Interview Question - Where else have you applied/interviewed?

[thegenius]

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I'm sure this has been asked before but it's hard searching for threads on this website.

Many schools ask this question, it is just best to be honest or not give the full details of where you've interviewed? Suppose you are interviewing at a lower tier school and have had several interviews at obviously better schools? Do you make that known? And, do you say that you've gained acceptance to a school (if it's true) when answering this question?

It all seems pretty benign, and obviously your soul can rest in peace if you tell the truth. But there are subtleties to this question and answer that can give a more positive or negative impression of yourself.

 

[zero2hero]

I always answer truthfully. It can't really hurt you because they should know as an applicant you are applying to various schools. They can't really penalize you for stating what other interviews you've been on. The schools that have asked me that were just curious and didn't really make much of it.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm sure this has been asked before but it's hard searching for threads on this website.

Many schools ask this question, it is just best to be honest or not give the full details of where you've interviewed? Suppose you are interviewing at a lower tier school and have had several interviews at obviously better schools? Do you make that known? And, do you say that you've gained acceptance to a school (if it's true) when answering this question?

It all seems pretty benign, and obviously your soul can rest in peace if you tell the truth. But there are subtleties to this question and answer that can give a more positive or negative impression of yourself.

You need to be honest, but I would downplay your interest in the other schools or particularly that you regard them as "obviously better schools". (FYI most schools regard themselves as best in some aspect, and so to many interviewers there will simply be no obviously better school than the one they chose to help interview for - lose that attitude for the interview or it will ruin you).
Come up with some school specific reason as to why you think each of the schools you might interview at are a "better fit", and tell the interviewer honestly that you are "applying to a variety of places, but particularly like this one because..."

 

[diosa428]

My interviewer asked me this at one interview, and I said I was applying to schools mostly in the northeast, and a couple in california and chicage. He didn't push for details.

 

[CerealBox]

I have actually been asked this at every interview day so far... And I also wonder what would be the best answer. I think it depends on the school and the interviewer.

At a good (but not top 10) school, my interviewer kept pushing why I would be interested in their school over other higher ranked, better research, and lower tuition schools. It was hard to sound convincing when I answered. I hope I did a good job.

I think in the future I will answer that I have other interviews in various areas, but I like this school especially because blah, blah. I don't want to name names.

 

[Freakingzooming]

man- getting that question is on lines to being asked- "so hun, how many people have you slept with?" there's definitely no win win situation to come from it. You're going to look like either a slut or a prude.

Personally, when I was asked the question, I was vague but honest and then I concluded with why I wanted to go to X school. Why I was there at the interview and why I wanted to go there badly.

 

[tigress]

The only interview I got asked this question in was Jefferson. My interviewer was a really nice, sweet older man, and he seemed to ask entirely out of curiosity. So I answered by just mentioning what schools I had interviewed at, and then went on with the convo.

In a different situation I think it would be more difficult to answer. If it were a more stressful interview, I would probably be vague ("the schools in Pennsylvania, a few in the south where I'm from..."). I think as long as it doesn't seem obvious that you like other schools better than the one where you're interviewing, you'll probably be fine with any variation of this answer (specific or non-specific, but never tooo detailed).

 

[firebird69guy]

Do you think they really know the answer and are just checking to make sure you are honest??

I am scared now that I sorta played off how many schools I applied to. I was like.. ohhhh a couple here in Pennsylvania, a few in California.. etc.

What exactly is the relevance of this question, anyways? To see how serious you are about attending the school?

 

[Overeducated]

I think I've been asked this question at about half of my interviews and I always answer truthfully. I figure the only way they're going to use that information negatively is if they don't have any respect for their own school and assume that you'll go somewhere else. If they have that low an opinion of themselves then why would I want to go there?

 

[Thundrstorm]

I was asked this question several times at my first set of interviews. I said something about concentrating on the northeast. One guy pushed me to name schools, so I told him where I had interviews. His response was to ask whether I'd applied to any safety schools. This was the same guy who spent the whole interview basically telling me I didn't have much of a chance of getting into the an MD/PhD program. That was a greeeeaaaat interview. 🙄