A little caution for all you UCI interviewees...
I interviewed twice at UCI-COM. The interview consists of a 1-hour student interview (1st-years interview you) followed by a 1-hour faculty interview. Thus, I had four total interviews.
After my first set of interviews at UCI, I thought I was in. Both the student and the faculty interviewer told me that I was a great interviewee, and that they'd write excellent evaluation letters to the admissions committee...
...I was rejected outright five months later (didn't even get on the waitlist)
I interviewed again a year later. Having learned my lesson last year, I told myself during this second interview cycle not to "read" my interviewer (a lesson I'm sure most of you have learned or will learn as you progress through this ric*ckulous process).
Again, it started off with a student, but this interview more resembled an interview with a pre-med advisory committee than a formal interview. In other words, the interviewer will take whatever information you give them and come up with something positive to say...I guess you'd have to be a real nincompoop(sp?) to screw up an interview like this.
My second interview with a faculty member helped explain why I was rejected last year despite my excellent interviews. He didn't think very highly of the admissions process at UCI...all interviewers are programed to give very relaxed low-stress interviews. Therefore, the vast majority of interviews produce positive evaluations (again, you'd have to screw up big time to earn a negative eval), and so the interview didn't carry that much weight. After all, how can you separate students using the interview if everyone did well?
The doctor said the admissions process was like drawing names out of a hat.
He also thought 1st year students weren't experienced enough to give interviews; he preferred 3rd or 4th year students...students who have enough experience to ask the tougher questions, but if the interviews are designed to be relaxed, 1st years would be perfect.
Finally, I overheard one of the other interviewees talking about UCI's admission's process. He said he had a friend on the admissions committee, and basically, they divided your application up into 4 or 5 categories.
For example, let's say they divide them up into the following:
-Interview
-Secondary
-MCAT
-GPA
-Personal statement
The committee will score each category of the application from 1-5 with 1 being the highest. They'll total up the overall score, and if an applicant's total is like 7 or less, he or she will gain an automatic acceptance. Anything from say 8-14 will get you on the waitlist, and anything beyond 14 will get you the thin envelope.
I have no idea if this interviewee was telling the truth, but that would definitely explain why I got rejected.
There's no way I could differentiate myself from the pack solely on the interview because apparently everyone interviewed well at UCI. Therefore, they have to go through your entire application.
I gave a good interview, but so did everyone else...I'll give myself a 3 for interview. My GPA ranked high (probably a 1), but I'm guessin' my MCAT, secondary, and personal statement brought me down big time. I have a decent MCAT (32), but no way could it compete with a 36 or a 40. I was probably ranked a 3. I'm not a writer, and so I'll give myself 4s for both secondary and personal statement. My total = 15 = thin envelope = grave disappointment!
BTW four months after I had my second visit to UCI, I was again rejected outright...no waitlist.
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I really liked UCI...it was my top choice, but with the way they run there admisssion's process, I realize that I didn't stand a chance. In fact, I probably didn't stand a chance at most of the other schools I interviewed at because I'm sure many other schools have a similar admission's process.
I now believe the only point of having the interview is to weed out the nutcases. For the normal people (and I use that term "normal" very, very loosely), it all comes down to the rest of your application.
Hence, when schools say they look at your entire application, it's probably true. It's also true that the interview won't necessarily make you, but it can surely break you.
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But, all that is behind me now. MCW decided to take a chance on me...and starting next year, I'll prove to all those other schools that they missed out on the most lovable freak of nature alive...
...The Saucy Asian Sensation!!!
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"How do you document real life
When real life's getting more like
Fiction each day?"
-Mark from "Rent"
"I am your father!"
-Zurg from "Toy Story 2"
