Interview regrets?

[illegallysmooth]

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Did you forget to pack something?

Did you think of something else you should have brought?

Did you think of anything more you wish you would have done to prepare?

We already have a wonderous Worst Interview Answers thread, but did you make any other types of blunders you'd like to share?

Share for the benefit of all the late interviewers please 🙂

 

[armybound]

I forgot my shoes once. Had to buy another pair on the drive down.

I brought a portfolio once. Big waste of time. All you need is a pen, cell phone, wallet, etc.

 

[RedSHIFT]

i forgot my suit...lol

then bought a much better suit than the one I left at home and rocked an acceptance.

 

[Question123]

Ran into wet paint before my interview (in the hallway). No joke, one side of my suit was covered in white paint...there's nothing you can do but laugh at this point

 

[Cleveland]

Did a whole interview with my fly down.

 

[Hifey]

a mint probably wouldn't hurt.

also, you're going to be shaking a lot of hands so I would add lotion and antibacterial.

good luck 🙂

 

[starl3tte]

I forgot my Visine eye drops for the first few interviews, which kinda sucked b/c even though I got a decent amt of rest the night before the interview, my eyes were a little red from wearing contacts + dry air inside the plane, so I still looked tired.

 

[RevMD]

I forgot my Visine eye drops for the first few interviews, which kinda sucked b/c even though I got a decent amt of rest the night before the interview, my eyes were a little red from wearing contacts + dry air inside the plane, so I still looked tired.

Best to open a fresh pair of contacts just a couple hours before the interview so you won't have to deal with that.

 

[beebee0]

I forgot my shoes once. Had to buy another pair on the drive down.

I brought a portfolio once. Big waste of time. All you need is a pen, cell phone, wallet, etc.

No need to bring a portfolio? What about girls, do most women bring a big tote or purse?

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I regret not begging the interviewers more for an acceptance

 

[Hifey]

No need to bring a portfolio? What about girls, do most women bring a big tote or purse?

I had a purse and just kept a small notepad inside and a pen + wallet + phone + mints. MOst of the time, I didn't even need to pull anything out because they provide you with all the info either way in folders to take home. (at least most of my interviews did...)

 

[MarieMarie]

I managed to leave behind the folder containing my travel itinerary. It had other important things too, like my personal statement and application overview. I knew I'd be able to get on my flight because I was pretty sure I knew the airline (I did), but I straight up had no idea where my hotel reservations were.

I had to run to catch a bus. If I had driven myself to the airport none of this would have happened. I also managed to bring my gigantic headphones but not my ipod.

It all worked out in the end. I had the "essentials," and I managed to be the mumbling weirdo I would have been if everything had gone off without a hitch

 

[marele86]

A decent garment bag.

I thought I was saving money by just borrowing one from a friend. It's huge, half the straps have been cut off (so it no longer folds nicely), and I have to carry it awkwardly through airports on my shoulder. Its inner straps are too wide for a women's interview suit (which is lighter than a man's), so it doesn't even actually prevent my suit from ending up in a wrinkled ball. And ironing a suit sucks.

No need to bring a portfolio? What about girls, do most women bring a big tote or purse?

Yes. Personally, I think a big purse is crucial. I pack everything for my interview so I don't have to check any luggage (cause anything I pack is something I need for the interview, and it would suck to have it not end up with me) - so in addition to putting most of it in the garment bag, it's good to have room in the purse.
Plus, it's nice to have a brush and some hairspray in your purse in case the tour is long and involves standing around outdoors while your tour guide points out random campus landmarks and everyone's hair gets blown around like crazy.

I managed to leave behind the folder containing my travel itinerary. It had other important things too, like my personal statement and application overview. I knew I'd be able to get on my flight because I was pretty sure I knew the airline (I did), but I straight up had no idea where my hotel reservations were.

I did that too... I had to call a friend and have him e-mail everything to me, then find a printer, etc. I was pretty annoyed with myself.

 

[justinbaily]

This hasn't negatively impacted me too much based on how the application cycle has gone, but there is something that I wish I had brought. I don't know what they're called, but those black leather things with the legal pads inside allow you to take notes during introductory presentations and they seem really professional. At the beginning of the cycle, I thought that they were overkill, but they honestly make the students taking notes in them look very on top of things and like they are genuinely interested in the school.

I ended up just bringing a pen and writing things on the edge of a handout or something. I think that it looked a little bit ridiculous.

