Stay with a student?

[spumoni620]

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Anyone have any stories regarding this--whether it's better to stay w/a student or a hotel (motel 🙂 ) pre-interview....i.e. is it better to sacrifice the social excursion for getting a good night's rest..do you really get valuable perspectives on the school by staying w/the student...does it really not make a difference in the end?


thanks!

 

[Jonkst]

I've never done it, but I would bet staying with a student is better. First, you have someone to talk to and get your mind off the interview beforehand, as opposed to sitting alone in a hotel, and more importantly, I'm sure it can be a lot of fun post-interview.

 

[Gleevec]

Its cheaper and they are closer to campus. You get to check out where students normally live as well. For the most part students are also really honest, so whatever advice you might get will be worth it. Then again, Im gonna find out if this is true for myself, Ive just heard this from friends.

 

[promethius]

Yup I would agree with the above poster. I stayed with a student host during all my long distance interviews, and I got great feedback from my host about the med school I was interviewing at. Plus, I partied with some of the med students afterwards (when I interviewed on a Friday), and that really put the icing on the interview day. Ah yes, nothing beats the Halloween party at Mayo...

 

[thewebthsp]

Spumoni,

Are you prepping for the Vanderbilt interview? Pass along word if you can about student hosting. Thanks!

 

[Moskeeto]

it cuts both ways. I personally like the privacy of a hotel room and it gives you a chance to relax a bit. I've heard some horror stories about people staying with hosts, no sleep, hang over for interview, a night of porn on the tv, host fighting with gf/bf, etc, but I've also heard all the good stuff from the above posts. I think that the worst thing is that sometimes your host will have to be at work/school at say 7am and they may make you leave and take all your stuff with you and wander around for a few hours until your interview and you have to lug your lougage with you to the interview. I stayed at hotels if I didn't have friends in the area because i almost always booked a package deal with airfare and hotel on travelocity and it was always pretty cheap. I think either way, overall you'll be happy with where you stay because both have good benefits.

 

[spumoni620]

thanks for the input all...

see moskeeto, that was exactly what i was worried about. maybe i'm paranoid, but i definitely want to function well for my interview...i'm all for partying AFTER the interview but the night before I sort of want to take it easy....call me a loner but i think i might stay at a hotel??? hmm...anyone else have any thoughts on this?


thewebthsp, i am indeed prepping for vandy...there is info on student hosting on their website. you send them an email and they match you up with a student. once you confirm your interview date with patty bryant she'll send you an email w/further links to the student hosting website.


btw, does anyone know what a medical fraternity house is? this is where student host interviewees at galveston. is this similar to frats and sororities in undergrad?

 

[TexasRose]

Spumoni, I have to go with the hotel the night before. I want to be rested and definitly not hungover for my interview. Besides, I'm a nontrad with kids and any excuse for a night in a hotel (away from "mommy I want...") is a good one!

Many of the schools have a social lunch/gathering with the med students anyway.

T

 

[Lab-Rat21]

First, you save money, so why not, that's one more secondary.😉

Second, you get tips from students and even some stories about who interviews, etc. It is so much worth it, no hotel stay can get you as relaxed and prepared.

Third, most med students were busy when I interviewed but they remember what you are going through now, so they are understanding. If you want to review your application, they have stuff to do too, so do not worry.

Last, I will be hosting next year, so I am all for this, and wish more med students would of hosted me at certain schools that will remain nameless...they made me stay at a hotel, alone, and waste $$$. But I am also very social, so no interaction/talking the night before an important interview would drive me crazy.

Hope this helps...😀

 

[ice_23]

spumonia,

when are you going to set up your interview, and if you could, could you post how you are getting student housing?

I am a little worried about how to stay at Vandy...i need to find a host, and I think I am planning on getting there the night before the interview and then leaving the night of the interview...

At least, the lady on the phone suggested that. What are you thinking about doing?

