STRESSED waiting for interviews?? come vent (special guest...)

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jarmen

jarmen

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Hey all you stressed out SDNers fed up with waiting for interview invites... come vent and ease the pain of this chinese water torture.

On another note, spoke to LizzyM and she said dont panic till 1/21 but also said she would come shed some light on the situation for those of us too OCD to relax...

Until that point, vent away my fellow victims of torture. personally my inbox hasnt gotten any love for weeks and its been makin me crazy... i feel my sanity slipping away every time i check my email... which of course is far too often
 
where are you interviewing and how many schools are you waiting to hear from?

I have three interviews that I will be going on in about two weeks... i am nervous.,. but i suppose it is normal to be so. Still I haven't received love in the email inbox for weeks either!!! and this is stressful dude.!!!


sh****t.

does anybody know, as crude as the estimate is overall, what percentage of the total interview invites are typically given out around this time of the application cycle?
 
iv had 4 invites, waiting on 9 hopefuls... and to answer ur question i have no idea im basically in the same boat as u
 
2 invites, 0 actual interviews yet, 1 rejection. I knew this was going to happen after retaking the MCAT Aug 26th, but I didn't realize quite how hard the wait would be with all the SDNers with acceptances in hand! I feel like spots are just dropping like flies...
 
C'est moi!

With my team, we've reviewed over 1,100 applications thus far and we have about 200 more to review (maybe more). There are sure to be more coming in as people complete their applications before some (unclear to me) deadline. (We are not the only team working on applications) I also looked at a couple of applications in my queue. One submitted her secondary on July 31 and took the MCAT in July, too. Another completed the secondary in mid-October and a third compled in September.

We've been interviewing for about 2 mos and have about 4 mos more to go. We've made interview invitations to about 1/3 of the total number who will get interview invitations. I think that the invitations go out close (3-4 wks) to the interview dates rather than asking people to commit now to a date in January (that they may cancel when they get an offer from their dream school). My general observation has been that very good students are over-represented among the early applicants but there are some gems who apply late and the people in charge of issuing interview invitations know this and plan accordingly (we wouldn't want to use up all our invitaitons by Oct 1 and not have any for the super-candidate who arrives later). We do try to interview the best regardliess of whether they apply early or late.

I do hope that his helps you relax and enjoy the next few weeks.
 
I have 4 invites currently (1 interview completed), 2 rejections, and waiting to hear from 14 other schools. My 4th invite just came yesterday after about a month of inactivity so I was flipping out before as well, lol. Just focus on the ones you have coming up and acing them. I'm sure more invites are coming down the pipeline 🙂
 
aznb0y129 said:
I have 4 invites currently (1 interview completed), 2 rejections, and waiting to hear from 14 other schools. My 4th invite just came yesterday after about a month of inactivity so I was flipping out before as well, lol. Just focus on the ones you have coming up and acing them. I'm sure more invites are coming down the pipeline 🙂
Click to expand...

The fun really happens between your "last" actual interview and waiting for the "next" interview invitation..
 
RoadRunner17 said:
The fun really happens between your "last" actual interview and waiting for the "next" interview invitation..
Click to expand...

Well luckily for me, (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), my NYMC interview isn't until the end of January, so I'll have a full 3 months of waiting for interviews while that looms on the horizon, haha.
 
Glad to see this thread up. I've just had my first interview and I must say, I have no clue how it went. It could go either way, but I rather stay neutral. I hate the wait, but its a part of the process... I'm hoping for more interviews to come my way and all it takes is one acceptance!
 
Complete mid Aug-Mid Sept. Applied to schools reasonable for my stats range. No news.

I fail, sigh. 🙁
 
herewego said:
Complete mid Aug-Mid Sept. Applied to schools reasonable for my stats range. No news.

I fail, sigh. 🙁
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look on the bright side, no news = no rejections lol... and as LizzyM pointed out there are still many more interview invites to go around so no failure yet
 
jarmen said:
look on the bright side, no news = no rejections lol... and as LizzyM pointed out there are still many more interview invites to go around so no failure yet
Click to expand...

It is getting harder and harder to say that with each passing day, and its much easier to say when you don't have interviews.

