Too talkative while waiting for interview?

[gree3]

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I was waiting for my interview with just another applicant and an admissions staff member. The other applicant and I were chatting and connecting and sometimes talking with the admissions staff member. The admissions staff member seemed tired and uninterested and I felt that maybe I was bothering them or being rude. Should chatting be kept to a minimum? I think when I'm nervous I try to be engaging, but I don't want to come off as annoying!

 

[mcatjelly]

Chat with fellow interviewees all you want, but keep in mind that the admissions staff are there to work. They might have been annoyed that they were distracted from their job. Nothing wrong with being chatty, just be considerate of the fact that even though you're there to interview and you're understandably excited about that, it's just another day of school/work for the people there.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I was waiting for my interview with just another applicant and an admissions staff member. The other applicant and I were chatting and connecting and sometimes talking with the admissions staff member. The admissions staff member seemed tired and uninterested and I felt that maybe I was bothering them or being rude. Should chatting be kept to a minimum? I think when I'm nervous I try to be engaging, but I don't want to come off as annoying!

Relax. Chatting up interviewing students is fine, and an admissions/auxiliary staff present, but don't be annoying. At my med school interviews, we'd just wait in a "waiting room" with other students. Some of us would talk. Others would play on their phone. Others were gunning and asking about MCAT/GPA/how many other interviews. Just be normal! Don't tick off the staff though. Chit-chat is fine. In fact, at a school I interviewed we had to bring a photo with us, and the woman collecting them made a comment about mine (something was WRONG with my tie in the picture) and we started laughing and talking. She said "next time have your mom or dad fix it before you take it!" If I just gave her a blank stare that would be awkward, I laughed and went along with the conversation.

Don't stress. It won't make/break your admission decision. Promise lol.

 

[gree3]

Thank you so much for your responses!

Phew. I think I was needlessly was worried that the staff member might say something during their review. In reality, they could probably not care less. Of course, I understand that we are under a microscope the second you get on campus so I everything we talked about with appropriate! This whole process has me going a little crazy...

 

[mistafab]

Most kids at the interviews I went to were nervous nellys - I think it is natural to get chatty when you are nervous/excited in a new place. It's fine.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

If the staff are getting visibly annoyed that you are talking to them, I would suggest that they find a new job, or at least a desk that isn't in the waiting area where they are litterally putting a bad face on the entire school.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Thank you so much for your responses!

Phew. I think I was needlessly was worried that the staff member might say something during their review. In reality, they could probably not care less. Of course, I understand that we are under a microscope the second you get on campus so I everything we talked about with appropriate! This whole process has me going a little crazy...

Hey, don't be too down on yourself for asking a silly question. SDN is a place for us neurotic premeds to ask this kinda stuff 🙂.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Others were gunning and asking about MCAT/GPA/how many other interviews.

Non-sequitur reply in spoiler.

Spoiler

Why do you call this gunning? According to these very forums, gunning = sabotaging your classmates/colleagues. Asking about stats isn't sabotaging anything. So either you've used "gunning" incorrectly as deemed by the SDN definition of the term, or SDN has misdefined the term.

 

[sammiesings]

Non-sequitur reply in spoiler.

Spoiler

Why do you call this gunning? According to these very forums, gunning = sabotaging your classmates/colleagues. Asking about stats isn't sabotaging anything. So either you've used "gunning" incorrectly as deemed by the SDN definition of the term, or SDN has misdefined the term.

It's not defined as sabotaging, at least not entirely. It's obnoxious either way, maybe don't do it

 

[aldol16]

I do this to assert my dominance:

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

If you think that you are bothering someone..... it probably means that you are bothering someone.

Also, @Lost in Translation it is very rude and disrespectful to ask anyone their gpa or MCAT scores. Why should it matter to you? The numbers are all over SDN, MSAR if you're curious about where you stand as an applicant at that school.

Social etiquette 0/10 ITT

Agreed. In the Navy, it's generally considered bad form to ask how someone did on an advancement exam (where you are literally competing against them for spots if they are in the same rate) or warfare qual boards, as at best they feel like they did well, and at worst, they feel ****ty about their performance. It's the same for MCAT/GPA. There's no reason to ask unless you're hoping they did worse than you.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Non-sequitur reply in spoiler.

Spoiler

Why do you call this gunning? According to these very forums, gunning = sabotaging your classmates/colleagues. Asking about stats isn't sabotaging anything. So either you've used "gunning" incorrectly as deemed by the SDN definition of the term, or SDN has misdefined the term.

True, I got the definition wrong. Perhaps a better word would have been annoying or obnoxious? I just think its rude/odd to go around asking "hey where else did you interview BTW what's your MCAT/GPA" I think we should all focus on the school we're interviewing at right now! Hey if you guys talk for awhile and it comes up, that's totally fine. But there was an odd gentleman at my interview day who *literally* went around asking "MCAT/GPA/Where else you interview" in the waiting room, and writing down the answers. I wonder if he got accepted lol...

I define gunning a bit more broadly, so as to include, trying to find out everyone else's personal details. We all knew that weirdo premed in UG who would be like "what did you get on this biochem midterm??????" Like chill, you don't need to keep files on everyone. Just focus on yourself, nah mean?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

True, I got the definition wrong. Perhaps a better word would have been annoying or obnoxious? I just think its rude/odd to go around asking "hey where else did you interview BTW what's your MCAT/GPA" I think we should all focus on the school we're interviewing at right now! Hey if you guys talk for awhile and it comes up, that's totally fine. But there was an odd gentleman at my interview day who *literally* went around asking "MCAT/GPA/Where else you interview" in the waiting room, and writing down the answers. I wonder if he got accepted lol...

I define gunning a bit more broadly, so as to include, trying to find out everyone else's personal details. We all knew that weirdo premed in UG who would be like "what did you get on this biochem midterm??????" Like chill, you don't need to keep files on everyone. Just focus on yourself, nah mean?

I would have told him to pound sand.

 

[sammiesings]

Well in the same vein what's a polite but firm way to shut that down if you don't want to answer it? I can't think of anything other than just being direct and telling the person that's a rude question lol

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I would have told him to pound sand.

Well in the same vein what's a polite but firm way to shut that down if you don't want to answer it? I can't think of anything other than just being direct and telling the person that's a rude question lol

When he came to me I just politely said "I'd like to keep it private." He scowled and moved on. Then the next kid also said the same thing. +1 for being a non-conformer and getting others to follow my lead (I guess I learned something from the new MCAT #Psychology #Sociology LOL)

 

[sammiesings]

When he came to me I just politely said "I'd like to keep it private." He scowled and moved on. Then the next kid also said the same thing. +1 for being a non-conformer and getting others to follow my lead (I guess I learned something from the new MCAT #Psychology #Sociology LOL)

badass 😉 i'll follow your lead, friend

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

When he came to me I just politely said "I'd like to keep it private." He scowled and moved on. Then the next kid also said the same thing. +1 for being a non-conformer and getting others to follow my lead (I guess I learned something from the new MCAT #Psychology #Sociology LOL)

I wouldn't have been so polite. And if he had started with other people and everyone seemed weirded out by it, I would have told him to STFU before he even got to me.