Thanks,

-Ice

 

[oldman]

Originally posted by spumoni620
Anyone have any stories regarding this--whether it's better to stay w/a student or a hotel (motel 🙂 ) pre-interview....i.e. is it better to sacrifice the social excursion for getting a good night's rest..do you really get valuable perspectives on the school by staying w/the student...does it really not make a difference in the end?


thanks!

when i stayed with a student, they gave me some inside comments on the school. you wouldn't get that with a hotel stay. on the other hand, i stayed in a hotel for a different interview and i watched a police bust (*put your hands up!!*) outside of my window. so i found out about the neighborhood.

 

[oldman]

i live at a medical frat. the ones at my school are co-ed living facilities, it works out to be more of a dorm or apt setup rather than the stereotypical fraternity/sorority.

Originally posted by spumoni620
thanks for the input all...

see moskeeto, that was exactly what i was worried about. maybe i'm paranoid, but i definitely want to function well for my interview...i'm all for partying AFTER the interview but the night before I sort of want to take it easy....call me a loner but i think i might stay at a hotel??? hmm...anyone else have any thoughts on this?


thewebthsp, i am indeed prepping for vandy...there is info on student hosting on their website. you send them an email and they match you up with a student. once you confirm your interview date with patty bryant she'll send you an email w/further links to the student hosting website.


btw, does anyone know what a medical fraternity house is? this is where student host interviewees at galveston. is this similar to frats and sororities in undergrad?

 

[DW]

hmm, i went on 13 interviews last year and stayed with hosts on 10 of them I believe, and never had a problem. Its cheaper, the students give you great insight as to the feel of the school and how to get ready for the interviews, and will make getting to the admissions office in the morning (which as some schools can be unnecessarily confusing) a lot easier. I doubt any student hosts are going to "force" you to go out and drink at any point, you can always gracefully decline.

if you do go with a student host, i'd say it is courtesy to offer them some small token of appreciation, offer to buy them a pizza or something like that and send them a thank you email later on. It is something they really dont have to do and are taking the time out there busy schedules to house you temporarily. Most of mine declined on the food, but i think its a nice gesture.

good luck at vandy 😀

 

[Naphtali]

Stay with a host.

At one school (which shall remain nameless to protect the guilty), I stayed with a 4th year... he had a party (post interview, luckily for me). Man, that was craaaazy. Another took me bowling with some other med students, and yet another picked me up at the airport.

 

[spumoni620]

hmm...ok, i guess i'll be changing my mind 😀 Looks like staying with the host wins out. ready or not, here i come!

p.s. ice check out my second post for interview info on vandy...you should get something by mail that explains everything...and btw it's spumoni not spumonia 😉

 

[ice_23]

my bad spumoni 🙂

Are you planning on going the night b4?

-Ice

 

[Mylaina]

I am a student host at Drexel, and a number of people I know do that too.

Usually, students host during the week, and since I go to class and am not a wild partier on Mondays/Tuesdays etc. I never had the chance to take my guests out. Typically, the evenings involved the person arriving, getting dinner in or out, and me answering questions or blabbing about every aspect of the school and my program. 🙂

It is difficult to coordinate in the morning (sometimes my guests ran late and I was late for class/group, but that's life), but it beats having to get up an extra hour early and taxi it (or walk) from a hotel to make sure you make it to the interview in time.

Plus, as a student host, I've given insight as to what the day is like, potential questions that could be asked, who is really cool to interview with, who is less than cool, etc.

I'm all about the student hosting. :-D

Oh yeah-- I'm at Drexel, if anyone reads this and needs a place to stay, send a PM my way. 🙂

 

[VienneseWaltz]

I had great experiences everywhere I stayed with a student. The only times I didn't was when I had friends in the area or when my husband was with me (not really cool to ask students to put up two of us). I was usually too wound up to get a lot of sleep anyway, so I would have been up watching bad cable if I'd stayed in a hotel ... I completely recommend staying with a student, for all the reasons mentioned above. Also, I was able to work into most of my interviews the conversations I'd had with students the night before, and that seemed to go over well with my interviewers. It's good ice-breaking talk.

I bought a stash of small 4-piece boxes from Godiva before my interviews started (they're like $5) and took one as a gift for my host each time. I was always with girls, though, so for guys you might want to try something else.