Suny

[k.j]

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Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for interviewing at SUNY.. and of course please please please.. share questions!!

I interviewed with Dr. Johnston last year only.. so I'm curious to know what it is like to interview with the panel.

Good luck to everyone!!!!!

 

[luckyfool]

kj,

I interviewed at SUNY last wednesday and I got the acceptance letter 2 days later. I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't be too concerned about the interview.

However there are some things you have to know...

1. Know your weaknesses
2. When asked why optometry, know exactly what you're going to say...and don't show any signs of hesitation, and DO NOT STUTTER!! lol
3. Most importantly, know your strengths. Make sure you tell them every bit about you that is good. 😎

I think the overall drift of the interview goes like this:

You'll be interviewed by a panel of 3 SUNY faculties. Dr. Johnston will be doing most of the classic questions like why optometry, what made you choose optometry..etc. The other dude will be doing some of the harder ones like why dont you apply for medical school. Sometimes if that dude spots a weakness in you he and Dr. Johnston will gang up on you and try to eat you alive. That's the part where you have to know how to defend yourself. This is the time to use the preparations you've done at home and retort with articulation. If and only if you found yourself in a deep hole, try to digress the topic and talk about your better achievements. Also, if they asked you something you don't know, don't lie and make up answers. In my interview, they asked me something political, like who's running for the upcoming NY state senate. I didnt know and I told them I didn't know. Then they just playfully asked me to watch the news on Sunday and find out. That was that!! no pain

 

[Vision34]

I agree with luckyfool that it's really not that bad. Dr. Johnston keeps the interview non-intimidating. I interviewed early decision and only had two interviewers. But luckyfool is right- don't let them see you sweat! If they sense hesitation, they will keep drilling you until you give them a confident answer, and then they'll just drop the subject. If there is ANYTHING on your transcript that is questionable, have an explanation! I had one "W" on my transcript because I didn't need that specific course, and they asked me to explain it. But then they told me what they normally do is ask students about their bad grades (apparently they didn't think any of mine were bad!). Also, be ready to explain extracurriculars, any shadowing or working that you have done with optometrists, what your hobbies are, etc. Then of course the usual why optometry, why SUNY, and why not medicine. Overall, the interview was pretty stress-free. Good luck and I hope to see you in class next year 😀

 

[IcanSEEanOD]

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[luckyfool]

Can any of you who already interviewed at SUNY give any specifics. Like how long did you have to wait after you sent in your app to get an interview, what was your gpa and OATs scores, how long did the interview last, how did you prepare for the interview, etc.?

I just sent in my app to SUNY and I am wondering how close I am to those already accepted. I currently have a 3.2 gpa in the pre-req, and a 2.9 gpa overall. (I am repeating some classes, so that is why my overall gpa that is so low.) I have a 350 AA and a 350 TS on the OATs. What do you think my chances are of getting an interview? I really want to go to SUNY, and will probably have to apply again next year because of my low gpa.

I waited 2 weeks to receive a letter from SUNY for an interview. I picked a date from their available spots (either Monday or Wednesday) and I waited another 2 weeks for that. (I wanted sooner, but no available spots)

My gpa is 3.5, 3.6 pre-req and OAT TA 340 & TS 370. Grades are important but they aren't everything. SUNY really looks at the applicant in terms of how well he/she handles him/herself during the interview. I'm pretty sure SUNY will try to grill you on your gpa. So you should probably come up with good reasons on why you got those grades before you go to SUNY.

My interview was roughly 30 minutes. I did most of the talking. They only asked 2 or 3 main questions: what are your experiences with optometry? why choose optometry over medical school? Tell me your hobbies?
They never asked me about my grades. It's probably because they are spotlessly clean. 😎

I prepared by looking through past interview feedbacks in the forum and fully answered those 3 questions asked. I had no problem during the interview because I knew what I was going to say. Hope this helps.

 

[IcanSEEanOD]

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