MSUCOM acceptance without interview?

[AdemTD]

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I've had a few friends get into this program without even having to interview. They don't have the most stellar stats either (average at best), so I am just wondering if they don't do interviews any longer or what the deal is? Thanks!

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I've always known them to be the one/one of few schools that accept applicants without interviewing. However, I can't definitively say that *nobody* gets interviewed. Hopefully someone else can say for sure.

 

[danzman]

I've always known them to be the one/one of few schools that accept applicants without interviewing. However, I can't definitively say that *nobody* gets interviewed. Hopefully someone else can say for sure.

Really? How does this work? I figured the AOA made schools interview potential students.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

Really? How does this work? I figured the AOA made schools interview potential students.

Again, I'm no expert on their policies, but from applicants who applied there...they utilize LORs and primary/secondary apps to glean the info they need. I haven't seen the essay prompts or anything, so I don't know if they're super in-depth or what.

I believe the AOA can make *recommendations* for policies like this, but if a school can justify a particular admissions practice, they probably have a lot of leeway. I imagine practices like this could easily start out as a pilot experiment, and then get full approval after data could justify them. Purely speculation here, though.

 

[rm2908]

They don't do interviews for the most part. The secondary app is much more extensive than others and people are generally accepted without interviewing. In rare cases they do interviews, usually if they like you but there is some sort of discrepancy. After being accepted/waitlisted, MSU will offer you a day to come and "interview them", essentially doing everything you would in a regular interview day minus the interview.

In short: most (almost all) get accepted without interviewing.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

^^You're awesome. 😀

 

[MarieMarie]

MSU's Vet school also accepts some applicants without interviewing, which I find disturbing.

 

[danzman]

Well, thats interesting. Good to know.

 

[AdemTD]

Thanks for the clarification rm2908 🙂

 

[DrYoda]

My brother told me his friend got into MSU without interviewing and I've allways assumed my brother just didn't know wtf he was talking about.

haha, now I feel (just a tiny bit) bad.


Informative thread👍.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

my brother told me his friend got into msu without interviewing and i've allways assumed my brother just didn't know wtf he was talking about.

Haha, now i feel (just a tiny bit) bad.


Informative thread👍.

lol.

 

[scudrunner]

Here is their explanation for not offering an interview, taken form their acceptance email:

"The completeness of your application materials and the quality of your achievements convinced the Admissions Committee that an interview would be superfluous."

Gotta love "superfluous." 🙂

Like it has been said, they have a very extensive secondary and the LORs are very in-depth questionaires.

The admissions committee only interviews people they are unsure about or if clarification is needed in some aspect of their application.

 

[antapolar]

although a bit off topic, i personally don't feel that any written work can be equivalent to a person's personality completely. There is a reason why schools do comb. of both written (primary, secondary), and a face-to-face interview. But MSU's policy is none of my business haha just a thought 😉

 

[AdemTD]

although a bit off topic, i personally don't feel that any written work can be equivalent to a person's personality completely. There is a reason why schools do comb. of both written (primary, secondary), and a face-to-face interview. But MSU's policy is none of my business haha just a thought 😉

That's what I thought myself. Someone can hide their socio/psychopathic tendencies through written work, that would be more obvious during an interview. But they know more than I when it comes to figuring this stuff out.

 

[Just Joshin]

That's what I thought myself. Someone can hide their socio/psychopathic tendencies through written work, that would be more obvious during an interview. But they know more than I when it comes to figuring this stuff out.

If someone is a socio or psychopath, that can be hidden in person too. Look at the accused Craigslist killer. He was a 2nd year at BU Med.

 

[jason3278]

That's what I thought myself. Someone can hide their socio/psychopathic tendencies through written work, that would be more obvious during an interview. But they know more than I when it comes to figuring this stuff out.

My fiance is a 3rd year now, and she talked with someone at the school about this. A lot of deliberation goes into decisions like these. (It wasn't as if the dean got up one morning and was like "man, screw interviewing, there's golfing to be done, am I right?!")

You can be sure that if at some point MSUCOM figured that the quality of their students was going down due to not interviewing, they would start interviewing again.

 

[AdemTD]

My fiance is a 3rd year now, and she talked with someone at the school about this. A lot of deliberation goes into decisions like these. (It wasn't as if the dean got up one morning and was like "man, screw interviewing, there's golfing to be done, am I right?!")

You can be sure that if at some point MSUCOM figured that the quality of their students was going down due to not interviewing, they would start interviewing again.

Yeah, I agree. I'm not knocking them for it, I'm just a bit surprised that they don't interview many people. It's good for me though since I plan to apply there and won't have to make the 2 hour trek to E. Lansing for an interview, if I'm fortunate enough to make it that far into the admissions process of course.

 

[prettyispink]

I, too, was accepted without an interview. I did visit the school, which was very helpful for me to "interview" them. I will say that the secondary took forever and at the time, seemed like a pain in the butt.

 

[AdemTD]

I, too, was accepted without an interview. I did visit the school, which was very helpful for me to "interview" them. I will say that the secondary took forever and at the time, seemed like a pain in the butt.

was it a lot of additional essays?

 

[TexasPhysician]

although a bit off topic, i personally don't feel that any written work can be equivalent to a person's personality completely. There is a reason why schools do comb. of both written (primary, secondary), and a face-to-face interview. But MSU's policy is none of my business haha just a thought 😉

I didn't ever think there was a school that didn't interview, and it does scare me about the students they may accept.