I'll just have to hope someone will consider me as one of those "gems" lizzyM is talking about.
 
Does anyone know whats the deal with preinterview waitlists? Are they just glorified forms of rejection or do ppl have a chance of getting off of them, and if so, was there anything in particular that they did to do so? From my 2 previous cycles, it just seems to be a rejection.

Thanks
 
batman1983 said:
Does anyone know whats the deal with preinterview waitlists? Are they just glorified forms of rejection or do ppl have a chance of getting off of them, and if so, was there anything in particular that they did to do so? From my 2 previous cycles, it just seems to be a rejection.

Thanks
Click to expand...


I remember being put on GWs "pre interview hold" one september, and didnt hear from them for months. I was actually invited (unprompted, nonetheless since i thought it was a lost cause) late february/early march to come and interview.

The school I attend now, I was not invited to interview until January.

There were 2 other schools I was accepted to, both having interviewed with them December and January.

Dont give up. I know it is very nervewracking, but keep in there. Stay on top of the schools you haven't heard from, you would be surprised how far a little persistance goes (you know, before they take out a restraining order).

good luck to all those tearing their hair out, I hope it works out.
 
One rejection, one pre-interview hold, waiting on 12 schools. I feel like I'm a competitive applicant based on scores. Should I be hounding schools with phone calls and emails? Sending update letters? What am I doing wrong here?
 
EpiMan said:
One rejection, one pre-interview hold, waiting on 12 schools. I feel like I'm a competitive applicant based on scores. Should I be hounding schools with phone calls and emails? Sending update letters? What am I doing wrong here?
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Totally hear you EpiMan.... wondering if I've missed some magical checkbox or sentence or some other vital little item ("honestly, I really want to help people" at the end of my PS or something...). Waiting on a number of schools, one rejection, one pre-interview hold.

*Insert rest of VENT here* :scared:

Luck to all! :luck:
 
same boat here

decent stats (exclude freshman year), zero interviews

i want it so much, but zero interviews. i hope things turn around for me. i don't know, i try to believe that it is still "somewhat" early, that people like me just need to "wait" for my interviews
 
NJDIF said:
I remember being put on GWs "pre interview hold" one september, and didnt hear from them for months. I was actually invited (unprompted, nonetheless since i thought it was a lost cause) late february/early march to come and interview.

The school I attend now, I was not invited to interview until January.

There were 2 other schools I was accepted to, both having interviewed with them December and January.

Dont give up. I know it is very nervewracking, but keep in there. Stay on top of the schools you haven't heard from, you would be surprised how far a little persistance goes (you know, before they take out a restraining order).

good luck to all those tearing their hair out, I hope it works out.
Click to expand...


how does one even know if they are on a pre-interview waitlist? do they email you this info or does one have to call and ask? and how exactly do you stay on top of schools (this sounds like a very useful activity lol) when i call they basically tell me to f*ck off and wait...
 
jarmen said:
how does one even know if they are on a pre-interview waitlist? do they email you this info or does one have to call and ask? and how exactly do you stay on top of schools (this sounds like a very useful activity lol) when i call they basically tell me to f*ck off and wait...
Click to expand...

Some schools tell you via email, some via status page, some you find out by calling (e.g. GWU) and some do it by mail (e.g. Penn State)
 
For what it's worth, getting the first interview helps for a few days, but after that, you go back to "why don't these other schools want me?"

The only thing that eases stress is "Acceptance."
 
The pre-interview hold is a weird term. I mean you kind of wish the school would just ball up and reject you. I wouldn't really feel that confident going into an interview knowing that I was on a waitlist. It just seems obvious that a school is waiting to weigh you against other interviewers once it gets late enough in the season. Why even tell an applicant that? Either let them wait or reject them.

Also, while no news is no rejection, if I have to wait another month, I will be happy to even receive an email stating I was unsuccessful. At least it is news. Maybe that is why schools tell you that you are on a interview waitlist.
 
Yep, i just wish they would all reject me now at this point so I can solidify work plans for this year off..I'm sooo tired of keeping my hopes up, sad isn't it?
 
I have no interviews, and a pretty strong app. I think it's because most of my secondaries were complete between September and October. So I can safely say "it's still early", or at least that's what I tell myself.

