How many interviews are too many?

[RLU1223]

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So as interviews are rolling in, I was wondering about how many interviews do people actually plan to attend? I'm factoring cost of airfare and hotel and it all adds up to a lot, plus time off work.

So the question is, how many interviews will you attend if you get more invites than you can handle? What is the best strategy to get into school?

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

You go until you get into a school you like? There is absolutely no way that someone could answer that question. It is far too much on a case by case basis.

So for instance, I have currently in my med school savings account $1600 left after the initial application process and secondaries. I have maybe 2 schools within driving distance and 8 schools at 8+ hours (so flying). So realistically that will afford me mayyybe 3 interviews by flight and 2 by driving. So whichever 5 get to me first and whichever one of those 5 I like the best, I will pick. If it happens to be the first school I interview at and I like them enough, then thats all the interviewing that I will do, I will cancel the rest and pocket the cash so my wife and I dont have to be in the red heh. I did not apply to a single school that I could not see myself going to, so it truly is just whoever gets to me first. If I interview/visit and hate it, then obviously I wont go there, but you get the general idea. If I happen to get lets say 7 interviews and I can only afford 5, then you know I will just cancel the interviews at schools that are lower on my list.

Other people have $10,000 because they saved very well or their parents gave them money. They can obviously afford to keep going to 20 interviews if they like.

I would assume most people are somewhere in between those two options.

 

[RLU1223]

You seem to have a solid plan written down. It's also a difficult idea for me to turn down an interview invite because it would lower my chances of getting into any school this cycle. Wanting to start school next year has made be a bit paranoid about not getting an acceptance and the need to attend every interview. But of course, I also want to get into my top choice and not just attend my bottom choice because they got to me first. I only wish that all the interviews would come simultaneously so I could choose my top schools first!

Hmm... I got to think this further.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Too many is when you get into your first choice and you're done.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

You seem to have a solid plan written down. It's also a difficult idea for me to turn down an interview invite because it would lower my chances of getting into any school this cycle. Wanting to start school next year has made be a bit paranoid about not getting an acceptance and the need to attend every interview. But of course, I also want to get into my top choice and not just attend my bottom choice because they got to me first. I only wish that all the interviews would come simultaneously so I could choose my top schools first!

Hmm... I got to think this further.

Indeed that would be super ideal. If only it was like the residency match haha!

 

[cliquesh]

My first few interviews were at schools that I had no interest in. I still attended the interviews because I wanted to "warm up." I then attend 3 interviews where I wanted to go, and once I got accepted to my top choice I stopped interviewing. I had 3 acceptances before I attended my top choice school.

 

[type12]

I made a little script that might help:

if (numberOfAcceptances > 0) {
return (wallet/avgInterviewCost)
} else {
return infinity
}

 

[SandyCheecks]

Just consider yourself lucky if you feel you are in a situation where you have "too many" interviews.

 

[Uafl112]

I made a little script that might help:

if (numberOfAcceptances > 0)
{
return (wallet/avgInterviewCost)
}
else
{
return infinity
}

Man, I havent seen code in a long time, but this made my day. Thank you sir

 

[Uafl112]

The limit is the most that you can afford.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

My first few interviews were at schools that I had no interest in. I still attended the interviews because I wanted to "warm up." I then attend 3 interviews where I wanted to go, and once I got accepted to my top choice I stopped interviewing. I had 3 acceptances before I attended my top choice school.

This is what I did.

Don't schedule your top school as your first interview.

In the end it really is a crapshoot. You might get interviewers that like you or hate you. Always have a backup.

 

[osteohack10]

My plan now is to interview everywhere until I have an acceptance in hand, and then be picky about any after that. If I can pay that deposit on December 15th, I will be a happy, happy man no matter where the money going.

 

[FutureDrB]

I made a little script that might help:

if (numberOfAcceptances > 0) {
return (wallet/avgInterviewCost)
} else {
return infinity
}

You're going to get an error...you forgot your semi-colons and tags.

<?php

if (numberOfAcceptances > 0) {
return (wallet/avgInterviewCost);
} else {
return infinity;
}

?>

-- Fellow coding nerd. 😉

 

[Uafl112]

You're going to get an error...you forgot your semi-colons and tags.

<?php

if (numberOfAcceptances > 0) {
return (wallet/avgInterviewCost);
} else {
return infinity;
}

?>

-- Fellow coding nerd. 😉

man it has been years.....I also forgot the semi-colons

 

[type12]

man it has been years.....I also forgot the semi-colons

Swift doesn't use semi-colons - even the parentheses are optional. Most newer languages and technologies don't, like SASS vs CSS, but use human readability as syntax.

 

[feeling-dizzy]

I would go to all the interview until I at least get an acceptance. I know it would cost a lot; but it is the opportunity cost that worry me more. What if one of the school I did not go to the interview is actually the one will accept me? If you are low on cash, then you can turn on credit card like myself. It a sacrifice I know

 

[Goro]

One should not apply to a school if one has no intention of attending. Did you think you were only going to get 1-2 IIs? It's one thing to be humble, but really, you don't have to go to all of them.

So as interviews are rolling in, I was wondering about how many interviews do people actually plan to attend? I'm factoring cost of airfare and hotel and it all adds up to a lot, plus time off work.

So the question is, how many interviews will you attend if you get more invites than you can handle? What is the best strategy to get into school?

 

[feeling-dizzy]

well, I think there is only 1-2 school that each one of us will go to if accepted. the rest 40+ schools we apply only in case that our top 1-2 schools reject us. It is very inefficient and costly I know, but that is how life is

 

[RLU1223]

One should not apply to a school if one has no intention of attending. Did you think you were only going to get 1-2 IIs? It's one thing to be humble, but really, you don't have to go to all of them.

I would love to have applied to only my top 3 schools, but reality is that interviews don't guarantee admission. That's why I'm in this dilemma! =D

 

[Pluto2]

I have the problem everyone wants, but my grades are slipping and I can not afford to go on every interview. I cast a wide net not knowing how my story would read. For II, it played out beyond my capacity to execute. I will only hear from one school 16 October. If that is not an acceptance then it is a really hard choice to know where to cut II --I know, poor me, don't say it 🙂 Anyway I have decided to stick to the schools I dream of attending and rolling the dice by going to a minimal number of "safe(r)" school interviews. I came down on the thought that too much caution in this "will I be acceptable post II?" game gets us over our head and off track for our ultimate goal.

 

[Roxas]

Any more than 2 and you are a sucker
#YOLO

 

[type12]

Any more than 2 and you are a sucker
#YOLO

Both reach schools or GTFO!

 

[Pluto2]

Both reach schools or GTFO!

"Then a fellow traveler on SDN said YOLO, so of course I dropped all but two interviews." 🙂

OK Man I'm all in YOLO >>>>> a couple days in March 15 could be the GG of all time.

But .. how the heck do you know which two? I've never been to CA or the greater East Coast in context; went to Cleveland, loved it. Without endless money do our choices come down to pull my finger from a web site and what you read on SDN?

We are doomed to succeed, but this is a crazy and surprisingly expensive process.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Like others have said...I would attend at least two interviews at schools that you would go to, but are NOT your top choice. Doing this will get you acquainted to interviewing and will get you an idea of how things will go. By my third interview I was very calm and was able to go in confident.

Then, hit your top choices. Once you get an acceptance, you can start being picky and canceling interviews that you wouldn't choose over the school you got accepted to.

Good luck!