Interviewer asked me about other acceptances

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Hey there everyone! Happy Saturday night!





ANYWAY

Recently I had an interview at a school that I was extremely excited about. During the interview, which seemed to be going well, my interviewer asked me if I was holding any acceptances at other schools. Wanting to be honest, I said yes. He then continued to press me for more information, asking which schools I had already been accepted to. Not wanting to make an uncomfortable situation worse, I replied again honestly. This part of the conversation made me feel very uncomfortable, and I'm worried it will hurt my chances at this school because I'm very interested in the school and it is one of my top choices. Should I report this behavior to the dean? I also could respond in the post-interview survey sent by the Office of Admissions, but I'm not sure it would be tied back to me specifically. What should I do? Thanks for all your help!

(Seriously whats up with the butts with hats???)

 

[ocist1121]

I would wait until you hear from them first.

 

[G_Marker]

My impression was that these schools don't get that information until April or May. I haven't heard about whether they're not supposed to ask us about it, though.

I had one interviewer ask me if I had any other interviews. It was a really spur-of-the-moment question though, and he quickly changed the subject before I got more than a 'yes' out. From that interaction, I thought it seemed like the interviewer realized he shouldn't be asking that question as he asked it.

Unless there is a specific rule that med schools aren't supposed to ask you that kind of question at your interviews, then there's not really much you can do. Just be honest when they ask because they will see it when April/May comes along.

 

[NickNaylor]

If you're seriously worried about it, I would definitely bring it up with the admissions office. Coat your message with love so that they get the sense that you did really enjoy the interview day otherwise, but no office wants its applicants to be made uncomfortable. That's not the goal of the day. By telling them you'll give them the ability to provide feedback to the interviewer so that this doesn't happen again.

 

[bumpbumped]

At the end of one of my interviews, I was asked "Have you had any other interviews? I'm not supposed to ask you from where." The interviewer was a really old white dude, who was kind of grumpy and not very PC.

One of the admissions people spoke to me for a few minutes at the end of the interview day and asked me whether my interviewer asked if/where I had other interviews. I told the person what happened and said I didn't think my interviewer understood that it made people uncomfortable or why. The person said it was good that my interviewer wasn't asking WHERE the interviewers were anymore, but that they'd tried to explain to him why he can't ask that question (interview day isn't supposed to be stressful and it makes people uncomfortable, it is a loaded question, etc), and that they'd have to talk to him again about it.

So admissions offices can and do want to minimize this kind of questioning. You should bring it up to them. 🙂

 

[crossfit4lyfe]

They are well within their rights to ask it, I got asked that by my top choice school which I was accepted to. Doesn't mean anything in my opinion.

 

[godawg300]

They are well within their rights to ask it, I got asked that by my top choice school which I was accepted to. Doesn't mean anything in my opinion.

Why are they well within their rights? At what point are some questions not okay. I've never had that question but I would really hate to answer it.

 

[crossfit4lyfe]

At one point I was asked if my family are addicts, when it came up that I am 5 years sober. In my opinion, that question was not ok. I have seen on other posts adcoms such as @Goro mention they are allowed to ask what other schools you are interviewing at. When I was asked I didn't see it as a big deal at all.

 

[Doug Underhill]

They are allowed to ask, and after a certain point, they can see where you were accepted.

 

[godawg300]

They are allowed to ask, and after a certain point, they can see where you were accepted.

This is not entirely true. They only see where you were accepted at if they offer you an acceptance. If you interview but they have yet to extend you an admissions offer they cannot see where else you were accepted. If they reject you, they can't see where else you were accepted. Also, they only see where else you hold offers of acceptance. If you never accept an offer they can't see that.

 

[godawg300]

Also, I'll add that they only see this information in February. By that point many schools will have made their decision so I don't think it's much of a fair question.

 

[ridethecliche]

At one point I was asked if my family are addicts, when it came up that I am 5 years sober. In my opinion, that question was not ok. I have seen on other posts adcoms such as @Goro mention they are allowed to ask what other schools you are interviewing at. When I was asked I didn't see it as a big deal at all.

This is something you mentioned in your personal statement right? So it's a huge false equivalency. and of course it's something they would ask if you'd given them reason to. It was your shot to explain the situation.

Asking about other interviews is not the same thing at all.

 

[repititionition]

This only happens at schools with an institutionalized inferiority complex, FYI.

If you have other acceptances, report it.

If you are worried about blowback (and this really is one of your top 1-2 schools), create a throwaway email account and write a very brief and tactful email bringing it to their attention.

 

[crossfit4lyfe]

This is something you mentioned in your personal statement right? So it's a huge false equivalency. and of course it's something they would ask if you'd given them reason to. It was your shot to explain the situation.

