Interview feedback - "we want to recruit you" - is this normal?!

[Zulq]

Ok I want to share an interview experience and please let me know what you guys think it means, because I went to 10 interviews in total and didn't get anything like this. But what bears repeating is what Morninglight just said on another thread:

•••quote:•••Originally posted by MorningLight2100:
•I think it's very difficult for us to judge how well our interviews actually "went," even if we feel that all progressed smoothly, because although we might be given signals that an interviewer likes/dislikes us, that interviewer's weight and role as pertains to the rest of the admissions committee is beyond our control! From my own experience. . . my interviews varied enormously, yet there seemed to be no correlation b/t interview & acceptance. I don't necessarily think it means that the interview has little effect, either, because in my case, my composite MCAT was below the average for a good portion of the schools at which I interviewed, and so I'm inclined to believe that the interview held more importance than it may have for someone with really stellar stats. •••••At med school X, I was having a really cool conversation with the Associate Dean who happened to be doing interviews that day. After an hour long talk with me describing my undergrad years, my family background, service projects, academics e.g. she was so interested and persistent in trying to understand my humanities thesis project, because even though it was obscure it reminded her of some new research she had read about and she wanted to draw a connection . Then as I prepared to leave because I had to catch my flight, she matter of factly stated "I think you would be great as a student here, so I need to get you past the next stage of the review process which is a vote by a sixteen member committee. They will only look at the items in your file that I highlight, so help me present your file as you think will be most effective, by summing up and giving me any other information I need."
I was like huh for a second, then I realized what she wanted and started talking continuously for 5 minutes while she scribbled down everything she could get. I really don't wanna get my hopes up. But has anybody else gotten such concrete feedback, where the interviewer didn't just give you positive signals, but wanted to go about the business of making sure you were accepted?

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[vyc]

my faculty interviewer at UChicago told me, in the end, that she hoped to see me next year.
i was accepted.

my student interviewer at UCSD told me i did well on the interview but then i was waitlisted.

my faculty interviewer at BU told me we had a lot in common and seemed to really like me but i haven't heard back yet...!

those were the only times when i got any sort of "feedback" from my interviewers.
i think you should be proud of the good job you did but don't count on an acceptance!
that said, GOOD LUCK!!! things are looking good!

 

[nebula7]

This isn't exactly the same, but it sorta reminded me of your story. When I asked one of my interviewers what my chances were, he said he thought my chances were great and he felt I would do well, but that he is only one of 12 members on the committee. He then said he could be very vocal, and would do all in his power to see me accepted. He then closed the interview by suggesting I write a letter to the dean expressing my interest in the school (which I did). After he said all this, I just told him that I knew I would succeed in their program, and I hoped to get the chance to attend there. And it ended up good for me...I got my acceptance in Feb.

 

[oldman]

i've had the opposite. i had an interviewer who refused to give me eye contact and looked on the verge of falling asleep. somehow i was accepted.

 

[Dr. Kermit]

I only attended five interviews because I lost interest after being accepted to my first choice. Anyway, below is the feedback I was giving and my result.

GW- From the Dean of Admissions, "please give me a call or e-mail in the spring when you are deciding where to attend school. I hope to see you here net year." (alternate list, then acceptance)
Temple- After telling my interviewer I was interested in a MD/MPH he said, "you should consult the Admissions Office so they know that you'll be a dual candidate in the fall." (Acceptance)
MCP- "I hope you choose MCP." (Acceptance)
Einstein- "I will recommend you highly to the committee. Last year, I had 7/10 candidates get outright acceptances, the other three were waitlisted and then accepted." (Acceptance)
NYMC- After telling my interviewer I had already been accepted and then having to explain to her why I was still accepting interview offers she said, "I hope you find the medical school that best fits your needs." (Acceptance)

So, I think I had three great interviews at Temple, MCP, and Einstein. My horrible interview was at NYMC where I actually got up and got ready to leave before she was done questioning me. And, my first interview at GW where I was a nervous wreck. It's really hard to gauge what others think of you w/o asking them and as others have said what the ADCOM will think of you when they vote.

 

[UCLA2000]

Case Western: "You'd thrive in the environment that our school would provide you with. You're going to love it here. I'm convinced that you're gonna fit in well." (HOLD)

Tulane: "we need you here" (accept)
UCLA: "I want to see you next year" (accept)
UCSD: "You're very prepared for med school." (Waitlist...then accept)

UCD: "Hope to see you next year"(Hold..then withdrew)

Einstein: "you're a great candidate and I hope to see you next year" (reject)

Pitt: "I hope you choose our school. I'm convinced that we can make you a superb physician" (accept)

 

[mpp]

How do you folks remember exactly what they said? I can barely remember what I said and I've only had two interviews...

 

[Zulq]

Thanks for your responses people. It might seem like there is a correlation between definitive language like "I want to make sure you get in" when coming from a dean or an interviewer who is confident of their influence on the Committee, and an acceptance/waitlist. Here's hoping

But there's something else that I encountered at 2 highly competitive places: the interviewer finished the interview by arranging another interview or "recruiting opportunity" as she called it, i.e. having me go talk to the humanities dept. chair at that university (based on my interests in that discipline as an undergrad), just so I could assess the chances of continuing graduate work in that dept while at the med sch. So that made 3 interviews rather than 2, even though the final one was more like me interviewing them.
The second time this happened was just last week, at school X mentioned above, where the associate dean insisted that I go talk to the directors of a certain clinical scholars program that I could undertake while a student there. I wish I could have but I had to catch my flight. Oh well.

Anybody had interviewers use that magic word "recruit" in reference to anything? What do you think it means in a med sch situation, obviously its not like "recruiting" someone to play football as an undergrad, right?

 

[reesie0726]

I was told by the dean of admissions at one school that I was definitely going to get an acceptance letter when they were mailed out. Sure enough, I was in the first batch of acceptances.

 

[j99]

Dr. H at MCV/VCU told me at the end of the interview, "Well I can tell you you're going to get in here. And you're going to get in at Wake Forest [he used to work at WFU]." He was right about Wake--I got in the next week. But still no word from MCV--just waiting for their next batch of acceptances.

 

[Original]

I got some pretty assertive language at each of my interviews. They'll even seem like I'm making them up.

UChicago:
1) "Don't ruin your life by going elsewhere "
2) "I'll try to convince you to attend"
3) "I'll call you in Jan and would like an honest response
-(accept)

WashU:
1)"Come to 2nd look <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> "
2)"Give me a call and let me know ur decision eitherway"
-(accept)

Duke:
1) "I think you'll like Duke"
-(accept)

hee hee.