How Many Interviews to Accept/Schedule?

[moya moya]

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I'm just curious as to how many interviews one should accept. I know that we haven't heard from most programs at this point yet, but I was looking at statistics and noted that in general, most programs interview 10 students for every 1 spot that they have. Does this mean that I should aim to interview at 10 programs in order to fully guarantee that I match? I applied to 20+ programs because I just want to make sure that I match somewhere. I have great grades and letters of recs, but my board score is only average and I'm from a lower tier school, so I want to make sure that I match somewhere. How many programs are you all planning on interviewing at?

Secondly, how do you all feel (or more importantly, how do the programs feel), about students scheduling an interview and then cancelling? Is this considered in bad form, and does this get around to other programs? I'm asking just in case I schedule too many interviews and then get lazy and want to cancel some of them (this is of course, assuming that I manage to get more interviews than I can handle, which I really hope will happen).

Any thoughts on these two issues would be greatly appreciated! Good luck to everyone!

 

[ptolemy]

Firstly, I don't have a good answer to how many programs you should interview at. I think you should interview at as many as you feel comfortable with (I know this sounds like bad advice b/c you don't think you know how to with comfortable w/ a certain #, but you will know, trust me). Also, know that you will like progs you didn't think you would and dislike progs you thought you'd love. Go into every interview with an open mind. I think I interviewed at 17 or 18 programs, which was clearly too much for me. I matched at my top choice, but the process of interviewing really made me figure out what I wanted in a program. Also, on decisions affecting my future, I deliberate in agonizing detail, ask my wife. 😀 Ten programs is probably enough.

Second question, I don't really have an answer for. Personally, I don't think it is bad form as long as you give the program enough time to schedule someone else. I know some people cancelled days before the interview, which in my mind is just rude. I don't know whether programs talk or not, I'm sure some PDs are friends with other PDs, neuro is not a large field, and there are MUCH less than six degrees of separation.

Good Luck, have fun.