Turning down interviews already

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IHeartSleep

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I've been blessed with having received 10 interviews so far, at great schools (UCSF, UCLA, Mayo, for example), some rolling and some non-rolling.

I'm getting tight on money and I don't have an acceptance on hand (nor will I get one until mid-Nov at the earliest, unless Mayo includes me in its latest review).

Should I start turning down the interviews at places I don't see myself going (Jefferson, Penn State, etc)? I feel terrible when I email them asking if I can postpone because they usually respond with, instead of Oct, can you come Nov? I just want to push them until January or later (and they haven't scheduled Jan dates yet either)

Advice??

:confused::confused:
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Jeez, that is a tough one.

Some people who are getting interviews at true non-rolling schools are putting those interviews off until after they expect to hear from other schools. That makes sense to me if money is an issue.

Personally, I would do that - push non-rolling interviews out a little further. I would be less inclined to push a rolling school past, say, December.

FWIW, to avoid your dilemma, I only applied to schools I would attend. I don't have any on my plate that I am not truly interested in. For that reason, I did not apply to schools like Jefferson, Penn State, Temple, etc, even though for me, they would have been ideal "safeties."

My "safeties" (hate that term, but you know what I mean) include 2 of my instate publics - hell, if I can't get accepted at one of them, I got no business applying to med school. I have a couple of others, too.
 
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personally, i would have put it on a credit card and worked my ass off to pay them back. but thats just me. if you dont get an acceptance at those great schools then i'm sure you will see yourself going to the other ones. that may not be the case for you at all. but even if those 3 schools accept 30% of their apps (and acceptance % also include those pulled off the waitlist as well), theres still ~33% chance of not getting into any of them

you could even combine jeff and penn state in one trip
 
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What I'm doing is rescheduling them for much later dates, like late November for example, so that I'll know whether or not I need to go. I'm only doing this for schools that I'm not as excited to attend, just 2 so far. I'm hoping to get an acceptance by early November so I can safely cancel them then.

If the school will not let you reschedule, then you have a harder choice, and it's going to be up to you and how "tight" your money really is. Credit card debt is not ok with me, but if you are the kind of person who will diligently work it off before med school, it can be done. Just my $0.02
 
Well, on or around oct 15 you may have an acceptance from a school you like over the ones at which you haven't scheduled an interview yet.

can you hold them off that long?
 
IHeartSleep said:
I've been blessed with having received 10 interviews so far, at great schools (UCSF, UCLA, Mayo, for example), some rolling and some non-rolling.

I'm getting tight on money and I don't have an acceptance on hand (nor will I get one until mid-Nov at the earliest, unless Mayo includes me in its latest review).

Should I start turning down the interviews at places I don't see myself going (Jefferson, Penn State, etc)? I feel terrible when I email them asking if I can postpone because they usually respond with, instead of Oct, can you come Nov? I just want to push them until January or later (and they haven't scheduled Jan dates yet either)

Advice??

:confused::confused:
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The statistics is in your favor. With 10 interviews you should get in somewhere. You can decline interviews at places you don't want to attend and use the money towards making a deposit to future schools that will accept you.
 
I say postpone, but do not turn them down unless you get an acceptance. Wait until 10/15 to see if you can snatch an acceptance, then you're free to do whatever you want.
 
I'd say just try to go to your interviews. I withdrew from Wake and am kind of wishing I hadn't...they apparently don't abide by the Oct 15 rule and tell you sooner!

Get a job, use credit, ask your parents, ask your grandparents...you can find a way to make these interviews happen (especially if you are smart about booking flights, using public transportation once you get there, and finding student hosts).
 
Thanks for the advice. I emailed the schools that are lower priority and asked for an indefinite time before scheduling the interview, saying I want to coordinate schools in the area (which is true). One said it's fine and to email back whenever. :D

I decided two lump 2 non-rolling on the East Coast with a rolling in the midwest since I "might as well." I think it's about $200-250 more (estimating for shuttles/taxis as well) anyway. Too bad Southwest is no longer running that College program. I'd have an extra free round trip ticket after all these flights!

And I actually can't wait for Oct 15 to roll around since I likely won't be getting any news then. :(
 
IHeartSleep said:
I've been blessed with having received 10 interviews so far, at great schools (UCSF, UCLA, Mayo, for example), some rolling and some non-rolling.

