Interview but no Suit

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TejasMed2009

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I have an interview Friday and just tried on my old suit and it was way too small. How bad will it look if I just show up in just dress pants and shirt plus a tie?
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do you have a jacket you can wear with them?
it's texas, so it's hot enough still to be able to pull off that you don't need a jacket. at my last interview everyone was wearing a jacket though....but i mean, if they're going to decide your acceptance based on whether or not you're wearing a jacket with your dress pants...i'm not sure their priorities as a med school are in the right place, lol.
 
TejasMed2009 said:
I have an interview Friday and just tried on my old suit and it was way too small. How bad will it look if I just show up in just dress pants and shirt plus a tie?
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Is there a department store somewhere nearby? You really want to go to an interview in a suit. People do judge books by their covers and when interviewing for professional school it truly helps to look professional. The only time folks get away with the business casual look you describe is when the airlines lose luggage, and even then it can raise an eyebrow. But not having tried on a suit until the week of the interview isn't a good excuse and makes you sound disorganized. Schools have as many as 10,000 applications and will talk to a ton of applicants, and so they are really just looking for good reasons to scratch people off the list. Don't give them an easy one.
 
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Pick up the phone and start calling all of your friends and relatives that might have suit that fits you.
 
You WOULD be the only one there without suit, trust me on this. You dont want to stand-out like that. Buy a suit.
 
I am serious about this.

I was walking in china town the other day (L.A., but they have them elsewhere too with the same type of stores I am talking about) and they had full suits for sale for like $60. Go pick up just the jacket and have them tailor it to you. My advice would be to offer them 150 for the suit and the tailoring as long as it is done in time
 
sankondbest said:
My advice would be to offer them 150 for the suit and the tailoring as long as it is done in time
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A lot of dept stores have "suit separates" so you can just find a jacket and pants that each fit -- no tailoring needed. You can probably find a low end place that has suits that don't look cheap at a good price.

Heck, just go to good will if you have to. But show up in something that looks professional.
 
charge it to your future. You will use it quite often over the next 4 years.
 
Go to a thrift store and buy a jacket, there will likely be a wide selection. I just had an interview yesterday. Prior to the interview, I took my suit to the cleaners. I was unable to pick it up before my flight. From highschool, I had a suit that cost me $15. I used the pants from the suit. I also had a jacket that my room mate gave me. So the whole pant, jacket combo wound up running a huge 15 bucks. I looked just as professional as all of the interviewees. So If you are short on cash, this is a very easy way to look professional at a interview while maintaining a budget. Cheers!
 
wawawa said:
Go to a thrift store and buy a jacket, there will likely be a wide selection. I just had an interview yesterday. Prior to the interview, I took my suit to the cleaners. I was unable to pick it up before my flight. From highschool, I had a suit that cost me $15. I used the pants from the suit. I also had a jacket that my room mate gave me. So the whole pant, jacket combo wound up running a huge 15 bucks. I looked just as professional as all of the interviewees. So If you are short on cash, this is a very easy way to look professional at a interview while maintaining a budget. Cheers!
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Make sure the pants and jacket are a very close match. Those of us who wear suits for a living actually would notice a mismatch a mile away, so your interviewers might.
 
emewe said:
do you have a jacket you can wear with them?
it's texas, so it's hot enough still to be able to pull off that you don't need a jacket. at my last interview everyone was wearing a jacket though....but i mean, if they're going to decide your acceptance based on whether or not you're wearing a jacket with your dress pants...i'm not sure their priorities as a med school are in the right place, lol.
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It's about professionalism. They want to see that the people they are interviewing are taking this seriously. Furthermore, first impressions matter, even on an unconscious level.

Get a suit.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. About what I expected. I may go out and try to find a jacket to match solid black pants, I don't know. Im not really pumped about the interview or the school to begin with as it is somewhere I would really prefer not to live for four years, not even sure why I applied, well I am but it does not matter now...so if I don't get in (and especially if its based on what I wear) then so be it. Anyway, so if I can find a jacket for say $25 or less I'll do it, gonna check out a couple of salvation army stores and the likes tommorow. Other than that I'll just go jacketless and help everyone else look good:).
 
GoSpursGo said:
It's about professionalism. They want to see that the people they are interviewing are taking this seriously. Furthermore, first impressions matter, even on an unconscious level.