 

[armybound]

This hasn't negatively impacted me too much based on how the application cycle has gone, but there is something that I wish I had brought. I don't know what they're called, but those black leather things with the legal pads inside allow you to take notes during introductory presentations and they seem really professional. At the beginning of the cycle, I thought that they were overkill, but they honestly make the students taking notes in them look very on top of things and like they are genuinely interested in the school.

I ended up just bringing a pen and writing things on the edge of a handout or something. I think that it looked a little bit ridiculous.

those are portfolios. I honestly see absolutely no reason to have one.

if you can't remember what you liked about the school long enough to make a list when you get home, you probably weren't all that impressed by the school.

 

[justinbaily]

This may sound cynical, but I thought that it at least gave the appearance of being very interested and prepared. Otherwise, I basically agree with you. An administrator giving the presentation at one of my interviews actually commented on how nice it was that people were taking detailed notes while she was talking.

You could absolutely get away with just bringing a pen, though, and I doubt that anyone would even notice.

 

[BBender716]

Definitely went to put on my suit the morning of at the student host's and realized that I brought the wrong suit coat.

Black suit coat + navy pants = confusion of interviewers as to whether or not this was intentional, a mistake, or noticed at all

No one said anything and I didn't get any strange looks... so they may just think I'm a bad dresser... or color blind. Kind of a shame that no interviewer commented because I had one helluva "rods and cones" joke.

 

[Narmerguy]

I give 👍 to portfolios. Professional look and you never know what you'll want to remember. I was in the position once where I was being interviewed with another applicant at the same time and he had a portfolio and I was just writing on the handouts they gave me and I felt a little lame next to him. Never again.

 

[flip26]

I give 👍 to portfolios. Professional look and you never know what you'll want to remember. I was in the position once where I was being interviewed with another applicant at the same time and he had a portfolio and I was just writing on the handouts they gave me and I felt a little lame next to him. Never again.

I had one, and it came in handy. Looks sharp, too. Great place to store a pen.

First, I carried with me a copy of my PS, AMCAS, and other stuff. Without the portfolio, I would have had to carry them in my hands - not cool.

Plus, while most schools give you a folder, a couple did not, and I was glad not to have to carry around loose papers, business cards, etc.

 

[faith2]

i regret not bringing comfortable shoes, not going to NOVA's interview building the nite before because I got lost the day of. Not a good look being the only black person for the interview and the only late person walking in sweating and frazzled LOL( it was 85 degress that day) 😍😍 accepted 2014 UCF

 

[zer0crew]

When my room mate went for his interview he thought that it was supposed to be;
Interviewer #1 (30 min), break (5 min), Interviewer #2 (30 min)

But, Interviewer #2 just came right in and switched with Interviewer #1 after 30 minutes. (no break)

Unfortunately though, my room mate decided to drink a big cup of coffee right before his interview and had to pee like crazy, so he had to stop the 2nd interviewer half way through and ask if he could go to the bathroom.

We definitely got a good laugh out of it later, especially because he did got accepted and now goes to that school.

 

[whatuthinkin]

i regret not bringing comfortable shoes, not going to NOVA's interview building the nite before because I got lost the day of. Not a good look being the only black person for the interview and the only late person walking in sweating and frazzled LOL( it was 85 degress that day) 😍😍 accepted 2014 UCF

 

[FuSoYa]

Check the local weather, I got rained on walking to my interview.

 

[therethere]

When my room mate went for his interview he thought that it was supposed to be;
Interviewer #1 (30 min), break (5 min), Interviewer #2 (30 min)

But, Interviewer #2 just came right in and switched with Interviewer #1 after 30 minutes. (no break)

Unfortunately though, my room mate decided to drink a big cup of coffee right before his interview and had to pee like crazy, so he had to stop the 2nd interviewer half way through and ask if he could go to the bathroom.

We definitely got a good laugh out of it later, especially because he did got accepted and now goes to that school.

Yea I did the same just before my interview, to be on top of my game. Towards the end of my interview, I had to pee so bad my concentration was going down. make sure you drink your coffee well ahead of time.

I wish I had asked more questions to my interviewer. At one of the schools I interviewed at, the interviewer didn't seem like she liked me and I let that get in the way of engaging her more. That ended up being the weakest interview I had at that school. I ended up getting an acceptance there, but for future interviewers, you don't want to have ANY regrets coming out of the interview 👍

 

[futuredoctor10]

Not a big deal, but remember snacks for the morning of the interview day (for interviews you are not staying with a host in particular) and an umbrella.

 

[Narmerguy]

Not a big deal, but remember snacks for the morning of the interview day (for interviews you are not staying with a host in particular) and an umbrella.

OH yeaaah. And definitely check the weather before you pack.