rejection after >5 interview?

[Homoochan]

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Has anyone had 5 - 10 interviews and got rejected from all the schools?

Is it common that this happens provided that interview was conducted very early in the cycle, Sept or Oct?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Yes, of course it's happened; given a large enough sample size, it would have to have happened at least a few times. But it fairly uncommon, I'd say.

 

[ZeusonRoids]

First of all it is hard enough to get 5-10 interviews...

If a school wants to interview you then they have a legit reason for doing so because something in your application made them say wow.

The only way this would happen is if you had ABSOLUTELY ZERO interviewing skills or repeated basic interviewing errors at all of those schools.

I was worried I would go to a bunch of interviews and get rejected...but it turns out I was accepted to the places I interviewed at. I would say the actual interviewing part of the application cycle is the easiest and you should go into the interview knowing that you have about a 50% chance at being offered an acceptance

 

[corbis11]

c/o 2012 application cycle:

6 interviews --> 1 outright rejection and 5 waitlists

didn't get in off any of the waitlists.

got in the next year, though

 

[Homoochan]

First of all it is hard enough to get 5-10 interviews...

If a school wants to interview you then they have a legit reason for doing so because something in your application made them say wow.

The only way this would happen is if you had ABSOLUTELY ZERO interviewing skills or repeated basic interviewing errors at all of those schools.

I was worried I would go to a bunch of interviews and get rejected...but it turns out I was accepted to the places I interviewed at. I would say the actual interviewing part of the application cycle is the easiest and you should go into the interview knowing that you have about a 50% chance at being offered an acceptance

Isn't it more like 1/8 or 1/9 chance of acceptance if you are offered an interview?

 

[fastboyslim]

Isn't it more like 1/3?

 

[just one]

Isn't it more like 1/8 or 1/9 chance of acceptance if you are offered an interview?

At my state school last year, 285 interviews offered with 162 getting admission offers.

 

[GoSpursGo]

In interview/acceptance ratio is highly variable from school to school; you can't make a mass generalization here.

 

[LAman10]

how common is it to get accepted to most, if not all of your schools if you have 5-10 interviews? I figure if you're a good enough interviewer to get into one, you're good enough to get into all of them..

 

[JJMrK]

Isn't it more like 1/8 or 1/9 chance of acceptance if you are offered an interview?

It varies from school to school, but many are around 50%.

 

[brooklynblunder]

40% of applicants get into at least one US allopathic school. again, the numbers vary by school but yea

 

[Jolie South]

Chances are not the same for everyone post interview. If you are particularly good at interviewing, it's possible to get accepted to all schools that you interview at. If you are particularly awkward or bad, you could get waitlisted/rejected everywhere. Your chances are largely dependent on you.

 

[yoz]

what's a good way to practice interviewing? I tend to get nervous speaking in front of people. I was going to do a lot of mock interviews at my school's career center and practice brainstorming off of practice interview questions.

For the people that already got interviewed and accepted on earlier cycles do you guys have any tips or suggestions

 

[Jolie South]

what's a good way to practice interviewing? I tend to get nervous speaking in front of people. I was going to do a lot of mock interviews at my school's career center and practice brainstorming off of practice interview questions.

For the people that already got interviewed and accepted on earlier cycles do you guys have any tips or suggestions

I think what you're doing is great. Practicing and getting feedback from people that both know you well and don't know you at all is good.

I also looked at lists of commonly asked questions and thought about what I would say so that I would have some idea on the off chance that someone asked me that. I didn't write things down or anything. Just ran through the answers in my head.

 

[elyswim]

I'm secretly (well not so secretly anymore) worried that a school is so insulted by my app that they'll invite me to an interview just to have me waste more money and more time.

 

[brooklynblunder]

I'm secretly (well not so secretly anymore) worried that a school is so insulted by my app that they'll invite me to an interview just to have me waste more money and more time.

haha same.

 

[AlexMorph]

I'm secretly (well not so secretly anymore) worried that a school is so insulted by my app that they'll invite me to an interview just to have me waste more money and more time.

believe it or not, the adcoms time is valuable. they will only grant an interview if they really feel you could be a part of the school.

 

[Homoochan]

ARRGGGHHH

All I need is ONE

 

[daisy44]

believe it or not, the adcoms time is valuable. they will only grant an interview if they really feel you could be a part of the school.

I kind of suspect that my alma mater only gave me an interview because I went there for undergrad, and I don't actually have a shot at getting in. 🙁

 

[MossPoh]

You really have a serious interview flaw at that point. I'm notorious for having no filter and saying exactly what is on my mind. It gets me in a lot of trouble. I still got outright accepted to two schools, accepted off waitlist from one and waitlisted at two others. I got rejected from 2 as well, but it was no biggie.

