How many interviews until you feel "safe"

[mc719]

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What number of interviews is everyone aiming for? I'm looking at my class schedule for the Fall, and it seems like it will be difficult to take off all of the time I need to go to every single interview (if I'm lucky enough to get one everywhere). Not to mention the cost of travel and what not. So, how many interviews does everyone hope to go to before they feel "safe." I'm wondering if I would be safe with just sticking to my top 3, assuming I get invites there. Or would it be safer just to bite the bullet and go to every single interview? I think the worst case scenario would be if I got rejected to all three and had to take an extra year of applying when I new I could have already gotten in.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

What number of interviews is everyone aiming for? I'm looking at my class schedule for the Fall, and it seems like it will be difficult to take off all of the time I need to go to every single interview (if I'm lucky enough to get one everywhere). Not to mention the cost of travel and what not. So, how many interviews does everyone hope to go to before they feel "safe." I'm wondering if I would be safe with just sticking to my top 3, assuming I get invites there. Or would it be safer just to bite the bullet and go to every single interview? I think the worst case scenario would be if I got rejected to all three and had to take an extra year of applying when I new I could have already gotten in.

I want one from all of my instate and then about 3 from out of state and I'll be content!

 

[Bereno]

As many as possible... even then I will never feel "safe" If I had to pick, maybe 6 or so??? (half the number of schools I'm applying to) 👍

 

[KittySquared]

I think 4 will guarantee you at least 1 acceptance, given that you have a pretty positive personalty and bring in good energy to the interview and don't mess up and let out your other split personality who happens to be an axe murderer/rapist.

But I would actually say go to as many interviews as possible if you have the time and $ to see. You ARE going to be there for the next 4 years if not more. Usually professors are rather understanding of these types of situations and will let you take exams/quizzes before or after and give you notes.

 

[stevesteve121]

depends on your interview skills too i guess and how strong your file is.

Im sure some strong well rounded applicant can get a way with 2 or even only 1 interview

but for the "average" applicant i'd venture a guess and say 4 interview should give u 80%> chance of getting at least one acceptance, 5 interview 90% chance

on a related topic i really dislike schools that have high interview/acceptance ratios. The flight/time committment is starting to make me uneasy.

 

[nondescriptive]

don't mess up and let out your other split personality who happens to be an axe murderer/rapist.

What would you recommend I do to conceal this fact? What if I told them I don't use an axe?

 

[MrJingles]

depends on your interview skills too i guess and how strong your file is.

Im sure some strong well rounded applicant can get a way with 2 or even only 1 interview

but for the "average" applicant i'd venture a guess and say 4 interview should give u 80%> chance of getting at least one acceptance, 5 interview 90% chance

on a related topic i really dislike schools that have high interview/acceptance ratios. The flight/time committment is starting to make me uneasy.

They can have all of my time they want, but the amount that it costs to fly and stay over night(on most occasions) is starting to drain my bank account. Who needs food/shelter/water though? Heck I'd probably sell my kids (if I had any) to attend interviews.... <--- Obvious sarcasm😳

 

[BoxerRumble]

You can never feel too safe. I had 4 interviews the first time I applied and did not get in any of the schools. Granted they were spring interviews which greatly decreases your chance. I bombed two of the interviews and did great on the other 2 but I suspect there were more highly qualified applicants that got picked over me. I had a pretty low GPA. I think having pre December interviews is a huge advantage. Still, with 5 interviews this time around, I am not going to get my hopes up because of my experience with two cycles ago. I kept hearing last time I applied that "oh you'll get in somewhere, you have 4 interviews, you have to get at least one acceptance." Well, having high hopes and then getting them crushed is one of the worst feelings in the world. It's like walking out of a test thinking you aced it and then when you check your grades to find you got a 75 instead of a 96, you're thinking what just happened?

