NYU MSTP - night-before-interview dinner mandatory?

[dontknowkarate]

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Just got an interview invite from NYU for Dec. 3rd but I have a lab class that day so I won't make it there in time for the dinner. Anyone know if this event is mandatory? It says on the website that if there's a seminar, then applicants attend that, and attendance for that is mandatory. Plus, the director of the program attends this dinner, so I have a feeling it would be really bad to skip this...

My concern is that I've already missed several labs for this class this semester, so I'm afraid I'll get like a C in the class if I don't attend and get participation points.

 

[KPCOFGS]

I didn't talk to anyone official that night. I don't think they even took down names of who was there. You'll be fine.

 

[oceansoul]

I'd at least ask/tell the coordinator that you can't make the dinner, and [EDIT:] either explain, or don't, it's up to you. First of all, it's polite to do so, and secondly, even if they aren't official evaluations, some schools do ask the students about their impressions of candidates from the dinners (so even if these impressions are barely icing on the cake, it would reflect poorly on you to not be there and not have told anyone).