I can't say this enough but if your school offers interview practice, TAKE IT. We suck gauging our performance and our nervous ticks.

 

[Homoochan]

Noone else with personal experience of this? I guess it is pretty rare that this happens.. hm..

 

[ziggydoc]

Well, if schools like your app enough to interview you, it shows that they think you can be a part of the school, and do well. So, the acceptance is yours to lose at that point imo.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Acceptances post interview range from 25% to 50% at most schools.

As far as not getting in at after 5 interviews, it would depend on where you were interviewing. If all of those interviews were at extremely competitive schools (like if you only applied to the top 10), you might very well not get accepted at any of them.

 

[TcuTcuca]

I'm secretly (well not so secretly anymore) worried that a school is so insulted by my app that they'll invite me to an interview just to have me waste more money and more time.

That must've been one crazy application! 😉 Just kidding. I'm sure they see you are a fantastic candidate.

 

[Moebius]

Has anyone had 5 - 10 interviews and got rejected from all the schools?

Is it common that this happens provided that interview was conducted very early in the cycle, Sept or Oct?

In order to get serious feedback, you might need to be specific. What did you say? Sometimes, things might seem normal to you will raise red flags for the interviewer.

 

[yoz]

how did u guys prepare for interview questions about current issues or problems in medicine

 

[halekulani]

i think you have to try pretty hard to get rejected unless you consider a waitlist a rejection.

if you're waitlisted at 5+ schools with 0 acceptances, you better start writing a lot of LOIs and constantly update those schools.

 

[dragonfly99]

I think with 5-7 interviews you would generally be safe to get in somewhere, but the interview does matter. I think a lot of schools do reject postinterview, and not just the people who totally suck at interviewing. Some schools accept 1/3, put 1/3 on the wait list and reject the other 1/3. I personally think it's actually better to reject some than let a huge number of people rot on the wait list for months and then find out later they are rejected.

 

[MossPoh]

If waitlisted at 5 schools, you still have a pretty strong chance of being accepted as long as you do all the things they tell you to. (updating with grades and activities, LOIs, open house visits, etc.)

 

[Premed Worrier]

I think with 5-7 interviews you would generally be safe to get in somewhere, but the interview does matter. I think a lot of schools do reject postinterview, and not just the people who totally suck at interviewing. Some schools accept 1/3, put 1/3 on the wait list and reject the other 1/3. I personally think it's actually better to reject some than let a huge number of people rot on the wait list for months and then find out later they are rejected.

Me too. I was super happy to be on the waitlists that I was, but I would have been obviously upset had I been on the waitlists with no chance of getting in. For what its worth I think I attended 9 interviews and received four acceptances (1 outright, 3 off of waitlists). The problem with most waitlists is that the largest movement is usually after May 15.

 

[imer]

...

 

[brooklynblunder]

which school does group interviews

 

[imer]

...

 

[brooklynblunder]

I could answer directly,
Only that would take the mystery away
When you finally get the
Answer.

👍

 

[vickpick]

Isn't it more like 1/8 or 1/9 chance of acceptance if you are offered an interview?

i think what he means is that either u do good or u do bad... u get accepted or rejected/ waitlisted

 

[Food]

ARRGGGHHH

All I need is ONE

You and I both.

 

[dingyibvs]

I had 3 interviews last years, 3 waitlists, and eventually, 3 rejections.... Only one of the 3 schools offered me a review(UF has an asinine policy of not giving reviews to people who have already reapplied), but he did tell me that I did not do well in the interview. Thus, I have to assume that I seriously lack interview skills. I don't think nerves is the problem, I think I was actually way too laid back and I probably gave them a lackadaisical feel.

 

[Food]

I had 3 interviews last years, 3 waitlists, and eventually, 3 rejections.... Only one of the 3 schools offered me a review(UF has an asinine policy of not giving reviews to people who have already reapplied), but he did tell me that I did not do well in the interview. Thus, I have to assume that I seriously lack interview skills. I don't think nerves is the problem, I think I was actually way too laid back and I probably gave them a lackadaisical feel.

who told you did not do well in the interview? I'm a little worried, because I think I may have come across similar to the way you describe - I would do anything for another shot at an interview with UF.

 

[dingyibvs]

who told you did not do well in the interview? I'm a little worried, because I think I may have come across similar to the way you describe - I would do anything for another shot at an interview with UF.

Cincy told me that. I asked how could I prepare for the MMI interview format that they use, and the answer suggested that my errors were not specifically related to the MMI. I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything very stupid/crazy, so I have to guess that it's things like posture, tone, appearance, etc.

 

[dingyibvs]

Also, last year there was a guy on SDN who had TEN interviews and wasn't accepted anywhere until something like late July.