I'm not saying they would accept "Craigslist killers" or anything, but there are many personality types that you can't hide in interviews that would get some rejected otherwise. On the interview trail, I met numerous students that are socially awkward and just plain creepy.

Going to a school like MSU would make me worry that I'd be joining a whole lot of awkward people. I'm not saying this is the case (could just be lucky), but without an interview, I could see a lot of problem students finding a way in.

 

[prettyispink]

was it a lot of additional essays?

Just one essay, if I'm remembering correctly. I did have to record all of the extracurriculars, volunteer activities, work experiences, etc. since high school. This included hours involved and such. So I guess just trying to remember all of that was very time-consuming. Also, they have forms for recommenders to fill out, so although I already had letters from professors, I had to have them fill out the form instead.

 

[jason3278]

I didn't ever think there was a school that didn't interview, and it does scare me about the students they may accept.

I'm not saying they would accept "Craigslist killers" or anything, but there are many personality types that you can't hide in interviews that would get some rejected otherwise. On the interview trail, I met numerous students that are socially awkward and just plain creepy.

Going to a school like MSU would make me worry that I'd be joining a whole lot of awkward people. I'm not saying this is the case (could just be lucky), but without an interview, I could see a lot of problem students finding a way in.

This is soooo true, because sociopathic people would never be able to charm themselves through an interview.

Seriously though, the students I've interacted at MSUCOM are definitely not awkward. They're the same as the students at any other school. In fact, based on my interactions with MSU-CHM students and from what I've heard, I'd say the COM students are far more social. FWIW.

 

[AdemTD]

Just one essay, if I'm remembering correctly. I did have to record all of the extracurriculars, volunteer activities, work experiences, etc. since high school. This included hours involved and such. So I guess just trying to remember all of that was very time-consuming. Also, they have forms for recommenders to fill out, so although I already had letters from professors, I had to have them fill out the form instead.

Were the recommendation forms electronic or did your recommenders have to physically print them out and snail-mail them in?

 

[prettyispink]

Were the recommendation forms electronic or did your recommenders have to physically print them out and snail-mail them in?

I printed the forms for them, and they snail-mailed them.

 

[jason3278]

I sent them a pdf or word attachment that they mailed when they were finished.

 

[AdemTD]

I sent them a pdf or word attachment that they mailed when they were finished.

Ok great, I was hoping this would be an option because I didn't want to have to make a 3 hour trip just to give a recommender a piece of paper. Thanks!

 

[MossPoh]

It seems ridiculous that they don't usually interview, but I've read several studies showing that interviews are pretty worthless anyway. Most humans are pretty horrible at judging character and there really isn't much to be had from the interview.

 

[AdemTD]

It seems ridiculous that they don't usually interview, but I've read several studies showing that interviews are pretty worthless anyway. Most humans are pretty horrible at judging character and there really isn't much to be had from the interview.

Interviews are just part of the game that is medical school admissions.

 

[igcgnerd]

I wouldn't say that's its "disturbing" that a school accepts people without interviewing. In fact in medical school admission process in other westernized countries don't use interviews. Why? Because over the years these schools find that interviews are highly subjective and bias and do NOT correlate to success while in school.

 

[rajaholick]

Here is their explanation for not offering an interview, taken form their acceptance email:

"The completeness of your application materials and the quality of your achievements convinced the Admissions Committee that an interview would be superfluous."

Gotta love "superfluous." 🙂

Like it has been said, they have a very extensive secondary and the LORs are very in-depth questionaires.

The admissions committee only interviews people they are unsure about or if clarification is needed in some aspect of their application.

They send a similar message to people they waitlist, including use of the word superfluous.
I'm personally not a fan of their no interview methods. But hey, I'm going there next year...cant complain too much...

 

[slick27]

I think they should interview just to take a look at the applicants. Make sure they don't have their nose pirced or visable tattos or something the isn't conservative. I don't want to sound harsh, but I think thats why they have interviews.

 

[jason3278]

Do you think people with tattoos and piercings are too stupid to know when their tattoos and piercings may not be appropriate (such as a clinical setting or professional interview)?

No, I don't have tattoos or piercings.

 

[AdemTD]

As a student at MSUCOM, do you have the option of where you'll spend your pre-clinical years? I really don't want to spend them in Detroit, afterall, that's why I'm applying to MSUCOM and not Wayne State.

 

[slick27]

Do you think people with tattoos and piercings are too stupid to know when their tattoos and piercings may not be appropriate (such as a clinical setting or professional interview)?

No, I don't have tattoos or piercings.

I'm not sure about that. I interviewed at DMU with a girl who had a piercing in her nose. At another interview, there was a guy who had his collar poped. It happens.

 

[rajaholick]

As a student at MSUCOM, do you have the option of where you'll spend your pre-clinical years? I really don't want to spend them in Detroit, afterall, that's why I'm applying to MSUCOM and not Wayne State.

not to sound harsh, but you need to take a look at the msucom site and do some research on the school
msucom's original campus is in east lansing, they recently opened 2 more campuses...one in macomb county (about 45 mins north of detroit) and one in detroit

 

[AdemTD]

not to sound harsh, but you need to take a look at the msucom site and do some research on the school
msucom's original campus is in east lansing, they recently opened 2 more campuses...one in macomb county (about 45 mins north of detroit) and one in detroit

Yes, I know this. Which is why I asked if we get to choose where we want to do our first two years because I don't want to end up in Detroit.

 

[rajaholick]

Yes, I know this. Which is why I asked if we get to choose where we want to do our first two years because I don't want to end up in Detroit.

http://com.msu.edu/admissions/Admpolmsucomsites.html