So what does an interview really mean?

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washington101

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Hey guys,
When a school interviews you, does that mean they think you are good enough to go to that school? They just want to get an idea about whether you can communicate and show maturity? What do you guys think?
I for one must follow some basic interview rules:

1. Do not pick your nose during the interview.
2. Do not make fake fart sounds even though you are good at them.
3. Do not comment on the hottness of the girl who is interviewing you.
4. Try very hard not to comment on the hottness of the girl interviewing you.
5. Do not fall back onto the floor with your chair.
6. Do not show up to the interview drunk or from a strip club.

These are my personal rules.
 
People have different opinions on the actual relevance of an interview.

Some say that it is meant to merely weed out the crazy pre-meds who have never seen actual light outside of their reading lamps. In this sense, nearly everyone who is interviewed is worthy of being accepted.

Others say that it is meant to get to know you personally so that the adcom can choose people based on personality as well as statistics. This suggests that academically, anyone who interviews is worthy of being accepted, but perhaps not personality-wise.

Most people agree with the second viewpoint. For some schools, every interviewer is on a leveled playing field and they usually decide who is admitted based on the interviews. Other schools take into account both the application and the interviews when making decisions.

Either way, it's important to follow the aforementioned rules. 😀
-Dr. P.
 
What if you show up to your interview and notice the guy getting the lapdance next to you was your interviewer? :scared:

Or... The stripper giving you a lapdance is your interviewer? 😎
 
from all accounts it depends on the school. some use it as a final minor checkpoint after they have looked at your application pretty well. others use it as a crucial deciding factor along with the rest of your app. And there's a everything in between. Also, you can look at the number of interviewees that get accepted to kind of get a better picture of the school's gameplan. follow your rules and always be on top of your game and it shouldn't matter.
 
Ironhead2000 said:
from all accounts it depends on the school. some use it as a final minor checkpoint after they have looked at your application pretty well. others use it as a crucial deciding factor along with the rest of your app. And there's a everything in between. Also, you can look at the number of interviewees that get accepted to kind of get a better picture of the school's gameplan. follow your rules and always be on top of your game and it shouldn't matter.
I Agree. Look at MSAR's numbers or the post-interview rejections to see what percentage got accepted. If only 20% got in, then that means that the interview wasn't just there to weed them out but rather to choose the best.
 
Hednej said:
I Agree. Look at MSAR's numbers or the post-interview rejections to see what percentage got accepted. If only 20% got in, then that means that the interview wasn't just there to weed them out but rather to choose the best.

MSAR's numbers really don't tell the whole story. You can see # of interviewees and # of entering students, but not # of offers. For example, Texas A&M Interviewed 696 and 83 matriculated. Thats 12%. However, out of the 696 that TAMU interviewed, they made 349 offers. Thats 50%. Big difference 🙂


So far with my limited experience with interviews, it seems that the interview is not a crucial part of your application, but rather a confirmation that you have seen the light of day and know how to form sentences.
 
gapotts2003 said:
What if you show up to your interview and notice the guy getting the lapdance next to you was your interviewer? :scared:
No fret. In this case you're lucky and your acceptance is pretty much guaranteed. You're a 'brother' and your interview questions will be based solely on fun activities in the 'gentlemen's club.' So you will ace this one easily.



gapotts2003 said:
Or... The stripper giving you a lapdance is your interviewer? 😎
In this case,...hmmm...it depends. If you were generous and put enough cash in the g-string the night before, you're an asset to humanity and you will definitely get a thick packet in the mail. But if you were a penny-pinching son-of-a-biatch who likes to enjoy free lappies, then sorry dude, you're screwed.
 
washington101 said:
1. Do not pick your nose during the interview.

Wait...so picking your nose is frowned upon?!? I thought it was an indication of good personal hygiene. I am usually up to my elbow digging in my nose most of the time.
 
washington101 said:
3. Do not comment on the hottness of the girl who is interviewing you.
4. Try very hard not to comment on the hottness of the girl interviewing you.

Also look at said girl's face. Stop it. STOP IT. EYES UP.
 
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