Should I attend an interview after being accepted to one of my top choices?

[gsthomps]

This evening I was accepted to one my top choice schools. I have a scheduled interview in 2 days (this Wednesday) to a school that I would likely not attend over the school to which I was just admitted.

Should I attend this interview?

Thank you all for your help.

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[cheechootrain]

I would not if it'll cost you money. If you decide to choose an acceptance from a medical school, it is common courtesy to let all the other medical schools know that you will not be attending their med school. So others, like me, will have a better chance of getting into the other ones.

 

[HealthHare]

If the school is know for being generous with financial aid then it might be worth it.

 

[thlaxer]

Assuming everything's already been paid for and you aren't interviewed-out yet: you should go even if there is only a slight chance you may choose that school over your current top choice. You never know, they may wow you during the interview day or second look and/or offer generous financial aid, etc. What you're looking for in a school now may also change in the next several months and it's nice to have the option open.

If there's absolutely no chance you'll attend that school over your current choice though, then don't waste your time. Schools seem to be used to these last-minute cancellations. One school last year even asked for email confirmation a few days before the interview just to make sure we're still coming (that interview was scheduled at around this time last year).

 

[squat]

Assuming it is a sunk cost, I'd still plan on going to the interview. You'll be doing tons more interviews as you head off to residency, fellowship, job hunt, etc., and it is always great to practice your interviewing skills. You've got nothing to lose and may end up with a pleasant surprise.

 

[jesse120]

First of all, congrats on getting into one of your top choice schools, and so early! That's great news! Without knowing what's important to you, there's really no easy answer to your question. There are a few things to consider though: why is school A one of your top choices while school B is further down the list? Is school A ranked higher? Do you happen to know a lot about both schools? Have you heard not-so-great things about school B? Is school B in a location you don't care for? Basically, how did you decide where schools fall on your priority list?

When I applied last year, I didn't rank schools until after I interviewed. I attended all my interviews while trying to keep an open mind. Things like USNews ranking tend to influence how people prioritize schools before they interview, but I really don't think it should. I don't know which schools you're talking about, but for example, if you just got into Chicago (school A) and are considering whether you should attend your Drexel (school B) interview, it might be easy to say you won't likely attend Drexel even if you don't know much about the school. But if you're saying that without knowing anything about Drexel besides their ranking, you might be depriving yourself of a great opportunity. Who knows, schools B might end up surprising the heck out of you.

But if you do already know a lot about school B and school A has already thrown some nice $$ your way, then it's probably not worth the school's or your time interviewing there.

 

[darkjedi]

I would say to just withdraw your application. Not only will it save you the stress and trouble of travelling and interviewing, you will potentially open up an interview slot for another applicant.

 

[drizzt3117]

I would say to just withdraw your application. Not only will it save you the stress and trouble of travelling and interviewing, you will potentially open up an interview slot for another applicant.

Maybe; probably only someone local could go to an interview with two days notice (probably one day, now)