Requesting interviews?

[Sabrina]

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I was wondering. . .

Is it common practice to ask a school for an interview before being invited?

. . .so that we can arrange to have interviews at schools in the same state in one trip.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Well, I wouldn't straight-up ASK for an interview. Instead, I'd let them know that you will be in the area around XX/XX date.

Pretty common practice, I think.

 

[Sabrina]

After telling them that you'll be in town. .what do you say next?

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Well, I email something like this:

I will be traveling to (city) on XX/XX and will be available to you from XX/XX to XX/XX, should you wish to allow me the opportunity to visit your campus for an interview. As you undoubtedly realize, travel expenses during the med school admission process can become quite large. Any assistance in minimizing cost will be greatly appreciated. Please try to let me know before XX/XX if any decisions have been made by the committee, as I must make final travel arrangements.

Something like this will be fine.

 

[SMW]

I always say "I'm going to be in your neighborhood around X date, and I was wondering if the committee is considering inviting me for an interview if it could possibly be sometime around that date." Usually then they say "We'll make a note to your file to that effect," and you never hear from them again (unless it's after you return from their city for another school's interview)! A few schools are real snooty, and say, "Oh, no, we couldn't possibly do that" (direct quote 🙄 ). And then occasionally a school will be real nice about it and go out of their way to help you out. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask, but I would be careful about how you phrase it.

 

[Incendiary]

SMW, do you mean Stanford, by any chance? I think that's the EXACT wording that the lady used with me. That is, after the initial, very loud, "NO!" 😡

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by Incendiary:
•SMW, do you mean Stanford, by any chance? •••

No, it was Pittsburgh. I didn't apply to Stanford, but from what I've heard, you were lucky to be able to actually talk to somebody! 😉

 

[Scooby Doo]

Pittsburgh always had great phone communications with me...The new york schools...well, it seems they have been drinking too much when they answer the phone. Half the time they don't seem to realize they are a medical school.

 

[UCLA2000]

I think that maybe you're missing the point a little bit. You don't just randomly call up a school and request an interview. They'd pretty much laugh at you. How many of us WOULDN'T call up top ten schools to request interviews if it were that easy!

Here's how it works. Say I'm flying to New York for an AE interview. I'd call up Columbia, Cornell, and whatever other schools are in the area that I applied to. I'd notify them that I received an interview at AE, and I would ask them if they were planning on granting me an interview. They can say one of three things.

1. your application is still under review, and we don't know at this time if we're granting you an interview.

2. you have been granted an interview...let's set it up so that you can do it while you're out here for your AE interview.

3. You will not receive an interview from our school.