Opinions on canceling interviews

[Fishy fish]

So I have applied to both MD and DO programs and have been fortunate enough to receive 4 MD and 3 DO interviews. Given that I am interested in dermatology, I would like to attend an MD program. However, if DO is my only option, I would rather go that route than wait another year and re-apply. My question is, do I have a good chance of getting into an MD program with that many interviews? Is it safe to cancel my DO interviews? Just contemplating doing so to save some money.

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[syn1]

The general rule of thumb is to keep interviewing until you get an acceptance. What I'm doing is pushing out some interviews after Oct 15 and cancelling them if I am accepted somewhere else.

 

[Saifa]

Not safe to cancel any interview until you're accepted.

 

[bananafish94]

Enthusiastically accept interviews until you have an acceptance that you are happy with.

 

[deleted480308]

until you have an acceptance you have nothing

 

[Fishy fish]

Thanks for all your responses! I guess I was just going with the whole "3 interview=1 acceptance" rule but nothing is guaranteed

 

[deleted480308]

Thanks for all your responses! I guess I was just going with the whole "3 interview=1 acceptance" rule but nothing is guaranteed

that's not a rule....like not at all

 

[Goro]

So I have applied to both MD and DO programs and have been fortunate enough to receive 4 MD and 3 DO interviews. Given that I am interested in dermatology, I would like to attend an MD program. However, if DO is my only option, I would rather go that route than wait another year and re-apply. My question is, do I have a good chance of getting into an MD program with that many interviews? Is it safe to cancel my DO interviews? Just contemplating doing so to save some money.

Getting accepted is 100% on you.

 

[Lucca]

Thanks for all your responses! I guess I was just going with the whole "3 interview=1 acceptance" rule but nothing is guaranteed

The average matriculant will have 1 acceptance after 3-4 interview invites. That does not mean that you are guaranteed an acceptance if you attend 3 interviews. That said, you have a good reason to be hopeful about your chances. If you had >10 IIs I’d say go ahead and cancel some, but for now just wait until you have 1 accept and then start cutting the list

 

[freedoctor17]

The average matriculant will have 1 acceptance after 3-4 interview invites. That does not mean that you are guaranteed an acceptance if you attend 3 interviews. That said, you have a good reason to be hopeful about your chances. If you had >10 IIs I’d say go ahead and cancel some, but for now just wait until you have 1 accept and then start cutting the list

How would you suggest cutting them out if you have greater than 10? I don't know how to decide which ones to cut. As of now I scheduled all of them but I literally won't be able to fit anymore unless they are later in the year like after December/January. I also can't seem to figure out which schools I'd like.

At the schools I've interviewed at so far there was one that I've heard great things about that I disliked and another that I've heard so-so about and loved so it's tough. I wish I could do it based off cost but I have no idea how to figure out how much it would realistically be based of financial info and other possible scholarships/grants and stuff.

Is there a list of what schools provide the most money? I found a US news one for debt but that might just be because people that go there take less loans if they're from more wealthy families. I'm from a very low income family (didn't apply disadvantaged but did qualify for FAP)

I'm also totally fine with going to all of them but it will end up costing me literally every pay check I get for the next 3 months. I guess in the end it would be worth it if I find the best school for me (or the one that accepts me) is one I might have cut out.

 

[BabyDaddy]

Cancel all of your interviews. You really want to be a country singer.

 

[precisiongraphic]

Delay, delay, delay.

Trying to put interviews off until January would be good - or at least until after October 15th. Ask if you can delay but don't give up an interview if they are inflexible. I've noticed that those who have greater than 10 interviews are likely to have October 15 acceptances.

By October 15, you may fall in love with a school. Or by Thanksgiving. If you don't fall in love by then, then at least you might have an acceptance and can be more picky.

As far as deciding - I think most schools publish annual Cost of Attendance like this. That is the amount that financial aid/loans will cover and will vary by school/location.

With 10+ interviews, start a spreadsheet or log and put down the cost of attendance and other info for each school. Then look at last year's thread(s) for your target school(s) for info on who gets scholarships and what amount. Maybe send PMs to some of those acceptees and ask them if they're willing to share amount of scholarships. Look at the school's website. After acceptance, focus in on that school(s) and perhaps call admissions and ask when scholarships are awarded, amounts possible etc.