SDNers fed up with waiting for interview invites
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BTW this thread is for people WITHOUT interviews...not waiting for already confirmed interviews lol 🙂
 
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1 completed interview, 0 in queue. 🙁 Glad to hear LizzyM has 2/3 of her slots left. Hopefully most schools have similar numbers remaining 🙂
 
/begin vent

While incredibly difficult, I believe the best way to approach the horrible interview invite waiting is to assume rejection. What makes this waiting so difficult is that I only have a part time job as a mental health tech and I shadow a couple times a week. I am trying to find more employment to fill this gap year but the economy BLOWS. This is the worst time to be out of college in 25 years. God (or science) help us all and I wish everyone luck.

/end vent
 
liquid8r said:
/begin vent

While incredibly difficult, I believe the best way to approach the horrible interview invite waiting is to assume rejection. What makes this waiting so difficult is that I only have a part time job as a mental health tech and I shadow a couple times a week. I am trying to find more employment to fill this gap year but the economy BLOWS. This is the worst time to be out of college in 25 years. God (or science) help us all and I wish everyone luck.

/end vent
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Ditto that. Getting a decent job sucks right now. le sigh
 
Nice, this thread somehow makes everything worse.

I applied to 16 schools, was rejected outright by four, made it past the screening process at two -- only to be put into pre-interview hold, was put on pre-interview hold at another school, and have been complete for over two months at another school without hearing a word.

And 0 interviews! Hurray. +pissed+
 
little rock said:
Nice, this thread somehow makes everything worse.

I applied to 16 schools, was rejected outright by four, made it past the screening process at two -- only to be put into pre-interview hold, was put on pre-interview hold at another school, and have been complete for over two months at another school without hearing a word.

And 0 interviews! Hurray. +pissed+
Click to expand...

Let's be friends. I originally applied to 29, withdrew 2. I have gotten 9 rejections. No interviews. Was complete late August to mid Sept at them all. It's getting depressing. Bleh.
 
My theory is that admissions committees are finding four things wrong with my application:
1) I don't have enough experience with medicine (although I'm a CNA at a group home with developmentally disabled patients, health educator for deaf patients, and have volunteered for 2 years and counting)
2) I'm not working hard enough (despite working 2 jobs in undergrad while having 4 semesters with 20-21 credits, volunteering 8 hours a week, and learning a new language)
3) I don't get how to relate people (as evidenced by my current job as a social worker)
4) I didn't cure cancer. Oops, my bad.

I have no business applying for medical school, I guess.
 
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sarahl86 said:
My theory is that admissions committees are finding four things wrong with my application:
1) I don't have enough experience with medicine (although I'm a CNA at a group home with developmentally disabled patients, health educator for deaf patients, and have volunteered for 2 years and counting)
2) I'm not working hard enough (despite working 2 jobs in undergrad while having 4 semesters with 20-21 credits, volunteering 8 hours a week, and learning a new language)
3) I don't get how to relate people (as evidenced by my current job as a social worker)
4) I didn't cure cancer. Oops, my bad.

I have no business applying for medical school, I guess.
Click to expand...
Wow... I feel a whole lot less screwed over. You've got a nice app (despite the no research) and I'm surprised you don't have interviews!

Best of luck to you in the upcoming months :luck:
 
HaveHope said:
Let's be friends. I originally applied to 29, withdrew 2. I have gotten 9 rejections. No interviews. Was complete late August to mid Sept at them all. It's getting depressing. Bleh.
Click to expand...

Hug_emoticon_by_smiekie.gif
 
This process has been really stressful being a CA resident.
Did secondaries for 20 schools and no news from any except a few pre-interview waitlists and small pooling.
It doesn't help that I finished most schools early October as well :scared: !
Now I'm beginning to regret withdrawing from 10 schools pre-secondary since I would have been complete late October.

Oh well life goes on but I hope I get a chance.
 
sarahl86 said:
My theory is that admissions committees are finding four things wrong with my application:
1) I don't have enough experience with medicine (although I'm a CNA at a group home with developmentally disabled patients, health educator for deaf patients, and have volunteered for 2 years and counting)
2) I'm not working hard enough (despite working 2 jobs in undergrad while having 4 semesters with 20-21 credits, volunteering 8 hours a week, and learning a new language)
3) I don't get how to relate people (as evidenced by my current job as a social worker)
4) I didn't cure cancer. Oops, my bad.

