Interview stepping stone theory

[iamdo]

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I read this in another post and though that we shold have a seperate thread on weight of interview. Sorry Cbrons, I stole your post.

I wouldn't say it is an issue with numbers. Maybe some people will disagree with me on here, but I'd say if they were concerned with numbers you wouldn't have gotten an interview in the first place. I think once you get an interview, the only thing that can hold you back is the interview itself.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Do you think when one get an interview invite, the numbers role is over and it is just your performance in interview which matters to land you an acceptence?

 

[gatewasani]

i hope so,

I'm wondering if we can compile a list of which interviews give u the best chance at acceptance, basically, schools that are most selective in choosing who gets an interview and have enough spots to accept a lot of those students.

 

[iamdo]

i hope so,

I'm wondering if we can compile a list of which interviews give u the best chance at acceptance, basically, schools that are most selective in choosing who gets an interview and have enough spots to accept a lot of those students.

I do feel that when they invite you for interview, number game is over.
Like in job interview, they read your resume/numbers/experience.
when thay interview yiu, they will either offer you a job or just reject you.
not sure how others feel about this.

 

[gatewasani]

I do feel that when they invite you for interview, number game is over.
Like in job interview, they read your resume/numbers/experience.
when thay interview yiu, they will either offer you a job or just reject you.
not sure how others feel about this.

i wouldn't say it's over, I would, however, say that it's probably not as important.

Except at a school like touro-ny who gives an interview to everyone with 3.0/24, numbers probably still play a heavy role.

 

[DbDan]

Disagree.

I got rejected then waitlisted post interview and when I called to ask why they were only interested in my grades and what I was retaking and taking in the future. Numbers play a role through the entire process.

 

[iamdo]

Disagree.

I got rejected then waitlisted post interview and when I called to ask why they were only interested in my grades and what I was retaking and taking in the future. Numbers play a role through the entire process.

Thanks DbDan,
May be they found you suitable in interview and then before sending an acceptence they found that you have not completed 1 year Physics requirement (for example). but then they found out that you are already enrolled in physics hence accepted subjected to your completion the course requirement. Just a wild guess and a possiblity

 

[gatewasani]

depends on the school

 

[iamdo]

depends on the school

thats corrcet. May be some one who knows about how ADCOM works will be able to throw some light on this. But I still feel that once you are invited for an interview, your performance in the interview is the only decison factor in your selection. I do not have any thing to back it up. Just my feelings.

 

[DbDan]

Thanks DbDan,
May be they found you suitable in interview and then before sending an acceptence they found that you have not completed 1 year Physics requirement (for example). but then they found out that you are already enrolled in physics hence accepted subjected to your completion the course requirement. Just a wild guess and a possiblity

I've already graduated and met their requirements by a lot. I actually got a rejection. Then I called to ask why they rejected me and they moved me to waitlist sighting my grades...

It depends on the school but like I said. Your stats can still hurt you even if you have an interview.

 

[iamdo]

I've already graduated and met their requirements by a lot. I actually got a rejection. Then I called to ask why they rejected me and they moved me to waitlist sighting my grades...

It depends on the school but like I said. Your stats can still hurt you even if you have an interview.

They already knew about your grades before interview.
They invited you for interview and then found out that grades are not good enough for sending an acceptence. Why they would conduct an interview at the first place when grades are not as per their requirements. I know I am unnecessary making a point but find out that grades are not good enough after the interview does not seem logical to me.

 

[DbDan]

They already knew about your grades before interview.
They invited you for interview and then found out that grades are not good enough for sending an acceptence. Why they would conduct an interview at the first place when grades are not as per their requirements. I know I am unnecessary making a point but find out that grades are not good enough after the interview does not seem logical to me.

Beats me... from what it sounded like at no point was I up for acceptance though. I was always under the hope that my grades would be looked past once I interviewed as well. 2 interviews last year -> 2 waitlists -> no acceptance. 4 interviews this year -> 1 rejection/waitlist and 3 pending.

I know my interview skills aren't that bad, I have gotten a job offer from every job I've ever interviewed at and Im a personable person. I've got no other explanation but my grades honestly.

 

[iamdo]

Beats me... from what it sounded like at no point was I up for acceptance though. I was always under the hope that my grades would be looked past once I interviewed as well. 2 interviews last year -> 2 waitlists -> no acceptance. 4 interviews this year -> 1 rejection/waitlist and 3 pending.

I know my interview skills aren't that bad, I have gotten a job offer from every job I've ever interviewed at and Im a personable person. I've got no other explanation but my grades honestly.

are they seeing your Md App profile where in you have shown gpa 1.0.lol
Hey DbDan, I am sorry to hear this. But waitlist is better than a rejection. I am sure that you will land in a D.O. school this year. Mark my words.

