Stanford interviews-- need information

[SharpieMarker]

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Has anyone interviewed at Stanford and can give some logistical details? I looked at interview feedback but I wanted more information about the actual day.

My interview invite didn't come with any information at all. How long does the interview day run (i..e when can I schedule my return flight?) Can you stay with student hosts? What hotels are inexpensive and convenient? Should I fly into the San Francisco airport? Vs. San Jose? Is it cheaper to fly into San Francisco?

Any tips on the interview day? Any information at all would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[amers24]

My day was over by 3:30, but I think it varies a lot. When you call Ms. Sooter to confirm a few days before, she'll give you your exact schedule.
As for travel, I stayed with a friend, but I heard that their is student hosting, you just have to ask the office for it. The information for airports, etc. should be available online-- on your status page it should have a link saying "more details of the interview" or something like it.

 

[sanchopanza]

It's a pretty long day, since there are lots of small-group informational sessions (welcome, curriculum, financial aid, check-out and final questions, etc--I wouldn't count on getting out of there before 4:30, but check with Ms. Sooter). They really want to get to know you in admissions. It's fine though, since they're very nice--just try to get some sleep before the day because you'll be "on" a lot. It was my favorite interview day of all, but also my most exhausting because the day is quite full.

In terms of transportation, I flew into SFO (San Francisco) since I'm from the East Coast and that was the cheapest. It was easy to hop on the BART from the airport, go for a few minutes to the Millbrae station, and there hop on a southbound CalTrain that goes to Palo Alto in less than an hour (it cost $4, I believe). I don't know what the deal would be from the San Jose airport, but SFO was pretty convenient for me. And yes, they do have a student hosting program, and I'm sure you'll get some information about that.

Most of all, just enjoy the day. It doesn't get much better than that place, and it's an honor to have been invited. Congratulations and good luck.

 

[SnoPearl]

I flew into San Jose because I wanted to stay with some college friends around Silicon Valley during the interview (Stanford students had an exam the day of my interview, so hosting would have been impossible to find anyway). The price was actually cheaper than going into SFO. So this is not a bad option if you have friends to stay with nearby, because it's just as easy to get to Palo Alto from San Jose (specific directions also on that interview information page that you can access through the secondary website). And you really won't know when you can leave until practically the day of the interview, as the schedule can change last minute (mine did). I would set aside the entire day until 4pm before you can leave the school.

Oh, and in terms of student hosting. They don't openly advertise anything. You'll have to email the admissions office to ask about it, and then I'm sure they can set you up with something or give you email addresses. Other info... wear comfy shoes. The campus is really big, there is a lot of walking on the tour, and you have to walk a bit to get to your interviews. It's also a very small group (I only had 4 on my day, but I heard the average is between 4-8), which is nice but you also don't see the people too often as everyone is running around to their interviews separately. Have fun! I really loved it there!

 

[aanihc]

haha. i'm a stanford undergraduate and i still haven't heard back from them.

 

[SharpieMarker]

any suggestions as to where to stay? and how to get between hotel and med school? is the med school part of the main undergraduate campus? thanks!

 

[pink scrubs]

Also, for those of you that have interviewed already, did they give you a time frame in which you should hear back? Or is it any time between your interview and April? Thanks for all your help!

 

[aanihc]

any suggestions as to where to stay? and how to get between hotel and med school? is the med school part of the main undergraduate campus? thanks!

I suggest you stay with a student host. Our campus is huge and the med school is connected to the undergraduate campus. If you don't want to... then I'd recommend the Mermaid Inn (cheapest motel around and probably the closest). Even then, you'll have to walk at least 15 minutes to the med school.

 

[SnoPearl]

Also, for those of you that have interviewed already, did they give you a time frame in which you should hear back? Or is it any time between your interview and April? Thanks for all your help!

I was told about 1-1.5 months before I hear back. And if I didn't hear back by then that I should call them and ask about my status.

 

[SnoPearl]

I suggest you stay with a student host. Our campus is huge and the med school is connected to the undergraduate campus. If you don't want to... then I'd recommend the Mermaid Inn (cheapest motel around and probably the closest). Even then, you'll have to walk at least 15 minutes to the med school.

Although, I have to add that most of the students I talked to lived in the on-campus dorms, which are a 15+ minute walk from the medical school campus. A lot of the students bike to classes, so it may be really hard for you to trek to the admissions office on the day of the interview if you stay with a host and walk in a suit with heels. So either way... it's gonna be a long walk. Might want to grab a short cab ride.

 

[Carmen Sandiego]

I ended up staying in nearby Mountain View (home of Google!), taking the Caltrain to the Palo Alto stop, then hopping right on a bus that drove up to the admissions office. (They give you a little bus system map with your interview invite materials.) This was surprisingly easy - everything runs pretty much like clockwork in the early mornings.

And yeah - comfy shoes. I've worn the same seemingly sensible shoes to every interview so far, but my feet were in some serious pain by the end of the day. Agony of de feet.

 

[silverlining1]

I'm a Stanford undergraduate, and you're welcome to stay with me (I am a female too, if that matters). There are free shuttles that run to the med school regularly (every 15 minutes), and with that it'll take you about 10 minutes to get to the med school from my dorm. While I can't tell you much about the med student experience, I can provide free food and a tour of campus and perhaps even town; I also have a car. I live in the dorm, but it's usually quite quiet; the students are respectful of quiet hours (11pm on school nights). PM me if interested.

By the way - SJC is closer to campus and easier to access by public transportation. However, as mentioned earlier, SFO is possible too, so I guess it just depends on ticket prices.