Get a suit.
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Meh, I've already spent a couple hundred dollars applying, and am about to spend almost as much on the trip down there. Im not about to go out and spend that much on a suit right now, I know money is not an issue for some people but I just don't have that type of cash right now and I am not into asking for it. If I get an interview I am really pumped about I'll considernig renting or borrowing one. I can be professional and take it seriously without wearing a suit.
 
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TejasMed2009 said:
Meh, I've already spent a couple hundred dollars applying, and am about to spend almost as much on the trip down there. Im not about to go out and spend that much on a suit right now, I know money is not an issue for some people but I just don't have that type of cash right now and I am not into asking for it. If I get an interview I am really pumped about I'll considernig renting or borrowing one. I can be professional and take it seriously without wearing a suit.
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So why are you going to this interview?

Also, you can find a variety of suits for cheap by the means addressed above.
 
It's a bad idea to show up not wearing a jacket, if you are a guy.
I think if you have the pants, it's OK to find a jacket that matches.
Most adcoms know that students are not rich so they won't expect an Armani outfit or anything, but no tie or no jacket shows that you don't care to look professional. You can borrow one, buy a cheap one at JC Penney or Men's Warehouse, or even a thrift store, as some on here have suggested. You're going to need suit for future events and interviews, so I would just suck it up and buy the jacket (and/or an inexpensive suit).
 
TejasMed2009 said:
Meh, I've already spent a couple hundred dollars applying, and am about to spend almost as much on the trip down there. Im not about to go out and spend that much on a suit right now, I know money is not an issue for some people but I just don't have that type of cash right now and I am not into asking for it. If I get an interview I am really pumped about I'll considernig renting or borrowing one. I can be professional and take it seriously without wearing a suit.
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You may very well act professional and act like you're taking it seriously, but you will not look professional or like you are taking it seriously. I sympathize with the money you've taken applying, but there's really no excuse for not having a suit; it doesn't have to be an expensive one, but I'm sure you have a friend who can lend you a suit or that you could find one at a thrift store, maybe not for $25 dollars, but maybe $50.

Looking at the state you're primarily applying to, I hate to tell you but the interview dates are almost all gone; except for Baylor, most of those schools wrap up the season at the end of December, and are already starting to give those dates away. That will leave you with Oklahoma, and you'll have applied ridiculously late. This may be your one and only interview where you have a chance to convince someone to accept you to medical school next year. What if you get the 70 year old MD who does everything the old-fashioned way and will find a reason to dislike your application because of how you dressed? It's not fair, but it's possible, and you've gotta play the game. Please don't let the adcom's first impression of you be "who does this guy think he is?"
 
You may very well act professional and act like you're taking it seriously, but you will not look professional or like you are taking it seriously.
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I completely agree. If you can't be bothered to look professional for an interview, the school almost certainly can't be bothered to consider your application further. Your excuses are completely bunk; everyone else there will have spent just as much as you on applications, and they will all be dressed in suits. As a friend of mine who interviews job candidates for his company says, "No suit equals no thanks." Dress down at your own peril.
 
I agree with the general setiment on here. With all the weeding out ADCOMs need to do, not wearing a suit is like pasting a bulls-eye to your forehead.
 
Allright, well I guess I do need to take this a little more seriously, especially since interview season is coming to a close, as someone stated, so I will go through with the thrift store route. Also, how would it work if I went to Kohl's or Penny's or the likes and bought a cheaper black Jacket just to match the pants and returned it the next day? Anyone ever try that? Obvioulsy I would tape the tags back or something.
 
TejasMed2009 said:
Allright, well I guess I do need to take this a little more seriously, especially since interview season is coming to a close, as someone stated, so I will go through with the thrift store route. Also, how would it work if I went to Kohl's or Penny's or the likes and bought a cheaper black Jacket just to match the pants and returned it the next day? Anyone ever try that? Obvioulsy I would tape the tags back or something.
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Heck, if you are going to do that, might as well get the whole suit, rather than try to match unrelated pieces. At any rate, it doesn't matter how you end up with a suit, just show up in a suit.
 
Any article of clothing (or lack thereof) that makes you stand out on interview day probably detracts from the interviewer(s)'s impression of you. You want to stand out with your accomplishments, not your choice of clothing. I know it may seem arbitrary, but it is expected that, as a male, you will wear a suit at your interview.