I'm getting tight on money and I don't have an acceptance on hand (nor will I get one until mid-Nov at the earliest, unless Mayo includes me in its latest review).

Should I start turning down the interviews at places I don't see myself going (Jefferson, Penn State, etc)? I feel terrible when I email them asking if I can postpone because they usually respond with, instead of Oct, can you come Nov? I just want to push them until January or later (and they haven't scheduled Jan dates yet either)

Advice??

:confused::confused:
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Just schedule them for November/December but don't buy a plane ticket. This way you give yourself leeway to reschedule. You don't have an acceptance until you have an acceptance. Congratulations though!
 
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right about now I think my early decision was a gooooood choice.
 
bing travel lets you predict trends in ticket prices btw

also traveling from nearby airports instead of the closest major one will help lower costs
 
brooklynblunder said:
also traveling from nearby airports instead of the closest major one will help lower costs
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But I'd have to factor in additional shuttle/taxi costs, since I'm not going to bother with renting a car.

But thanks all! I totally didn't expect this as friends who applied the previous cycle got 0-2 interviews (and no acceptances) out of 20+ schools.

After the 3 others I've already booked + 3 interviews in the Midwest/East, I'm not going to anymore unless they're within 100 miles. Good plan?
 
im gonna start contacting the admissions offices of nearby schools that im interviewing at on the other parts of the country (weird sentence i know) and try to see if i can mold the interview timeline around myself, if possible at all. i'll fail definitely. but since i applied and paid, my as well try and fail
 
IHeartSleep said:
But I'd have to factor in additional shuttle/taxi costs, since I'm not going to bother with renting a car.

But thanks all! I totally didn't expect this as friends who applied the previous cycle got 0-2 interviews (and no acceptances) out of 20+ schools.

After the 3 others I've already booked + 3 interviews in the Midwest/East, I'm not going to anymore unless they're within 100 miles. Good plan?
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Yeah, I found those taxi fares to really add up, nothing to sneeze at.
 
brooklynblunder said:
im gonna start contacting the admissions offices of nearby schools that im interviewing at on the other parts of the country (weird sentence i know) and try to see if i can mold the interview timeline around myself, if possible at all. i'll fail definitely. but since i applied and paid, my as well try and fail
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I got 1 of three responses: none (most popular), invite (x1) and "shut up and let us do our thang" emails (x2). Good luck with that. once they have your money, they could really care less. (But on their side, they probably have some sophisticated review process that'll get messed up)

brooklynblunder said:
hitchhike, its not really any different from having student hosts
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Not smart for girls.
 
IHeartSleep said:
But I'd have to factor in additional shuttle/taxi costs, since I'm not going to bother with renting a car.

But thanks all! I totally didn't expect this as friends who applied the previous cycle got 0-2 interviews (and no acceptances) out of 20+ schools.

After the 3 others I've already booked + 3 interviews in the Midwest/East, I'm not going to anymore unless they're within 100 miles. Good plan?
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It is a risk, but I think it is OK.

Only you can know how competitive you are. With 10 interviews in hand, I would say you are a competitive candidate. However, the acceptance yield on some of those top ranked schools can be fairly low for applicants - as low as 1 in 7 or so...do you have any interviews you plan to attend at say a state school where you are a near shoo-in?
 
brooklynblunder said:
im gonna start contacting the admissions offices of nearby schools that im interviewing at on the other parts of the country (weird sentence i know) and try to see if i can mold the interview timeline around myself, if possible at all. i'll fail definitely. but since i applied and paid, my as well try and fail
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I have 6 ints, and 8 secondaries still out there.

I have been doing exactly this - I have thus far contacted 4 of the final 8, and so far I have snagged one additional interview for my efforts. Two of the schools flatly told me 'no dice - wait your turn,' but the other indicated they will keep my request in mind and let me know if something comes available.

So, it is a low yield process, but every additional interview I can piggyback onto an already scheduled trip is a win as far as I am concerned.
 
MegaProjectile said:
The statistics is in your favor. With 10 interviews you should get in somewhere. You can decline interviews at places you don't want to attend and use the money towards making a deposit to future schools that will accept you.
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Statistics don't really play a role here, because interviewing is a skill, not something decided by random selection. The person who interviews poorly doesn't have much better odds if they have one interview or a dozen. The person who interviews well can get all 10. There will be plenty of folks who interview at many places and end up with lots of waitlists. Others will do fine with just a few interviews. You NEVER say -- I have 10 interviews, so statistically I'm a shoo-in.

