How optional are pre-interview dinners?

[csk803]

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It is much cheaper and more feasible for me to arrive the night before my interview, but this means I would not be able to attend the pre-interview dinner with other applicants and current students. The website says that the dinner is optional, but of course, I would like to show as much interest in the school as possible. Do they keep track of who attends the dinners?

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

They have these for med school now??

 

[chaua]

It is much cheaper and more feasible for me to arrive the night before my interview, but this means I would not be able to attend the pre-interview dinner with other applicants and current students. The website says that the dinner is optional, but of course, I would like to show as much interest in the school as possible. Do they keep track of who attends the dinners?

No. When they say optional, they really mean it. They understand everyone has limited resources.

 

[Phoebus Apollo]

Yes, it’s really optional.

Sometimes, in rare cases, something like this could help— depending on who shows up to that dinner, and what that school’s particular process is. But it’s unlikely to have any effect on interview outcome, and pre-interview stuff is usually to woo you, not the other way around

 

[ciestar]

Ehh, only one of the seven schools i interviewed at even had something like this.
They become more important for residency interviews

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Only one of my schools had one (and that’s the school I’m going to coincidentally). It is completely optional. The only people at ours are applicants and current students. It’s just a chance for you to talk to current students without faculty or admissions folks around.