 

[rccostner]

You can never feel too safe. I had 4 interviews the first time I applied and did not get in any of the schools. Granted they were spring interviews which greatly decreases your chance. I bombed two of the interviews and did great on the other 2 but I suspect there were more highly qualified applicants that got picked over me. I had a pretty low GPA. I think having pre December interviews is a huge advantage. Still, with 5 interviews this time around, I am not going to get my hopes up because of my experience with two cycles ago. I kept hearing last time I applied that "oh you'll get in somewhere, you have 4 interviews, you have to get at least one acceptance." Well, having high hopes and then getting them crushed is one of the worst feelings in the world. It's like walking out of a test thinking you aced it and then when you check your grades to find you got a 75 instead of a 96, you're thinking what just happened?

amen to that. this is my third time around and i only had one interview each year before. i won't feel safe until i'm holding an acceptance letter in my hands and even then i might not feel 100% safe until after dental school starts.

 

[NguyenDDS]

Until I get an acceptance notification 😀 But I'd definitely feel 'better' if I received more interviews 🙂

 

[doc toothache]

I think 4 will guarantee you at least 1 acceptance, given that you have a pretty positive personalty and bring in good energy to the interview and don't mess up and let out your other split personality who happens to be an axe murderer/rapist.

So 4 is the magic number.

 

[KittySquared]

What would you recommend I do to conceal this fact? What if I told them I don't use an axe?

Well, as any thoughtful sado-masochist character would, you will have to act genuinely sincere and polite in your mannerisms to avoid any suspicion. Upon answering questions such as "What was your greatest accomplishment thus far?", you will have to tell them what they want to hear: i.e. "I once tutored an ESL student until she was fluent in spoken English, rather than the truth, which is how she is now nothing more than a small pile of bones in your bathtub.

And garroting your victim with a piano wire and slice and dice whilst wielding a machete and doing a little chase like cat-and-mouse before the "inevitable" are also reasonable ways to about being a murderer. It's a tough business but you make it work. Just explain your situation if it somehow comes up in interview conversation. 😳

 

[KittySquared]

So 4 is the magic number.

Well, I am not the golden goddess of statistics. A lot of factors are at play, but from looking at a lot of predents profiles, I think about 4 seems to be the magic number. I've seen people with 4 interviews and 3 acceptance, or 4 interview with 2, but generally it seems that 4 interviews will guarantee at least 1, GIVEN that s/he is a fairly polite, honest and charismatic interviewee as s/he should be.

 

[dantemac]

Attend as many as you can. If your safety schools all want to interview you and you have interviews at your desired school, maybe pick a few to politely decline.

 

[FLOSS UR TEETH]

it probably depends on which specific schools you have interviews for. Some schools interview to accept while others.. not so much.

 

[JBHawaii]

I hate to say it, but here is the truth..... You simply wont feel 'safe' until you have your first acceptance under your belt... and even then it's only a relative safety! This whole process is one major stressor that will be grueling regardless of how many interviews you are offered and how many schools accept you. Just do the best you can, do a little research about the schools you interview at, and constantly strive to stay on top of everything.

AND even after you get accepted there will be curve balls.... I JUST found out that i have a midemeanor speeding ticket out of AZ and i now have to rush to expunge it b4 matricualtion in 2 WEEKS! Plus, i was only accepted to UCSF ten days ago!

Honestly, it won't end till you put on yr white coat after orientation.... then it all starts over again.

GOOD LUCK and try not to kill yourselves with stress,

JB

 

[dantemac]

The above poster is right. I have met people who have been kicked out after an acceptance because lies on an application, the correct pre-reqs weren't taken, etc!

 

[nondescriptive]

So 4 is the magic number.

I don't think she's saying you definitely will get in, but its reasonable to say there is a certain number which can almost guarantee you acceptance. If you had 30 interviews, can we agree you will likely get into a few of them if, like she said, you were a good candidate? Would you not say 4 is then a reasonable amount to get into one if you were a good interviewee? If four doesn't get me accepted then 30 won't either; there's something wrong with me, and the numbers of interviews is arbitrary. The reason I would not do more than four is because I can't afford it, plain and simple.

 

[UCLAzy]

I don't think she's saying you definitely will get in, but its reasonable to say there is a certain number which can almost guarantee you acceptance. If you had 30 interviews, can we agree you will likely get into a few of them if, like she said, you were a good candidate? Would you not say 4 is then a reasonable amount to get into one if you were a good interviewee? If four doesn't get me accepted then 30 won't either; there's something wrong with me, and the numbers of interviews is arbitrary. The reason I would not do more than four is because I can't afford it, plain and simple.

wow your logic is super flawed. if you interview at 4 places who interview 50% of applicants and accept 5-10%, your chances of getting in are significantly less than if you interview at 4 places who interview 15-20% of applicants and accept 5-10%.

sorry you cant afford more than 4 interviews though. hopefully you choose wisely!

