Should I Reschedule my first interview?

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You should...

  • Take the plane to the 11/19 interview.

    Votes: 14 66.7%
  • Take the greyhound to the 11/19 interview.

    Votes: 1 4.8%
  • Reschedule to the 12/13 interview.

    Votes: 6 28.6%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .

DennyCrane MD

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After submitting my secondaries in September and early October, I finally got my first interview yesterday from Case Western for their University Track. Surprisingly many days in November were still available, the last day being the 19th. Then there was a big gap, next available date being 12/13. The problem is that because this is my first interview, I have yet to buy a suit, do a mock interview, and research extensively for Case specifically. However, since I still have two weeks until 11/19, I told myself that I can pull it off, and that I SHOULD do it since it'd be beneficial to schedule the interview while more spots are available.

After making the appointment, however, reading the Case school forum made me realize that Case sees many interviewees (1296 interviewees for 199 spots) but is slow to give out acceptance. Also the airplane ticket turned out to be $300 (ugh!) if I were to do the 11/19 interview while it would only be $150 for the 12/13 one. (Greyhound is $130, but it would take a 10 hours drive...)

It seems that Case would be more likely to reward the quality than the timing of the interview compared to other schools. But I can't objectively assess how much of a difference a month would make. On one hand, I may be able to prepare fully with two weeks left and just end up bitching about the extra $150. On the other hand, aside from the money, I'd definitely be able to better prepare for the December interview (getting the suit I really like rather than I need, making sure to get the mock interview, etc.)

So, do I reschedule for the 13th of December?

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I think I'd move it. If you're not a strong interviewer, you need that practice to make sure you kick butt. The suit thing and extra $150 for a plane ticket are negligible, in my opinion.
 
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You could easily get some interviewing practice between now and the 19th, and also get a suit. I guess it comes down to the difference in the airplane fare.
 
I still have a day to think it over. I'd appreciate more feedbacks. (or bump)
 
rescheduling really is completely dependent on how comfortable you are...I think the other stuff is just you making excuses. You can easily get a suit by the 19th. If you feel you aren't ready then wait until next month, it really isn't that big of a time difference.

As for the transportation I think you should fly no matter when your interview is. Sitting on a bus for TEN HOURS sounds like torture and might put you in a bad mood before your interview. This doesn't sound like a good place to save 150 bucks ...the extra 8 hours of your time (assuming it's a 2 hour plane trip) is totally worth the money! Don't be stingy.

As for "researaching" the school...this literally takes like 2 hours max. Don't overdo it. You aren't going to be tested. The only reason to do this is to come up with good questions that make you seem interested and knowledgeable about the school.
 
Does it really take people over 2 weeks to prepare for a school's interview?
 
Thank you all for your help. I have decided to stick with the date.
I'm convinced that I have enough time to best prepare for this interview.
So far, I purchased my plane tickets, window shopped some suits, read all the case western-related topics on sdn.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the student hosts and the mock interviewer. Scrapping to gather about topics I'm not yet comfortable about: bioethics, healthcare reform, etc.

God, help me escape the "worst interview answer" thread.
 
Thank you all for your help. I have decided to stick with the date.
I'm convinced that I have enough time to best prepare for this interview.
So far, I purchased my plane tickets, window shopped some suits, read all the case western-related topics on sdn.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the student hosts and the mock interviewer. Scrapping to gather about topics I'm not yet comfortable about: bioethics, healthcare reform, etc.

God, help me escape the "worst interview answer" thread.
Good luck. I think you made the right decision especially as it gets harder to get accepted as the months roll by - a month can make a big difference. Just make sure you brush up on your interviewing skills. I think 2 weeks should be enough.
 
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