You don't have unlimited options now but you may soon. And you can limit interviews later if money is an issue.

How would you suggest cutting them out if you have greater than 10? I don't know how to decide which ones to cut. As of now I scheduled all of them but I literally won't be able to fit anymore unless they are later in the year like after December/January. I also can't seem to figure out which schools I'd like.

At the schools I've interviewed at so far there was one that I've heard great things about that I disliked and another that I've heard so-so about and loved so it's tough. I wish I could do it based off cost but I have no idea how to figure out how much it would realistically be based of financial info and other possible scholarships/grants and stuff.

Is there a list of what schools provide the most money? I found a US news one for debt but that might just be because people that go there take less loans if they're from more wealthy families. I'm from a very low income family (didn't apply disadvantaged but did qualify for FAP)

I'm also totally fine with going to all of them but it will end up costing me literally every pay check I get for the next 3 months. I guess in the end it would be worth it if I find the best school for me (or the one that accepts me) is one I might have cut out.

 

[freedoctor17]

Delay, delay, delay.

Trying to put interviews off until January would be good - or at least until after October 15th. Ask if you can delay but don't give up an interview if they are inflexible. I've noticed that those who have greater than 10 interviews are likely to have October 15 acceptances.

By October 15, you may fall in love with a school. Or by Thanksgiving. If you don't fall in love by then, then at least you might have an acceptance and can be more picky.

As far as deciding - I think most schools publish annual Cost of Attendance like this. That is the amount that financial aid/loans will cover and will vary by school/location.

With 10+ interviews, start a spreadsheet or log and put down the cost of attendance and other info for each school. Then look at last year's thread(s) for your target school(s) for info on who gets scholarships and what amount. Maybe send PMs to some of those acceptees and ask them if they're willing to share amount of scholarships. Look at the school's website. After acceptance, focus in on that school(s) and perhaps call admissions and ask when scholarships are awarded, amounts possible etc.

You don't have unlimited options now but you may soon. And you can limit interviews later if money is an issue.

Thanks for the tips! That's a very logical way to do it. The latest I was able to delay was until November for my current ones but that still gives me time to hear back (whether it's an acceptance or rejection from a few schools). A spreadsheet sounds like a good way to start organizing everything.

 

[tanbrucewayne]

Thanks for the tips! That's a very logical way to do it. The latest I was able to delay was until November for my current ones but that still gives me time to hear back (whether it's an acceptance or rejection from a few schools). A spreadsheet sounds like a good way to start organizing everything.

That's what I've been doing! Helped a lot with the organization and planning out the application process (also I have been surprised by how much I've liked some schools and that makes me hesitant to not visit schools)

 

[BabyDaddy]

That's what I've been doing! Helped a lot with the organization and planning out the application process (also I have been surprised by how much I've liked some schools and that makes me hesitant to not visit schools)

You get one idea from reading about schools online but a totally different (and usually much more accurate) picture when you actually visit the school for an interview. Don't count any school out until you visit it. FIT is very important. It is better to attend a school that is a good fit for you than get into the best school possible. You will perform best where you are most at home.
-BabbyDaddy

 

[bonedoc5576]

Thanks for all your responses! I guess I was just going with the whole "3 interview=1 acceptance" rule but nothing is guaranteed

First, there are too many variables outside of your control to make any accurate predictions or assumptions. Statistically, the odds of getting into a program are calculated by 1- the odds of getting rejected from all programs. For example, if 30% of interviewed applicants are accepted at each of the three schools, then the odds of getting rejected by any is .7 and the odds of getting rejected by all is (.7x.7x.7), a little more than a 1 in 3 (.343 to be exact). Thus the odds of getting into just one school is less then 2/3, hardly a sure thing!

 

[bonedoc5576]

Just to further illustrate the same point, let's say that each school accepts 1 out of every 2 student it interviews. With three interviews you'd think it's a sure thing to get at least one acceptance, but do the math and it's still only 87.5%