 

[Prof Chaos]

I'd imagine that an interview invite means "your stats are acceptable", but not necessarily that they don't matter from that point on.

It is more likely, especially for people with borderline stats, that it means they are moderately interested in you, but still would like to interview you before making any decisions. If 2000 apply, and they send invites to 500 people, but only have 150 seats available, then logically you can't say that as long as you do well in your interview, you are in. It just means that they have time to interview the 500 most promising applicants. If 200 of those 500 have equally great interviews, they still have to whittle down the pool a little more. In tie-breaker situations like that I imagine that they must go back and look at the applicant as a whole: grades, mcat, ECs, special circumstances, interview, etc. and try to pick the 150 they want most based on all of that, and sadly that leaves 50 out in the cold, or at least on a waitlist.

 

[blueflower]

I'd imagine that an interview invite means "your stats are acceptable", but not necessarily that they don't matter from that point on.

It is more likely, especially for people with borderline stats, that it means they are moderately interested in you, but still would like to interview you before making any decisions. If 2000 apply, and they send invites to 500 people, but only have 150 seats available, then logically you can't say that as long as you do well in your interview, you are in. It just means that they have time to interview the 500 most promising applicants. If 200 of those 500 have equally great interviews, they still have to whittle down the pool a little more. In tie-breaker situations like that I imagine that they must go back and look at the applicant as a whole: grades, mcat, ECs, special circumstances, interview, etc. and try to pick the 150 they want most based on all of that, and sadly that leaves 50 out in the cold, or at least on a waitlist.

don't forget that they over-accept too. ie. class of 150 = ~300 get accepted. not everyone accepted goes.

 

[cbrons]

I wish aacom released the number of interviewees like the msar has.

 

[cbrons]

I read this in another post and though that we shold have a seperate thread on weight of interview. Sorry Cbrons, I stole your post.


Do you think when one get an interview invite, the numbers role is over and it is just your performance in interview which matters to land you an acceptence?

No worries

If 2000 apply, and they send invites to 500 people, but only have 150 seats available, then logically you can't say that as long as you do well in your interview, you are in. It just means that they have time to interview the 500 most promising applicants. waitlist.

CCOM had over 5k applications for 200 spots. I would guess they interview at least 3 people for every seat, over 75 percent probably before the end of the year.

 

[cbrons]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=763514


Is my theory on interviews w lower stats

 

[Lukat]

I'm not sure whether numbers don't play a role after interview. I mean, for example, at CCOM, the interviewers are not in the admission committee (this is what I've been told, someone correct me if I'm wrong) so the decision will lie with the adcom who have your entire file. Of course, interview is really important but I think, at least for some schools, numbers do haunt you even after the interview.

 

[BigBoosting]

I was told I was put on the alternate recently because of my numbers. So yes, they matter even after the interview.

 

[crazynate]

imo, i think once you get an interview you are deemed acceptable for admittance. buuuut. If you have great numbers, all you have to do is be ok. If you're numbers aren't so great, you have to blow the interviewer away and make a great impression.

 

[AutumnChild]

imo, i think once you get an interview you are deemed acceptable for admittance. buuuut. If you have great numbers, all you have to do is be ok. If you're numbers aren't so great, you have to blow the interviewer away and make a great impression.

Agreed. Think about it the other way around too. Someone with great numbers wants to get into med school just as much as you do - just because they may have tripped up during the interview shouldn't mean that they're done for as far as acceptances go.

But there is a lot that goes into deciding whether you are accepted, waitlisted or rejected. There is definitely variability between schools but generally even after the interview they look at your applications as a whole. But you never know what is weighed more for each school.

 

[iamdo]

I was told I was put on the alternate recently because of my numbers. So yes, they matter even after the interview.

BigBoosting, your stats are very very good so there has to be another reason for you getting on alternate list.

 

[RichterBelmont]

I recently attended a semi-blind interview. The interviewers did not have access to our MCAT scores/GPA. They forwarded their thoughts on each interviewee to the ADCOMS, who I assume had access to our MCAT/GPA and took into consideration what the interviewers' impressions of each of us was before sending our acceptance/waitlist/denial notices.

 

[MightyMoose]

I recently attended a semi-blind interview. The interviewers did not have access to our MCAT scores/GPA. They forwarded their thoughts on each interviewee to the ADCOMS, who I assume had access to our MCAT/GPA and took into consideration what the interviewers' impressions of each of us was before sending our acceptance/waitlist/denial notices.

I think is becoming more common of schools with closed files.