Number of Interviews/ what is early?

[ziggy793]

This is a pretty broad question, but anyone know what a reasonable/healthy number of interviews is for one to have a good chance of acceptance into a few (~3) schools?

When are interviews still considered "early"? Before Dec? Jan?

Thanks for any insight.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[drizzt3117]

That's really impossible to tell. Some people have 10+ interviews but languish on the waitlist at all the schools they interview at, while some people get 3 interviews but immediately get into all three. You can look at the MSAR and the admission percentages post-interview but that's just a very rough guideline.

 

[postbacker]

You can get some idea by looking at individual school stats on number of matriculants versus number of interviews, and take into account the selectivity and admissions yield of the school (I would guess that Harvard need only offer admission to 10 people to yield 8+ matriculants, but this ratio is undoubtedly much higher at state schools and lower tier schools)...

My rule of thumb: probably one acceptance for every 3 or so interviews...

Note: someone has a link on SDN to a chart where people update their app cycle stats and some interesting patterns emerge regarding primaries vs secondaries vs interviews vs acceptances and waitlists...

 

[UCDavisISokay]

the earlier interviews the better chance of acceptance. I say October, November ones are good

 

[alwaysaangel]

Its not that simple. Even if you get 9 interviews at a bunch of schools that accept 1/3 of their interviewees doesn't mean you'll get 3 acceptances.

If you look around here, most people either get accepted from most/all the places they interview at or get rejected or wait listed at most/all the schools they interview at. Because if you're a good interviewer with good stats you'll do well, if you're a weak interviewer with moderate stats you won't.

So it really all depends on you and the schools, and by AMCAS rules all schools must have at least sent out enough acceptances to fill their class by March. Then of course people withdraw and they can offer more acceptances. But I'd say anything by Jan is decent. After that isn't necessarily a huge disadvantage.

 

[mvenus929]

But I'd say anything by Jan is decent. After that isn't necessarily a huge disadvantage.

And it looks like Mt. Sinai is filled up through the middle of December. *sighs*

 

[LEdaddy]

And it looks like Mt. Sinai is filled up through the middle of December. *sighs*

Do you know that for sure?

 

[mvenus929]

Do you know that for sure?

No, I don't know for sure. The last couple people that have posted on the invite thread say that their interviews are in December, and it sounds like they don't have much of a choice in the matter.

But yeah, that was pretty much my reaction.

 

[ADeadLois]

the earlier interviews the better chance of acceptance. I say October, November ones are good

This isn't necessarily true. Some schools outright admit that they are more conservative with giving out acceptances early on in the process until they get a better view of the quality of their interview pool. A lot of people who interview early can get placed on hold until more applicants are interviewed.