The smart move is not to turn down any interview you can feasibly attend until you have an acceptance in hand. Half the people who apply to med school won't get in. Quite a few who didn't get in got interviews. So if you can postpone interviews to later in the process do so, otherwise, I would try to attend, because you never know if you are going to need that 11th interview. Of course a lot turns on the strength of your app, and how good you are at interviewing/selling yourself. Premeds often don't have a good handle on how strong a candidate they are though -- a good many are overconfident and cocky (which in and of itself can lead to a rejection if this smacks of arrogance on the interview trail), while others are neurotically underconfident (and apply to 30 places when 20 would be too many).

A lot of us attended interviews at places we would never want to go, and were stunned to find that those places didn't want us anyhow. So never count on anything as a safety -- how you look on paper is only part of the equation here, and sometimes not even the most important part to the school. Schools are looking for a "good fit" and so you may or may not fit the bill for a given school.
 
flip26 said:
...do you have any interviews you plan to attend at say a state school where you are a near shoo-in?
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Be very careful with this. More than a few people get rejected from these state school "safety" programs because the schools don't deem them a "good fit". This may be akin to the school deciding you'll never attend anyhow, or it may be that you don't bring to the table the kinds of things that help them put together a diverse and interesting class. This is not totally a "by the numbers" process. Numbers get you over many of the initial hurdles, but most programs are looking for certain intangible things in addition to that. Since you neither know what non-academic things programs are looking for, nor do you know what attributes others in the applicant pool have, you really can never consider any place a "shoo-in". You can like your odds numerically, but I wouldn't be too surprised if some of the places you feel are safeties don't jump at the chance to land you. The process is funny that way. The best of applicants will receive at least some rejections, and often will not be from the most competitive places they applied. Just ask anyone who has been through the process.

I would leave the "hell, if I can't get accepted at one of them, I got no business applying to med school" talk at the door. That's the kind of arrogance that doesn't serve you well in this field.
 
Law2Doc said:
Be very careful with this. More than a few people get rejected from these state school "safety" programs because the schools don't deem them a "good fit". This may be akin to the school deciding you'll never attend anyhow, or it may be that you don't bring to the table the kinds of things that help them put together a diverse and interesting class. This is not totally a "by the numbers" process. Numbers get you over many of the initial hurdles, but most programs are looking for certain intangible things in addition to that. Since you neither know what non-academic things programs are looking for, nor do you know what attributes others in the applicant pool have, you really can never consider any place a "shoo-in". You can like your odds numerically, but I wouldn't be too surprised if some of the places you feel are safeties don't jump at the chance to land you. The process is funny that way. The best of applicants will receive at least some rejections, and often will not be from the most competitive places they applied. Just ask anyone who has been through the process.
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Hence my use of the term "near." I was asking him to clarify what schools he has the 10 interviews at. If they are all at schools the caliber of those he listed previously (Mayo, etc.) then I think he could be taking an unacceptable risk in canceling ANY interviews without an acceptance in hand.

If an applicant is fortunate enough to live in a state with multiple state schools that are not also in the Top 30 (states like, say, Ohio, or NY, or Florida, as opposed to California), my belief is that if they can't get accepted at one of those schools, the chances are that they don't stand a chance anywhere else.

Personally, I will attend every single interview I am offered until I have an acceptance in hand, whenever that comes. I think canceling interviews at this early stage is frankly nuts.
 
not really, they could always have a bad day or a slip or just not mesh with the interviewer. but like you said, its all about practice.

can we all agree that it wouldn't hurt to go to those interviews at all? post pone them if you must and work for that money. drop a class. idk. i think most people in the OP's situation have their mind already made up but going to a jefferson or a penn state interview (which can be combined into one trip) can help you learn/improve for your other interviews that you look more forward to
 
life must be rough for you haha
 
greatnt249 said:
Simply not true, and this mentality can get a lot of people in hot water.
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BS.

Your single best shot is at an instate public school assuming that your instates favor IS applicants - exception perhaps is California where the instate applicant base far exceeds the number of seats available at their highly ranked schools - for some applicants from CA, their best shot is out of state, but that is not typical for most applicants in other states.

This not a "mentality," it is a fact.

