and 99. You're pretty much set as long as you don't talk at an interview or committed a felony or something..

 

[88888888]

This is inaccurate. Midwestern Glendale gets about 1000 applicants and gives out about 400 interviews and 250-300 or so get accepted. It does not give an interview to every applicant who completes the required documents.
I would say the interview is pretty important. As long as you come off as competent and compassionate, you will be fine.

1000 applicants not everyone does the supplemental. Not all of those even meet the minimum requirement. I applied a bunch of schools and I didn't complete the secondary for many schools because I already got accepted to my top choice. However I'll still be counted into the applicant pool. This happens to many people. Pharmacy schools aren't that selective.

 

[PhunwithPharm]

1000 applicants not everyone does the supplemental. Not all of those even meet the minimum requirement. I applied a bunch of schools and I didn't complete the secondary for many schools because I already got accepted to my top choice. However I'll still be counted into the applicant pool. This happens to many people. Pharmacy schools aren't that selective.

Actually 1000 is only including people that did the supplemental. Over 1300 applicants apply and only 1000 applicants finish all the required paperwork. Did you even go to a Midwestern interview? If you did, they would have told you all of this during the tour. Each year it is about the same pool of applicants. It ranges from 1300-1400 total applicants and 1000-1050 applicants that FINISH the supplemental and turn in all paperwork. Then only 350-400 people get interviews. The numbers have been pretty consistent over the years.

 

[88888888]

Actually 1000 is only including people that did the supplemental. Over 1300 applicants apply and only 1000 applicants finish all the required paperwork. Did you even go to a Midwestern interview? If you did, they would have told you all of this during the tour. Each year it is about the same pool of applicants. It ranges from 1300-1400 total applicants and 1000-1050 applicants that FINISH the supplemental and turn in all paperwork. Then only 350-400 people get interviews. The numbers have been pretty consistent over the years.

Hmm I see, I guess I didn't pay enough attention at the interview. It seemed seemed like most people got interviews and yep, I got in but didn't want to go.