 

[277768]

Also, last year there was a guy on SDN who had TEN interviews and wasn't accepted anywhere until something like late July.

Just looked at your MDapps. How does someone with your insane stats *especially mcat* get only three interviews? and then no acceptances?

 

[XTasy]

Just looked at your MDapps. How does someone with your insane stats *especially mcat* get only three interviews? and then no acceptances?

probably because they are socially awkward and have no social let alone interview skillz

/troll

 

[dingyibvs]

Just looked at your MDapps. How does someone with your insane stats *especially mcat* get only three interviews? and then no acceptances?

Heh, I explained it somewhat in my MDApps profile. I had a myriad, a MYRIAD of problems, the biggest which was that I listed only ONE activity, which concluded in 2007, in my AMCAS application. I had pretty much given up on med schools due to personal problems(which was aplenty) until a month or two before I applied last July, so I had absolutely no clue what med schools looked for except GPA and MCAT. I didn't really do much of anything right, lol.

 

[FlowRate]

Heh, I explained it somewhat in my MDApps profile. I had a myriad, a MYRIAD of problems, the biggest which was that I listed only ONE activity, which concluded in 2007, in my AMCAS application. I had pretty much given up on med schools due to personal problems(which was aplenty) until a month or two before I applied last July, so I had absolutely no clue what med schools looked for except GPA and MCAT. I didn't really do much of anything right, lol.

I really don't mean this offensively at all, but I noticed that you were very involved in Chinese stuff and that you're East Asian, etc. I have a lot of Chinese friends and I noticed that the culture overall is much less expressive than US culture, from what I have seen. I don't know you at all in real life or whether or not you were raised that way, but based on that one piece of information, my guess is that you may have come across as cold or "robotic" to the interviewers, which is a criticism I have heard of Chinese students in particular before. Again, please don't take this rudely =)

 

[dingyibvs]

I really don't mean this offensively at all, but I noticed that you were very involved in Chinese stuff and that you're East Asian, etc. I have a lot of Chinese friends and I noticed that the culture overall is much less expressive than US culture, from what I have seen. I don't know you at all in real life or whether or not you were raised that way, but based on that one piece of information, my guess is that you may have come across as cold or "robotic" to the interviewers, which is a criticism I have heard of Chinese students in particular before. Again, please don't take this rudely =)

No offense taken 🙂

I actually thought it was the opposite though, that I was a bit too relaxed during my interviews. I kind of just chilled back in my chair, crossed my legs, and talked whatever's on my mind. I'm actually not too involved in the Chinese stuff, I haven't joined a single ethnically-related club(I'm against that in principle), but since I like to help people out, and my ex-roommate was the VP of this Chinese student association, I just volunteered to help out from time to time.

 

[Homoochan]

I REALLY hope this doesn't come true

 

[tartrate]

Let's say on average post-interview acceptance rates are 1/3. Since most of us on here are a bit neurotic, let's lower that rate to 1/4.

Now if you have 5 interviews, then that gives you 1-(3/4)^5 chance of getting accepted to at least one school, or 76.3%. If we make that 10 interviews, then that becomes 94.4%. To get over a 99%, you would need at least 17 interviews.

Now this is all just in terms of numbers; obviously your actual interview skills (and luck) will change your personal rates drastically. Actual percentages are probably slightly higher than the calculations above, since post-interview acceptance rates seem to vary anywhere from 1/4 to 2/3 (e.g. at 1/3 and 5 interviews, the percentage jumps to 86.8%, and if we look at it optimistically at 2/3 with 5 interviews, that becomes 99.5%!).

If you've actually made it so far as to have 5-10 interviews, then I'd say you're in very good standing and should have very little to worry about. Focus that energy into something more productive . There are still people here without even a single interview (or just one, in my case).

 

[Homoochan]

What can go wrong during interviews to make a person be rejected from >5 then?

Well, people say if you are abnormal and have no social and interview skills then that can happen.

But, what exactly is PROPER "social and interview skills"?

What are the absolute DO's and DON'Ts?

 

[pharaoh88]

What can go wrong during interviews to make a person be rejected from >5 then?

Well, people say if you are abnormal and have no social and interview skills then that can happen.

But, what exactly is PROPER "social and interview skills"?

What are the absolute DO's and DON'Ts?

I'm sorry to be blunt about this, but if you are dogmatically following a list of "DOs and DON'TS" in an interview, you probably lack some social skills. Just relax and have a professional conversation with your interviewer and you will be fine.

 

[BBender716]

I'm sorry to be blunt about this, but if you are dogmatically following a list of "DOs and DON'TS" in an interview, you probably lack some social skills. Just relax and have a professional conversation with your interviewer and you will be fine.

Best general advice. 👍