I have no business applying for medical school, I guess.
Click to expand...

I looked at your mdapps and we've been rejected by the same exact schools so far. I guess my advantage is that I'm a NY resident and I've gotten some SUNY love so far. Maybe there's an issue with one of your LORs or your secondary essays? That's the only thing I can really think of as to why you're not getting invites.
 
aznb0y129 said:
I looked at your mdapps and we've been rejected by the same exact schools so far. I guess my advantage is that I'm a NY resident and I've gotten some SUNY love so far. Maybe there's an issue with one of your LORs or your secondary essays? That's the only thing I can really think of as to why you're not getting invites.
Click to expand...

My LORs are solid considering my school ranked me as "highly recommended" for medical school (although I'm not supposed to know that...oops). I definitely did better on some secondaries than others, but none were considered even close to sub-standard by my advisors. Writing essays is definitely a strong suit for me.

World's biggest mystery, I guess.
 
sarahl86 said:
My LORs are solid considering my school ranked me as "highly recommended" for medical school (although I'm not supposed to know that...oops). I definitely did better on some secondaries than others, but none were considered even close to sub-standard by my advisors. Writing essays is definitely a strong suit for me.

World's biggest mystery, I guess.
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Honestly, I think you biggest weaknesses for these apps are:
1. Applying relatively late. I know the deadlines for most of these schools are in Janurary-Feb, but most ppl that get invites turn in their secondaries around July-August.

2. Apply to more schools. Even with my stats and ECs, I havent gotten invites from the same schools you applied too.

3. Lack of research. I know its stupid. but these Adcoms really seem to value research, despite the limited amount of responsiblities, duties, and value that most research activities provide for undergrads.

4. This is debatable, but in my opinion, if you could score higher, I would recommend retaking the MCAT. Even though the avgs are 30-32 to get into med school, getting a 35+ really sets your app apart, especially since you are white.
 
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...I think that applying to medical school contributes to the development of bipolar disorder. Some days, I walk around thinking "Today is the day! Why wouldn't they accept me? I'm freaking awesome."

Other days, like today, I'm sitting online, googling "0 interviews" desperately looking for someone in my situation, in order to keep me from sporking myself to death.

Good luck!
 
ramleigh7 said:
...I think that applying to medical school contributes to the development of bipolar disorder. Some days, I walk around thinking "Today is the day! Why wouldn't they accept me? I'm freaking awesome."

Other days, like today, I'm sitting online, googling "0 interviews" desperately looking for someone in my situation, in order to keep me from sporking myself to death.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree. But I think I'd choose something a little more efficient than a spork 😛
 
It's actually gotten better, maybe I've just surrendered my fate and am living numb. I've also ironically gotten interviews from several of my top schools but haven't heard a peep from any of my mid/safety schools. Although it's encouraging, what if all my top schools pass but my safety schools don't even bother?!!! :scared:
 
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:cry: So I forgot there was this thing called Thanksgiving... this means I likely will NOT be hearing back from the 1 school I interviewed at till Dec...

Yeah, I'm super pathetic for how wound up I am! :laugh: I mean, will 7-14 days of waiting really kill me ? *ponders* 😕
 
awwww, you sound stressed, unsung! i know how you feel. but since all you can do is wait, try to enjoy the holiday! treat yourself to some good food, see old friends, and maybe engage in some retail therapy! oh, and avoid bossy family members if possible (i am thinking of someone in my family right now!). 🙂
 
I'm expecting to hear from most of the schools I interviewed at a few days before XMAS....

SANTA, PLEASE LET IT BE A JOLLY XMAS!!
 
magikdoc said:
I'm expecting to hear from most of the schools I interviewed at a few days before XMAS....

SANTA, PLEASE LET IT BE A JOLLY XMAS!!
Click to expand...

Same here. My first two interviews are scheduled to render a decision around Christmas. Here's to not waiting until the New Year for good news!
 
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