interview feedback

[falafel]

I recently had an interview at my top choice school. During the interview, my interviewer told me that I had "an outstanding application" and "some of the strongest letters of rec [this person] had seen." This person went on to say "what can we do to get you to come to our school" and "I would not be surprised if your acceptance is sent out in the first batch." Based on what this interviewer said, my friends have been trying to drag me out to celebrate my "acceptance" but I don't see it that way. For all that I know, the interviewer could have just been being nice to me, or trying to see how I would react or something (some warped kind of interview technique??) I am not comfortable with acting like I am "in" until I have an actual letter of acceptance from X school. What do you guys think? Am I right to insist on waiting for a letter of acceptance before I can assume that I am in, or should I be out celebrating? I guess you can call it pre-med paranoia... and I hope what I have said does not come across as boastful or arrogant, I really would just like someone's opinion.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Trek]

I think you should go out drinking and try not to second guess every word you heard. He may have been just saying that or he may have been sincere. Who knows. And right now there's not much you can do about it. --Trek

 

[SMW]

Welcome to SDN! Wow! Sounds like quite the interview!! If it happened to me (and I'm quite sure it won't!), I'd be like you. Cautiously optimistic, but not ready to celebrate until I had their offer in writing.

 

[merlin]

Well that shows some awesome reserve, but I think you are definitely playing it smart. Wait for the letter and it will be all that much better when it does come. Then go out drinking. Cheers.

 

[GS]

That happened to me!! Oh my god! But I was then waitlisted about two weeks later (go figure). This school was never my top choice school though

 

[choker]

sounds good to me, what's your secret?

what school was this at?

(and please dont give us any of that "i prefer not to disclose" crap, because that is really irrational.)

congrats!

 

[falafel]

GS - WAITLISTED!?!?! I knew it was too good to be true (the saying exists for a reason, I see) I am so sorry to hear about what happened to you, but it was their loss right?? At least it was not a top choice for you.... I don't know how well I would handle a rejection after being "teased" like this!

Choker - sent you a PM

 

[Dr.G]

falafel- I've been asking myself this same question- I think generally it is good to keep your cool and not get overconfident. I had a similar siguation when I met with my first interviewer at Mount Sinai-it was one of my early interviews and I walked out of the room feeling like I was God's gift to medical school. I think that may have made me a little too confident when I went in to meet with my second interviewer because he did not seem to be all too fond of me.
Good Luck !

 

[falafel]

Dr. G - yeah, it is most likely a good thing that this was my last admissions-related activity of the day. I came out of that office like a lunatic, cartwheeling down the hall, pausing to spontaneously break dance in the middle of the hospital foyer, imitating those quasi-studly dance routines football players do when they run a 95 yrd. TD into the endzone. I was pretty jazzed for all of ten minutes, and then humility whacked me upside the head and forced me to get a grip. I am not "in" yet, alas, still a mortal pre-med sans an official acceptance.

 

[Ranger Bob]

falafel, I don't think I've ever gotten an endorsement quite as ringing as the one you described, but something similar has happened to me a couple of times. On one occasion, the interviewer told me I had a strong application and that my professionalism showed through in the interview. I was waitlisted at that school. At another school, the interviewer told me he would definitely be voting for my admission. I haven't heard from that school yet.

Anyway, I think you should feel proud of your performance in ther interview, but as another poster suggested, be "cautiously optimistic" about your chances. If you're not expecting the acceptance, you'll feel all the more elated when it actually comes.

 

[choker]

thanks for the PM. i had a really similar experience like that at one interviewer a month ago. it was great, the guy started the interview saying he loved everything about my app, complimented me throughout the interview, and he ended it telling me he would strongly support my application, and then HE DROVE ME TO THE TRAIN STATION IN HIS CAR!!!

it was cool. i got in 3 days later. when an interviewer tells you stuff like that, it doesn't mean you are in unless the interviewer has the final say. it DOES mean that you aced the interview part of your application, which can be make-or-break in many cases. But it's usually up to a committee that evaluates the interviewer's recomendation along with their own assessment of your application (afterall, the interviewer most likely doesn't see the rest of the applications and so he cant compare you to bob and nancy from st.louis for that single open spot).

so be happy you did well on your interview. if he says you will get in, that's different than just merely endorsing you; it means that after seeing years and years of applications, he is confident that yours will go through succesfully.

congrats again.

 

[Trek]

Originally posted by choker:
•thanks for the PM. i had a really similar experience like that at one interviewer a month ago. it was great, the guy started the interview saying he loved everything about my app, complimented me throughout the interview, and he ended it telling me he would strongly support my application, and then HE DROVE ME TO THE TRAIN STATION IN HIS CAR!!!

it was cool. i got in 3 days later. when an interviewer tells you stuff like that, it doesn't mean you are in unless the interviewer has the final say. it DOES mean that you aced the interview part of your application, which can be make-or-break in many cases. But it's usually up to a committee that evaluates the interviewer's recomendation along with their own assessment of your application (afterall, the interviewer most likely doesn't see the rest of the applications and so he cant compare you to bob and nancy from st.louis for that single open spot).

so be happy you did well on your interview. if he says you will get in, that's different than just merely endorsing you; it means that after seeing years and years of applications, he is confident that yours will go through succesfully.

congrats again.•••

what school was this at?

--Trek

 

[choker]

well actually i prefer not to disclose the name of that school at this point.

j/k
it was SUNY stonybrook.

 

[falafel]

Awww... c'mon. According to your logic, once you are in there is no sensible reason to keep this kind of juicy info to yourself. WARNING - this may necissitate the beginning of an official SDN investigation into your background and previous posts Hehe... good thing you coughed up the info