interviewer said you were a fit, but got rejected?

[swamprat]

So I had my first allopathic interview a couple weeks ago and I can honestly say I don't think it could have went any better. At the end of the interview one of the interviewers even told me that she thinks I'm a good fit for the school and complimented me several times. Now I'm in the waiting game and since I really liked the school its starting to get to me. I am sure this has happened before and I pray it doesn't happen to me at this school, but anyone have any stories from the past where situations like this has occured only to get a rejection letter 2 months later lol ... I know that the final decision is not up to your interviewers, but c'mon now why else invite the person to a school if your going to reject them either way despite the outcome of the interview Heres to me

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[armybound]

they may not read your entire file (letters of recommendation) until after you've interviewed. things like that can sink you after they already decided you'd be a "good fit"

 

[SpaceDementia]

they may not read your entire file (letters of recommendation) until after you've interviewed.

Some schools do that? I would think that it's fairly common to read letters before interview invitations.

 

[BlueElmo]

And like you said, your interviewer may think you're great fit, but he's not the entire admissions committee.

 

[Bacchus]

And like you said, your interviewer may think you're great fit, but he's not the entire admissions committee.

Definitely.


Also consider, an interviewer is not going to tell you to find another school even if they don't like you. They are professionals.

 

[Jolie South]

Definitely.


Also consider, an interviewer is not going to tell you to find another school even if they don't like you. They are professionals.

Well, yea, but I would think they wouldn't tell you anything at all. "Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoyed your interview day here at U of X."

 

[armybound]

Some schools do that? I would think that it's fairly common to read letters before interview invitations.

It's fairly common not to read them.

 

[MSSM2013]

Interviewed at U of Pitt on the first day their interview was open, student interviewer liked me and gave me her email, faculty interview went amazingly well that she gave me her business card and told me I could crash at her place along with other med students if I ever visit again.

Flat out rejection came on Oct 19, didn't even get waitlisted. I asked her what happened and was told that I was given a full recommendation, but appearently my GPA isn't good enough for U of Pitt.

Their loss.

 

[drareg]

Interviewed at U of Pitt on the first day their interview was open, student interviewer liked me and gave me her email, faculty interview went amazingly well that she gave me her business card and told me I could crash at her place along with other med students if I ever visit again.

Flat out rejection came on Oct 19, didn't even get waitlisted. I asked her what happened and was told that I was given a full recommendation, but appearently my GPA isn't good enough for U of Pitt.

Their loss.

i dont get why they would interview if they weren't satisfied with your GPA ... it seems like a waste of time for you AND for them since you cant change your GPA with an exceptionally well interview haha

 

[longhorn09]

So the lesson learned: don't be too serious about your interviewers comment. No matter now hard they praise you, it still doesn't matter. After an interview, just forget about a school and have your mind move on.

 

[JediZero]

Interviewed at U of Pitt on the first day their interview was open, student interviewer liked me and gave me her email, faculty interview went amazingly well that she gave me her business card and told me I could crash at her place along with other med students if I ever visit again.

Flat out rejection came on Oct 19, didn't even get waitlisted. I asked her what happened and was told that I was given a full recommendation, but appearently my GPA isn't good enough for U of Pitt.

Their loss.

Makes me wonder what they were thinking offering you an interview in the first place...

Adcom 1: "So... he's got a low GPA. I don't think we're going to take him."
Adcom 2: "Well, we could at least interview him."
Adcom 1: "But his GPA is too low. Even if he rocks this interview, there's no way we're going to take him."
Adcom 2: "True, but what if he shows up and we find out that he can cure cancer just by looking at a patient? Or that he looks exactly like George Clooney? Or if he has the natural charisma and chutzpah to go directly to the Dean and persuade him to accept him immediately? You just can't see that kind of stuff on paper!"
Adcom 1: "...and do you honestly think he's going to do any of that?"
Adcom 2: "Absolutely not, but hey, why not take the chance? It's not like traveling over here costs him anything or takes away any of his valuable time!"
Adcom 1: "You know, when you put it that way, it makes perfect sense! Let's interview the guy!"
Adcom 2: "Yes! Now let's get lunch, and when we get back we can write his rejection letter."
Adcom 1: "Great. Applebee's?"

OP, yeah, there are ridiculous stories like this out there. But I'm pretty sure they're the exception rather than the rule. Generally, if a school offers you an interview, it's because they at least like you on paper. If you had a good interview, it just doesn't make sense for them to flat-out reject you. With a lot of other strong candidates, waitlist is also a possibility, but I wouldn't sit there fretting about a rejection.

 

[secants]

My friend has been interviewed at multiple places and he's been saying how the interviewee's would say that he has a great chance blah blah only later to find out that he's been wait listed. So yeah, I thought I did well in my interview but they don't hold as much weight as I initially thought...Could be good or bad this way.

 

[longhorn09]

i dont get why they would interview if they weren't satisfied with your GPA ... it seems like a waste of time for you AND for them since you cant change your GPA with an exceptionally well interview haha

I guess it is how it works:

Say if school X has 100 spots.
They invite 200 kids with good enough numbers, and 100 kids with not-so-good numbers.

If 99 good number kids give good interviews, then there is one spot left for the not-so-good numbers kids to compete.

If more than 100 good number kids give good interviews, then no matter how good the interview a not-so-good numbers kid has, it still doesn't matter and he/she has no chance.

Schools do that (invite not-so-good numbers kids) because they still think that they rather have a doc with good interpersonal skill than a nerd if given the choice.

Just my $0.02

 

[swamprat]

Yeah so I guess the general consensus is you can't take anything seriously and you don't know anything until you receive that letter(which is how i took it when it happened, although of course I was still that it wasn't a "bad" interview)...gunna be a long, long wait.

 

[Jolt21]

the above situation is very possible. some schools have different committees to invite for interview than they do for acceptances. sometimes the invite comm. has more members, or vice versa and/or the two comms are comprised of different people. in the end, it usually comes down to a vote. perhaps the GPA wasn't high enough for some reviewers, and those reviewers were enough to vote it down. who knows.

 

[PinkIvy08]

This thread just upped my anxiety level 100%. All my interviewers were enthusiastic about me...I no longer know how to take that :/

 

[dw2158]

has anyone in this thread ever interviewed for a job before??? of COURSE you can't rely solely on the feedback of the interviewer in that moment to tell you the outcome.

 

[AGLAIA]

...heh heh heh...Applebee's...I don't know why that was funny but it was...

 

[rocketbooster]

At the end of my EDP interview, my first interviewer, who was on the adcom, told me, "I think you'll do very well here."

That made me super confident for my 2nd interview and I left the day thinking, "I'm positive I'm in."

Accepted 2 weeks later. I talked to someone else on the adcom after I was accepted to thank him for helping me during the admissions process and he said "Congratulations. They had very good things to say about you." "They" being the entire admissions committee when they reviewed my file post-interview for EDP acceptance/rejection consideration.

 

[johncalvin]

Well, yea, but I would think they wouldn't tell you anything at all. "Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoyed your interview day here at U of X."

I got a "Thanks for coming in. Good luck in the interview process..." eek!