 

[Bereno]

wow your logic is super flawed. if you interview at 4 places who interview 50% of applicants and accept 5-10%, your chances of getting in are significantly less than if you interview at 4 places who interview 15-20% of applicants and accept 5-10%.

sorry you cant afford more than 4 interviews though. hopefully you choose wisely!

?? I'm confused here. Regardless of how many students are invited to interview, your example allows for only a 5-10% chance of being accepted once you interview... Are your percentages based on accepted to applied or accepted to interviewed?

 

[UCLAzy]

?? I'm confused here. Regardless of how many students are invited to interview, your example allows for only a 5-10% chance of being accepted once you interview... Are your percentages based on accepted to applied or accepted to interviewed?

if 500 people are interviewed for 80 spots, you have less of a chance of gaining acceptance than if 140 people are interviewed for 80 spots. that said, if you interview at 4 places who have a 500:80 interview style, your chances of getting accepted is reduced. so if you have to limit yourself to 4 (assuming you get more than 4) you'd have to choose wisely.

the person i quoted was saying that if you dont get an acceptance from 1 of 4, then you're not going to get an acceptance even if you interview at 30. said person has, from a statistical standpoint, a seriously flawed view of the way numbers work.

 

[iamjackbauer]

if I were you, I would definitely go to as many interviews as possible. I thought about canceling one of my interviews because it wasn't going to be convenient, nor was it one of my current top choices... but things completely changed after my interview. That school ended up being my top choice, and the school I chose to attend. Some of the schools that were initially my top choices , I ended up hating after interviewing there.

 

[nondescriptive]

if 500 people are interviewed for 80 spots, you have less of a chance of gaining acceptance than if 140 people are interviewed for 80 spots. that said, if you interview at 4 places who have a 500:80 interview style, your chances of getting accepted is reduced. so if you have to limit yourself to 4 (assuming you get more than 4) you'd have to choose wisely.

the person i quoted was saying that if you dont get an acceptance from 1 of 4, then you're not going to get an acceptance even if you interview at 30. said person has, from a statistical standpoint, a seriously flawed view of the way numbers work.

That's not what I said. I'm not sure what school only accepts 5-10% of interview. I know Baylor receives 800 in state applicants and interviews 300, from which about 90 gets accepted. Thats about 30%. Texas dental schools accepts about 97% in state.

What I said was I agree with KittySquared that 4 interview should suffice because if you can't get accepted into that then theres probably something wrong with your interview skills and 30 wouldn't make much difference, in my opinion. I know I can only financially afford about 4 interviews, and if I don't make into one of those four then thats on me.

 

[nondescriptive]

if I were you, I would definitely go to as many interviews as possible. I thought about canceling one of my interviews because it wasn't going to be convenient, nor was it one of my current top choices... but things completely changed after my interview. That school ended up being my top choice, and the school I chose to attend. Some of the schools that were initially my top choices , I ended up hating after interviewing there.

I've been borrowing money for my application fee; I'm scrapping by right now and I know the three schools I want to get an interview from accepts about 30%-40% of students interviewd; if I cant get in then there is something wrong with me. I'd like to interview at as many places as possible but I just can't afford it.

 

[UCLAzy]

That's not what I said. I'm not sure what school only accepts 5-10% of interview. I know Baylor receives 800 in state applicants and interviews 300, from which about 90 gets accepted. Thats about 30%. Texas dental schools accepts about 97% in state.

What I said was I agree with KittySquared that 4 interview should suffice because if you can't get accepted into that then theres probably something wrong with your interview skills and 30 wouldn't make much difference, in my opinion. I know I can only financially afford about 4 interviews, and if I don't make into one of those four then thats on me.

again, not really understanding the point. but it's the internet and i dont really care =) good luck with your cycle

 

[invictusx]

To feel "safe", I think at least two or three.