This reminds me of an interview I had in New York. At this interview, a student came in with a suit, but with white chucks on (the ones with the blue and red accents at the bottom of the shoe). Once he entered, people could not stop staring--even the dean of admissions were staring at his shoes. I can guarantee that this attention wasn't positive... Hopefully you will get a suit jacket. Borrow, thrift-store it up, or even wear the suit that is too small so that the interviewer won't be distracted and will be able to give undivided attention to your accomplishments!
 
To me the suit issue is one of professionalism and you are applying to a professional graduate program. It's puts the question in the interviewer's mind about your seriousness.

So honestly, please please please wear a suit. WEAR A SUIT.

Sorry to be blunt, but try to think what people's response would be if you went to an interview at a law firm or for a residency program not wearing a suit.
 
Dude, if you don't have the cash... go use a credit card to buy a suit.

1)If you don't get in anywhere this year, you will be spending WAY more money next year reapplying.

2) After spending money on applying, traveling, hotels, and meals at your interview.... Do you REALLY want to wonder to yourself "Did I barely get rejected because I didn't wear a suit?". Not fun. :(

3)Charge it and ask your parents/grandma/brother/girlfriend to "give" you part of the suit for xmas by paying for part of your credit card bill.
 
they will remember you....as the guy that didnt wear a suit. haha. j/k as someone else mentioned, I'd go and get a suit because not only will you use it at the interview but you will undoubtedly use it in the future. they are handy.
 
TejasMed2009 said:
What about a sports coat? Just as bad?
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A sports coat is too casual. An interview is more formal. So no, it's just as bad. A suit is a suit. There is no way around this and still give the professional impression you want to give off. In the greater scheme of things, buying an inexpensive suit is a pretty minimal expectation that you really ought to meet.
 
pinkblue said:
Charge it and ask your parents/grandma/brother/girlfriend to "give" you part of the suit for xmas by paying for part of your credit card bill.
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If you're going to do this, might as well cut out the credit card and just ask for an early x-mas present.

If you're low on cash, try and find the cheapest suit you can (or near that anyway). The ADCOM won't hold anything against you for having a non-designer suit.
 
DrYoda said:
If you're going to do this might as well cut out the credit card and just ask for an early x-mas present.

If you're low on cash, try and find the cheapest suit you can (or near that anyway). The ADCOM won't hold anything against you for having a non-designer suit.
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A cheap suit is fine. Just avoid anything shiny, or that makes a swishing noise when you walk. But a mostly poly suit can look pretty legit if it's a dark color and you supplement it with a decent tie.
 
If you do not go out and buy a suit jacket AND it ends up costing you an acceptance you will regret this and look back at how naive the decision was.

Please go buy a non-sport coat suit jacket.
 
Come on chief, this is one of the biggest interviews of your life. There is no guarantee that you will get anymore interviews. Not everybody gets this opportunity. Make this one count. Do what you have to, sacrifice what you have to and make it happen. Get a suit my man. God bless!
 
DONT try to pair an orphaned jacket with whatever pants you have. Odds are, you may not be able to tell the color difference, but a lot of people will notice a discrepancy. It will not be pretty. Spring for a full suit. Go try everything on at thrift stores in your area and find something that fits.

JoF
 
ya i'd say wearing a suit is nearly essential. You don't have to go and spend a grand on one though to be professional. Heck, Target sells suits for under $100 that actually look pretty sharp (GQ even puts them on their top suits <$500), and if you are talking about 100 bucks that's probably less than you spent on the application fees to whatever school you're interviewing so I'd say its well worth the investment.
 
JoltOfFuel said:
DONT try to pair an orphaned jacket with whatever pants you have. Odds are, you may not be able to tell the color difference, but a lot of people will notice a discrepancy. It will not be pretty. Spring for a full suit. Go try everything on at thrift stores in your area and find something that fits.

JoF
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This point has not been emphasized enough! It is best to just buy an ENTIRE NEW SUIT so that everything 100% matches. Stop making excuses!
 
Even walmart sells suits nowadays, theres no excuse to not have one. I've been to much less important interviews where people were turned away for not wearing suits, so for a situation like this its an absolute must.
 