If anything, the mentality that gets people into trouble is the "I am too good for my state school" thinking - look at the example of WashMe last year if you need an example of this thinking - he had high stats and did not apply to all of his Ohio state schools, believing he did not need them...it turned out OK for him, but only after the waitlists starting moving in May...
 
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I believe it has been said on these boards that, in the last cycle, there were people who got rejected who interviewed to 4-6 schools, but nothing as ridiculous as someone interviewing at 10 schools and having no acceptances.

If you're anywhere near decent in interviewing (as I thought was the case for most people, but I'm beginning to realize on the interview trail that a lot of premeds suck at it) then I'd say you're probably fine.
 
i do see pre-meds freaking out in the interview room after they are done, but idk, it seems so hard to judge until oct 15 and on
 
I definitely feel with the original poster. I'm running out of money, and it's just exhausting to do all these interviews (especially when I work full-time). I've been scheduling things after October 15th if at all possible when I know I'll have at least one decision (maybe rejection? maybe acceptance)...in hope that I can cancel my interviews for schools I wouldn't go to over that specific school (and just leave my dream schools). In all honesty, having 9 interviews already scheduled before November, I wouldn't mind being done with the whole interview process before the holiday season comes around. Sounds relaxing to me, which I think we all need when contemplating the next 8 years of our life :)
 
zerial said:
I believe it has been said on these boards that, in the last cycle, there were people who got rejected who interviewed to 4-6 schools, but nothing as ridiculous as someone interviewing at 10 schools and having no acceptances.

If you're anywhere near decent in interviewing (as I thought was the case for most people, but I'm beginning to realize on the interview trail that a lot of premeds suck at it) then I'd say you're probably fine.
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I think there is a parallel to Personal Statements. I have read around 200 of these, and the bulk of them are merely adequate - call it 80 percent - and the bottom 10 percent are dreadful, and the top 5 to 10 percent are pretty darn good, make you sit up in your chair and say "I want to meet this guy/gal."

I think the same applies to interviews - the majority of applicants do an adequate job, but there are people at the extremes who can sink their chances or elevate their chances with the interview performance.

Interviews are too variable to be the sole determining factor. I had one interview already that got cut short - I was in the office of a physician, and he had to take an emergency call. It was supposed to be a one hour interview, ended up being only 20 minutes. I wasn't thrilled about it, but this is the nature of med school interviews - they are variable in quality and somewhat subjective depending on the interviewer and the demands on his time, his mindset, etc.
 
brooklynblunder said:
i do see pre-meds freaking out in the interview room after they are done, but idk, it seems so hard to judge until oct 15 and on
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Really? I feel like med school interviews have been so low stress so far. It's a simple: why medicine? why this school? And if you're not at least semi-prepared to answer those questions even without a practiced response you probably shouldn't be applying to medical school in the first place.
 
mdeast said:
I definitely feel with the original poster. I'm running out of money, and it's just exhausting to do all these interviews (especially when I work full-time). I've been scheduling things after October 15th if at all possible when I know I'll have at least one decision (maybe rejection? maybe acceptance)...in hope that I can cancel my interviews for schools I wouldn't go to over that specific school (and just leave my dream schools). In all honesty, having 9 interviews already scheduled before November, I wouldn't mind being done with the whole interview process before the holiday season comes around. Sounds relaxing to me, which I think we all need when contemplating the next 8 years of our life :)
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Hell, I want to be done by Halloween.

Like everyone, my fervent hope is that I get good news on Oct 15. If so, I am pretty much done, barring any interviews I have yet to get at a couple of the Top 10 type schools...and I will sure as hell be canceling or turning down all of the others.
 
mdeast said:
Really? I feel like med school interviews have been so low stress so far. It's a simple: why medicine? why this school? And if you're not at least semi-prepared to answer those questions even without a practiced response you probably shouldn't be applying to medical school in the first place.
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I know it has been this way for me, too, and I have not really seen anyone in the waiting rooms or pre or post interview in anything but a calm if not relaxed state...doesn't mean they did a fantastic job in the interview, though.

It all makes me a little nervous because I would love to see people flipping out, throwing up in the trash can, crying hysterically, etc...
 
the usual premed goes like this. you get really snobby toward oct 15, and then you become depressed as you realize you are waitlisted everywhere.

don't be snobby now and thinking about canceling interviews.
 