 

[yappy]

I would feel pretty good about four interviews. If you really take the time to be intraspective and think of unique things that will be persuasive prior to yoiur interview interview, then do a few mock interviews and adjust yourself according, I think four interviews would provide you with a good shot.

 

[JoeMama]

You can always send one of your buddies pretending to be you.

 

[Bereno]

if 500 people are interviewed for 80 spots, you have less of a chance of gaining acceptance than if 140 people are interviewed for 80 spots. that said, if you interview at 4 places who have a 500:80 interview style, your chances of getting accepted is reduced. so if you have to limit yourself to 4 (assuming you get more than 4) you'd have to choose wisely.

the person i quoted was saying that if you dont get an acceptance from 1 of 4, then you're not going to get an acceptance even if you interview at 30. said person has, from a statistical standpoint, a seriously flawed view of the way numbers work.

OK, I see. Your percentages are based on accepted to applied, or "overall" percentage. Makes sense.

However, I agree that this is not what nondescriptive was saying. I think they were saying that they should get accepted to at least 1 in 4 interviews, not 1 in 4 of the schools they applied to. This is the reason I asked what kind of percentages you were using. 👍

 

[wired202808]

OK, I see. Your percentages are based on accepted to applied, or "overall" percentage. Makes sense.

However, I agree that this is not what nondescriptive was saying. I think they were saying that they should get accepted to at least 1 in 4 interviews, not 1 in 4 of the schools they applied to. This is the reason I asked what kind of percentages you were using. 👍

hey fellas, the way i would look at it is based on the ADEA stats, assuming your an OOS at most schools then you should look at OOS interviewed vs. OOS accepted. For Case Western only 9% of OOS applicants are interviewed, but out of those 89% are accepted. That means you virtually have the acceptance, unless you mess up somehow. Meanwhile other schools have low interviews and low acceptances like VCU. (and if dantemac replies to this, I have not reviewed your logic or analysis but based on OOS #s this makes sense) VCU interviews 10% of their OOS applicants and only accepts 38% of those, making it a pretty crappy bet in my opinion.

Therefore, after you interview somewhere look at the # of OOS accepted and then determine if you have a real shot. Tufts has the same data, if you have an interview at Tufts, your shot of getting in is very high.

 

[AmpedUp]

There's no magic number. Go to as many interviews as you can. I had 4 interviews and 1 acceptance last cycle.

 

[mc719]

Awe man, this is kind of discouraging. It'd be nice if they told u right after the interview. But I don't think it works that way.

 

[CedarZ4]

It is actually not unlikely to be accepted 2-3 days after the interview...



....



...


Post-December 1st.

Granted, you'd really have to dominate that interview.

With that said, let's just say it will be the longest 3 months of my life...
Not to mention the stress of the interview itself and trying to not completely flunk school.👎

 

[LetsGo2DSchool]

if 500 people are interviewed for 80 spots, you have less of a chance of gaining acceptance than if 140 people are interviewed for 80 spots. that said, if you interview at 4 places who have a 500:80 interview style, your chances of getting accepted is reduced. so if you have to limit yourself to 4 (assuming you get more than 4) you'd have to choose wisely.

the person i quoted was saying that if you dont get an acceptance from 1 of 4, then you're not going to get an acceptance even if you interview at 30. said person has, from a statistical standpoint, a seriously flawed view of the way numbers work.

hey fellas, the way i would look at it is based on the ADEA stats, assuming your an OOS at most schools then you should look at OOS interviewed vs. OOS accepted. For Case Western only 9% of OOS applicants are interviewed, but out of those 89% are accepted. That means you virtually have the acceptance, unless you mess up somehow. Meanwhile other schools have low interviews and low acceptances like VCU. (and if dantemac replies to this, I have not reviewed your logic or analysis but based on OOS #s this makes sense) VCU interviews 10% of their OOS applicants and only accepts 38% of those, making it a pretty crappy bet in my opinion.

Therefore, after you interview somewhere look at the # of OOS accepted and then determine if you have a real shot. Tufts has the same data, if you have an interview at Tufts, your shot of getting in is very high.

on a related topic i really dislike schools that have high interview/acceptance ratios. The flight/time committment is starting to make me uneasy.