TejasMed2009 said:
I may go out and try to find a jacket to match solid black pants, I don't know. Im not really pumped about the interview or the school to begin with as it is somewhere I would really prefer not to live for four years, not even sure why I applied, well I am but it does not matter now...so if I don't get in (and especially if its based on what I wear) then so be it. Anyway, so if I can find a jacket for say $25 or less I'll do it, gonna check out a couple of salvation army stores and the likes tommorow. Other than that I'll just go jacketless and help everyone else look good:).
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So you're debating whether or not dressing up to an interview that you don't really care about anyways. Sure you want to go in the first place?

I used to do interviewing in my last job and if someone didn't care enough about dressing up, I figured that they wouldn't be a good fit for the job no matter how professional they came off. The reason is that there were usually many other people that were just as professional who cared enough about the interview that they went to the trouble to look their best. In an inteview where there will be plenty of qualified candidates, you'll want to look your best.

Hate to encourage credit card debt, but this may be a qualified expense.

Good luck! Hope you nail the interview either way.:thumbup:
 
pimp_jr.jpg
 
ejay286 said:
Even walmart sells suits nowadays, theres no excuse to not have one. I've been to much less important interviews where people were turned away for not wearing suits, so for a situation like this its an absolute must.
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Fear not fellow SDNers I have acquired a suit at Walmart as ejay here suggested, for $60. Probably not the best looking suit but its just the package ;). I appreciate the advice as to the importance of the suit and encouragement to bite the bullet and get one. I hate playing the game but I guess it needs to be done.
 
This post is clearly intended to get a rise out of SDNers. What are peoples thoughts on wearing skater shorts to my interview next week?
 
Timberwolf said:
This post is clearly intended to get a rise out of SDNers. What are peoples thoughts on wearing skater shorts to my interview next week?
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I'm going with hot pants or capris. I can't decide.
 
I am a tour guide at my med school. I've probably seen over 100 male applicants in the last year. Not one of them was wearing something other than a suit. A suit is what you wear to something like this. Period.

As a poor applicant a couple years ago I bought a suit at Target for 80 bucks. It isn't the nicest suit, but it worked.
 
when I went up to Northwestern for an MSTP interview, they explicitly told us that we were not to wear a suit or a tie to our interviews, just a dress shirt and slacks. it was the best interview I've been on so far. everyone looked so much more comfortable and happy.

to be honest with you, I think that wearing suits is kind of stupid. I've worn suits to my other interviews, and I agree with the others that, for some reason, it tends to negatively impact you if you don't wear one (I tried the Northwestern approach at one of my state schools, they weren't too happy with me, but oh well, I wasn't too happy with them either). however, suits just make people uncomfortable and I just think they're unnecessary.
 
sleepy425 said:
when I went up to Northwestern for an MSTP interview, they explicitly told us that we were not to wear a suit or a tie to our interviews, just a dress shirt and slacks. it was the best interview I've been on so far. everyone looked so much more comfortable and happy.

to be honest with you, I think that wearing suits is kind of stupid. I've worn suits to my other interviews, and I agree with the others that, for some reason, it tends to negatively impact you if you don't wear one (I tried the Northwestern approach at one of my state schools, they weren't too happy with me, but oh well, I wasn't too happy with them either). however, suits just make people uncomfortable and I just think they're unnecessary.
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I get not having the money, or not wanting to spend the money, but suits aren't uncomfortable at all. Make sure you are buying the right size?
 
Well, a little bit of an update. I decided to not go with the suit. It was more than I wanted to spend so I took it back and I really did not care if I got into UTMB at that point, so I went suitless. Nobody said anything about it, yeah I stuck out like a sore thumb but didn't really care. And....got in anyway...pretty shocked...pretty lucky...not really sure how I got in with a low MCAT score AND no suit but oh well.

That being said I will be wearing a suit to my next interview for sure.
 
Congrats! I didn't think the suit would be a deal-breaker, and it apparently wasn't. I just would feel quite awkward myself, but I'm glad it went well and you got accepted. Did your visit change your opinion about UTMB?
 
Hey! I am glad that everything went well.

The University of Arizona came to my school last week, and the dean of admissions was telling us to always keep your suit jacket on. It is not a big deal when one thinks about it, however when he compared that person who took their suit jacket off to everyone else - it was not impressive.
 
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