MSSM2013 said:
the usual premed goes like this. you get really snobby toward oct 15, and then you become depressed as you realize you are waitlisted everywhere.

don't be snobby now and thinking about canceling interviews.
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bam! i agree w/ this. i think this is more common than what most ppl expect
 
MSSM2013 said:
the usual premed goes like this. you get really snobby toward oct 15, and then you become depressed as you realize you are waitlisted everywhere.

don't be snobby now and thinking about canceling interviews.
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lol i can totally see this for myself and the majority of premeds i know. although i don't know if snobby is the exact word i'd use...
 
I'm from CA and have ~50% secondary-to-interview going for me right now with no rejections/holds, so I think I must have done something right. (Hence, the excessive number of inteviews). I think i'm an average interviewer. I'm not super outgoing or a great talker (you all know the types I'm talking about--the ones who can strike up conversation anytime, anywhere and be totally confident) but I'm not one of those premed freaks who claim that the only hobby they have is to study. And from reading the forums, I get the sense that as long as you don't come off as a jerk, anti-social or a freak, you will get in somewhere. I hope I'm correct.

Again, thanks for all the responses. I'm putting off what I'm deeming to be "safety" schools...I don't see myself wasting a couple hundred dollars to interview at places I'm less interested in JUST YET. But if I don't have an acceptance by December, I'll schedule those.
 
IHeartSleep said:
I'm from CA and have ~50% secondary-to-interview going for me right now with no rejections/holds, so I think I must have done something right. (Hence, the excessive number of inteviews). I think i'm an average interviewer. I'm not super outgoing or a great talker (you all know the types I'm talking about--the ones who can strike up conversation anytime, anywhere and be totally confident) but I'm not one of those premed freaks who claim that the only hobby they have is to study. And from reading the forums, I get the sense that as long as you don't come off as a jerk, anti-social or a freak, you will get in somewhere. I hope I'm correct.

Again, thanks for all the responses. I'm putting off what I'm deeming to be "safety" schools...I don't see myself wasting a couple hundred dollars to interview at places I'm less interested in JUST YET. But if I don't have an acceptance by December, I'll schedule those.
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Just be careful with this strategy...some schools place a limit on how long the offer for an interview stands...don't make the assumption and then go back to a school in a couple of months and expect them to schedule an interview for you that was offered in Aug/Sept...

I would think you would want to schedule the "safety" interviews sooner, rather than later, in the hopes of getting some good news on Oct 15 (assuming they notify then)...
 
Wanna sell me some of those interviews?
 
brooklynblunder said:
not really, they could always have a bad day or a slip or just not mesh with the interviewer. but like you said, its all about practice.

can we all agree that it wouldn't hurt to go to those interviews at all? post pone them if you must and work for that money. drop a class. idk. i think most people in the OP's situation have their mind already made up but going to a jefferson or a penn state interview (which can be combined into one trip) can help you learn/improve for your other interviews that you look more forward to
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well, i hope it works out for you. the chances of getting into at least one of the three schools you mentioned is like 60% so i guess thats not that bad
 
zerial said:
I believe it has been said on these boards that, in the last cycle, there were people who got rejected who interviewed to 4-6 schools, but nothing as ridiculous as someone interviewing at 10 schools and having no acceptances.....
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There was a woman on SDN two cycles ago who interviewed at 10+ top ranked schools and ended up with 10+ waitlists and no acceptances. Lots of theories on this board as to what happened, but the truth is anyone's guess. She reportedly did fine as a reapplicant in a subsequent cycle. It can happen. Every cycle you see folks drastically miscalculate and come back on SDN whining or eating crow.
 
Law2Doc said:
There was a woman on SDN two cycles ago who interviewed at 10+ top ranked schools and ended up with 10+ waitlists and no acceptances. Lots of theories on this board as to what happened, but the truth is anyone's guess. She reportedly did fine as a reapplicant in a subsequent cycle. It can happen. Every cycle you see folks drastically miscalculate and come back on SDN whining or eating crow.
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I think the "top ranked" was and is the problem. I would rather have a good mix of interviews from all levels - from the high ranked to the mid range, to the completely unranked - before I would even feel a little bit comfortable with my chances, and even then I am not canceling any interviews before I get that first acceptance.
 
MSSM2013 said:
the usual premed goes like this. you get really snobby toward oct 15, and then you become depressed as you realize you are waitlisted everywhere.

don't be snobby now and thinking about canceling interviews.
Click to expand...

I think this is worth quoting. I'm gonna go schedule some interviews.
 
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