Asking about other interviews is not the same thing at all.

Yes I wrote about it in my personal statement, but they had no business asking about my family and what drugs my family does, etc. I got an acceptance elsewhere and already contacted the dean of this school, who apologized and agreed this information should not have been asked.

I was just answering the question on this thread of- when is a question inappropriate. And that's when I thought it was inappropriate.

 

[ridethecliche]

Yes I wrote about it in my personal statement, but they had no business asking about my family and what drugs my family does, etc. I got an acceptance elsewhere and already contacted the dean of this school, who apologized and agreed this information should not have been asked.

I was just answering the question on this thread of- when is a question inappropriate. And that's when I thought it was inappropriate.

Missed the part about your family. I think if you wrote about it in your personal statement, i.e. about you, then it's fair game. If you wrote about your family, then that's fair game as well. If not, then agreed, totally inappropriate.

 

[Osteoth]

Honestly, every time I've been asked this question I have thought it was extremely unprofessional for them to ask. If they are interested, offer me an acceptance and they will be able to view my other acceptances in April.

To whit, when asked this question I have always deflected it or severely depressed my number of interviews (I always said 2), and acceptances (I never admitted to having any).

 

[ridethecliche]

Honestly, every time I've been asked this question I have thought it was extremely unprofessional for them to ask. If they are interested, offer me an acceptance and they will be able to view my other acceptances in April.

To whit, when asked this question I have always deflected it or severely depressed my number of interviews (I always said 2), and acceptances (I never admitted to having any).

I actually want to come up with a solid response to this question. Best I've got so far:
"Due to the competitive nature of this process, I've applied to many medical schools in order to spread my risk. That said, I applied to your program due to *insert program strengths and what you like about it* and I'm extremely interested in this school. If I wasn't serious about pursuing this program, I wouldn't have applied or would have withdrawn before the interview."

 

[Lamel]

I've been asked where else I am interviewing, and I answered pretty honestly. A little uncomfortable but I always turn it around positively.

 

[cactus8910]

I actually want to come up with a solid response to this question. Best I've got so far:
"Due to the competitive nature of this process, I've applied to many medical schools in order to spread my risk. That said, I applied to your program due to *insert program strengths and what you like about it* and I'm extremely interested in this school. If I wasn't serious about pursuing this program, I wouldn't have applied or would have withdrawn before the interview."

I would cut the last sentence if I were you, as it sounds overly defensive. There's a good chance they're just asking out of curiosity/politeness (not realizing the awkward position it places you in), as opposed to suggesting that you aren't really interested in their program.
Otherwise, I think it's a good response!

 

[Omppu27]

I was asked from a DO school about how many MD and DO schools I applied to and where I had already interviewed. I answered truthfully. I don't think it plays any real meaning into your chances.

 

[Glandzburg]

I was asked this question at almost every school that I interviewed. Just relax and use it as an opportunity to explain why you like their program more than the others.

 

[f4reignbeauty]

I was recently asked if I had other interviews, and I was not offended nor did I feel the need to say anything that wasn't true. After I told my interviewer, I closed by saying how truly grateful I have been during this entire process.

 

[MajorBubblez]

I was asked this question at almost every school that I interviewed. Just relax and use it as an opportunity to explain why you like their program more than the others.

agree, no need to get up tight. They're probably just curious and aren't going to beat you over the head because god forbid you apply to more than one program. People need to stop being so tense and touchy with interviews and questions and just relax and enjoy the experience.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

This forum makes people even more neurotic by responses like this. My suggestion is to take advice with a grain of salt from pre-meds and recently accepted medical students. Try to see what adcoms or medical students say.

 

[IamLeTired]

In fact, to piggy-back off the above posters, at one interview I got asked this question and was 100% honest about it. After I told the interviewer about my other interviews/acceptances, she told me: "I'm so glad you're ok with me asking you that. One time I asked this girl and she totally freaked out on me in the interview and said I was being inappropriate." I don't know what happened to the other applicant, but even if she was totally within her right to say that, I can't imagine she gave off a good impression. I would agree with just being honest, seeing how things shake out, and then bringing it up later if you think you were being treated unfairly.

 

[darkjedi]

I don't ask this question because i don't think it adds any information i wouldn't already glean from the application or interview itself. That said I think some of you are getting overly worked up by this question. Interviewers are people too and are usually just curious about where you are in the process. I don't see how this question would ever be held against someone who answered truthfully. I think the act of being uncomfortable or stressed out by this question would tell me more about the interviewee than the answer itself.

There are certaintly inappropriate questions to ask in an interview, but I would not count this as something taboo.