Interview Question: Top choice?

[jwalla57]

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If an interviewer asks you what your top choices are or top 3 choices, how do you respond? Especially if that school is not among them? I'm doing prep for my first interview next week. Any other advice I can get? Topics I should look out for? Thank you so much!!

 

[aSagacious]

If an interviewer asks you what your top choices are or top 3 choices, how do you respond?

Uh, tell them your top few choices. What's the problem? If they're not technically in your top few, just say that they are "among your top few choices."

 

[NickNaylor]

I wasn't asked this question at any of my interviews. I highly doubt it would come up; if it did and it made you uncomfortable, I would notify the admissions office immediately.

 

[phltz]

If an interviewer asks you what your top choices are or top 3 choices, how do you respond? Especially if that school is not among them? I'm doing prep for my first interview next week. Any other advice I can get? Topics I should look out for? Thank you so much!!

Tell them you know it's a long shot, but you're really hoping to go to University of the Moon.

 

[Don15]

.

 

[blizzah]

Choice 1: princeton med
Choice 2: your schoolz

 

[ppappui]

Flattery is a virtue that is underrated. You can learn it and use it to your advantage, or be brutally honest and tell them "Even if I get into your school, I'll have to see how the other schools go b/c those are my top choices," which I think is dumb

 

[aSagacious]

Flattery is a virtue that is underrated. You can learn it and use it to your advantage, or be brutally honest and tell them "Even if I get into your school, I'll have to see how the other schools go b/c those are my top choices," which I think is dumb

Do you think AdCom members would look more favorably on an honest response or (quite obvious) insincere flattery? In any case I don't think this question is meant for anything other than a set-up for 'why us?' or more generally 'what are you looking for in a school?'

 

[ppappui]

Do you think AdCom members would look more favorably on an honest response or (quite obvious) insincere flattery? In any case I don't think this question is meant for anything other than a set-up for 'why us?' or more generally 'what are you looking for in a school?'

I think it's a balance of the two. Obviously it's not nice to lie with a straight face, but the fact that you attended the interview means you're interested in the school, right? Then answer the question by saying things such as "This school is one of my higher choices b/c of blah blah blah." You don't need to answer the interviewer's question word-for-word; no need to include in your answer that this school is my top 3 choice and so on. Just talk around the question cleverly and say why you would love to attend that school. The interviewer won't press the issue and continue to harass you about your top choices

 

[aSagacious]

I think it's a balance of the two. Obviously it's not nice to lie with a straight face, but the fact that you attended the interview means you're interested in the school, right? Then answer the question by saying things such as "This school is one of my higher choices b/c of blah blah blah." You don't need to answer the interviewer's question word-for-word; no need to include in your answer that this school is my top 3 choice and so on. Just talk around the question cleverly and say why you would love to attend that school. The interviewer won't press the issue and continue to harass you about your top choices

I completely agree (see my first post). 🙂

 

[JESSFALLING]

Redirect: "To be honest, I wouldn't have applied here unless I was seriously interested in attending. I really appreciate x, y, & z about your school. And I haven't interviewed at schools a, b, & c yet, so it is hard to make a direct comparison."

 

[jwalla57]

Thanks to all the replies you guys! I really appreciate it. Good luck to everyone applying!!

 

[V5RED]

If I were asked that question and that school was not in my top three, I would tell them my top three, and then I would tell them that although they were not in my top three, I would still be more than happy to attend their school.

I would be surprised if there was a universally correct answer though since people are not robots, so their reaction to your answer to such a loaded question will vary. Knowing that there is probably no universally proper answer, I would choose the honest answer.(actually I would choose the honest answer even if it was "wrong")

 

[Neurosis]

Redirect: "To be honest, I wouldn't have applied here unless I was seriously interested in attending. I really appreciate x, y, & z about your school. And I haven't interviewed at schools a, b, & c yet, so it is hard to make a direct comparison."

+1 👍

 

[AZFutureDoc]

Choice 1: princeton med
Choice 2: your schoolz

I LOL'd.

 

[Dent1028]

Actually, i said, "i do not have a topchoice and i want to go to the school strong clinical program.." Am i stupid to answer it?....🙁( should have i said your school?

 

[deleted702880]

Give them your honest top three, list the benefits that each one has that contrast the negatives that the school you're interviewing at has. Be sure to mention that school you're interviewing at is an excellent program that you are a great fan of but these schools are superior picks because ______.

 

[wasteofspace323]

Actually, i said, "i do not have a topchoice and i want to go to the school strong clinical program.." Am i stupid to answer it?....🙁( should have i said your school?

Yours is probably the best answer. You want a major cop out. I would say that I haven't ranked my choices and don't plan to until I interview there.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Tell them you know it's a long shot, but you're really hoping to go to University of the Moon.

Psh.

Rivendell University of Elvish Medicine or bust.

 

[Donald Juan]

First off, you're probably not going to get asked this. If you are, you tell them it's early in the season and you haven't decided yet because you're trying to get a good feel for what different schools have to offer and you'd like to base your decision off more than just who ranks higher on the US news report.

 

[RaspberrySlushy]

My friend just had his first interview and he got asked this, and he gave the answer suggested here. They followed up and asked what about if he got into this specific (state) med school would he go there instead. He said he hasn't decided yet, esp as this was his first interview so he didn't have a full basis to compare.

So they def could put you on the spot like that.