You may be interpreting the stats incorrectly. This may not necessarily mean that schools interview all these people and choose a small percentage of them. It's probably more like they interview a batch for Dec. 1 offers and then continue to interview post Dec. 1 until they can fill their class size. So it could very well be that they accept 90%+ of the interviewees but in the end it appears that they accepted much less because they had to interview so many to reach their matriculation number.

 

[wired202808]

You may be interpreting the stats incorrectly. This may not necessarily mean that schools interview all these people and choose a small percentage of them. It's probably more like they interview a batch for Dec. 1 offers and then continue to interview post Dec. 1 until they can fill their class size. So it could very well be that they accept 90%+ of the interviewees but in the end it appears that they accepted much less because they had to interview so many to reach their matriculation number.

the only way to know is to you use stats, i dont think its good to speculate when people are accepted or not. tufts for example, based on 2011 data, you have a 74% shot of getting accepted post interview. so thats how i know i'll feel safe, other schools have low % of accepted post interview, meaning i'd feel less safe after going on those interviews.

 

[mBjKmr]

You can never feel too safe. I had 4 interviews the first time I applied and did not get in any of the schools. Granted they were spring interviews which greatly decreases your chance. I bombed two of the interviews and did great on the other 2 but I suspect there were more highly qualified applicants that got picked over me. I had a pretty low GPA. I think having pre December interviews is a huge advantage. Still, with 5 interviews this time around, I am not going to get my hopes up because of my experience with two cycles ago. I kept hearing last time I applied that "oh you'll get in somewhere, you have 4 interviews, you have to get at least one acceptance." Well, having high hopes and then getting them crushed is one of the worst feelings in the world. It's like walking out of a test thinking you aced it and then when you check your grades to find you got a 75 instead of a 96, you're thinking what just happened?

what do you mean by bombing the interview? if you dont mind my asking.

 

[Bereno]

You may be interpreting the stats incorrectly. This may not necessarily mean that schools interview all these people and choose a small percentage of them. It's probably more like they interview a batch for Dec. 1 offers and then continue to interview post Dec. 1 until they can fill their class size. So it could very well be that they accept 90%+ of the interviewees but in the end it appears that they accepted much less because they had to interview so many to reach their matriculation number.

Hmm, interesting point. I never thought of that 👍

 

[tinman831]

Until you get an official acceptance letter, no number of interviews will be "safe".

 

[wired202808]

Hmm, interesting point. I never thought of that 👍

numbers are numbers, they report total accepted vs. total interviewed. i guess it makes sense to go on all interviews if you have the time or money. but i know that i'd rather go to places with high % of acceptances and save my money. But thats just me.

 

[KittySquared]

I knew somebody who went to 11 interviews and received 8 acceptances. I thought that was just nuts. But he's loaded and just took each opportunity as a chance for some sight seeing and whatnot. If I were him, I would've just gone to 6 interview invites of my choices.

 

[BizzyV]

For me, spending money now in order to absolutely ensure a future where I am earning a nice steady paycheck is absolutely worth it.

I know it might be difficult to look at this way now, but you are insuring yourself with every interview you attend. Stacking the odds. This process can be really wierd and all of us need all the luck we can create.

Think about how much the $500-1000 ticket will seem like when

a) you take our your loans to live/pay tuition for your school, which could put you in debt 300k or more
or/and eventually
b) when you are racking in dough as a practicing dentist.

Investment size and risk are relative to how deep our pockets are. Personally, I'd spend the money now to do whatever I can to increase my chances of financial success later. Oh, and then there's the fact that I really want to be a dentist.

 

[KittySquared]

Investment size and risk are relative to how deep our pockets are. Personally, I'd spend the money now to do whatever I can to increase my chances of financial success later. Oh, and then there's the fact that I really want to be a dentist.

It's easier said than done. Not everybody has the $$$ to do so. Who DOESN'T really want to be a dentist in this forum?

 

[iamjackbauer]

It's easier said than done. Not everybody has the $$$ to do so. Who DOESN'T really want to be a dentist in this forum?

some days i dont 😉

 

[KittySquared]

some days i dont 😉

Haha! Oh you're just being short sighted on a poopie day! 😀