Weird Assortment of Interview Choices?

[AwkInterview]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I don't typically do this, but I have been mulling this question over in my head and thought I would finally ask.

I am having some wonderful opportunities to interview at places so far (8 invites so far- from schools like hopkins and yale). However I am not being asked to interview at places that I would expect to get one.

You see I'm a california resident and though I have been asked to interview at UCSF and Stanford- I'm not getting invites from any other UCs in Cali (Davis, Irvine, LA, and SD).

Not really sure why this is happening? I would like to interview at some places where I think I might be really competitive, rather than a bunch of schools that may be out of my league. Any ideas?

 

[HumbleMD]

I don't typically do this, but I have been mulling this question over in my head and thought I would finally ask.

I am having some wonderful opportunities to interview at places so far (8 invites so far- from schools like hopkins and yale). However I am not being asked to interview at places that I would expect to get one.

You see I'm a california resident and though I have been asked to interview at UCSF and Stanford- I'm not getting invites from any other UCs in Cali (Davis, Irvine, LA, and SD).

Not really sure why this is happening? I would like to interview at some places where I think I might be really competitive, rather than a bunch of schools that may be out of my league. Any ideas?

I had a similar situation. Keep in mind that some schools are just much later in giving out their invites.

I don't know if it's true or not, but some places will see someone who is well above their average student on paper, and assume they are applying for a "safety school." A school wouldn't spend the time interviewing someone who wasn't planning on matriculating.

Give it time. Hopefully you'll interview somewhere that has early rolling acceptances so you can have one under your belt and relax.

 

[AwkInterview]

That is what I have been hearing from some other people I talked to as well, however I guess I'm a bit of a pessimist.

When I go to places to interview, most of the people in my boat are getting invited to interview at these schools (Like the UCs) where I'm not getting an invite. So I know that they are requesting interviews and I know that other people who applied early like me are getting asked to interview there.

I'm happy with my situation, however I'm just hoping that there is not something I'm missing in this whole process...

 

[dbeast]

People in your situation account for the 5% of 3.8/38 applicants who don't get in anywhere. 🙁

Relax... 8 interviews = you'll be fine.

 

[Sutton]

I don't typically do this, but I have been mulling this question over in my head and thought I would finally ask.

I am having some wonderful opportunities to interview at places so far (8 invites so far- from schools like hopkins and yale). However I am not being asked to interview at places that I would expect to get one.

You see I'm a california resident and though I have been asked to interview at UCSF and Stanford- I'm not getting invites from any other UCs in Cali (Davis, Irvine, LA, and SD).

Not really sure why this is happening? I would like to interview at some places where I think I might be really competitive, rather than a bunch of schools that may be out of my league. Any ideas?

LOL They offered you an interview. Hence, you are competitive. Why did you apply to these top ranked schools if you think that they are out of your league? 😕

 

[Narmerguy]

LOL They offered you an interview. Hence, you are competitive. Why did you apply to these top ranked schools if you think that they are out of your league? 😕

I agree with this. Though what is required to score an interview vs what is takes to get an acceptance can be very different, at the very least most schools don't waste resources interviewing an applicant they have no interest in accepting. In fact, for a lot of schools, once you get to the interview it's your spot to lose (you won't be held back by the rest of your application).

This isn't always the case, and of course you may still have legitimate cause for concern. Just remember that not receiving an interview invite does not mean that you were rejected, and likely you will receive the interview invites from those other schools like UC Davis in due time. Try to find out from the secondary threads when interviews invites start (and end!). However, don't hang around there too long, stuff gets neurotic in there with all the high-strung freaking out over every detail.

 

[phltz]

I was in something of a similar boat last year. I attended 4 interviews at phenomenal schools, and ultimately turned down 1 interview to a mid/lowish ranked school (having already been accepted to one of my top choices at that point). My application was a bit odd, with some very strong but also some very weak aspects, so it was hard to tell what different schools were excited about or scared off by.

In the end I was accepted to one school, at which I'm very happy. But it's still a bit scary that I was accepted to only one school. One's all you need, but it's also very close to none. Had I spazzed out a bit at one interview, I could have screwed the whole pooch.

All of which is to say, I empathize with you. That said, there's not much for you to do about it now. Do the best you can in all of your interviews, and hope for the best. Good luck.

 

[HumbleMD]

I agree with this. Though what is required to score an interview vs what is takes to get an acceptance can be very different, at the very least most schools don't waste resources interviewing an applicant they have no interest in accepting. In fact, for a lot of schools, once you get to the interview it's your spot to lose (you won't be held back by the rest of your application).

I don't know if I'd go this far. For one, some schools interview almost 10:1 applicants. Second, most people (the SDN community included) WAY over-estimate their interview performance.

OP, you have a tough spot because your typical home-state "safeties" are in the UC system, which seems to be the wild-west when it comes to admissions. Best of luck, and focus on the positive - some great interviews so far.

 

[Narmerguy]

I don't know if I'd go this far. For one, some schools interview almost 10:1 applicants. Second, most people (the SDN community included) WAY over-estimate their interview performance.

OP, you have a tough spot because your typical home-state "safeties" are in the UC system, which seems to be the wild-west when it comes to admissions. Best of luck, and focus on the positive - some great interviews so far.

Yeah, and others only interview a select few. This doesn't mean much, and it certainly doesn't disprove that schools only interview applicants they would potentially accept (except in rare cases).

Second, whether people inflate their interview performance or not, their likelihood of acceptance is still tied to their actual interview performance. That people on SDN often think (mistakenly) that they performed well at an interview but then get rejected only strengthens my point that the rest of your app will not save you at this point, people have to deliver in the interviews (making it their spot to lose). I don't see how anything you've said weakens my advice.

 

[HumbleMD]

Yeah, and others only interview a select few. This doesn't mean much, and it certainly doesn't disprove that schools only interview applicants they would potentially accept (except in rare cases).

Second, whether people inflate their interview performance or not, their likelihood of acceptance is still tied to their actual interview performance. That people on SDN often think (mistakenly) that they performed well at an interview but then get rejected only strengthens my point that the rest of your app will not save you at this point, people have to deliver in the interviews (making it their spot to lose). I don't see how anything you've said weakens my advice.

Sorry, didn't mean to be confrontational or to invalidate all of your advice. I suppose I can only speak about my school. At Penn, a "phenomenal" interview won't make up for a lackluster application and stats when compared to someone who's got it all but had an "okay" interview. We also interview a lot of applicants for a few spots.

I just think it's dangerous for someone to believe that getting an interview means you're already accepted. But I tend to be conservative and risk averse.

 

[Noah Capurso]

If you got an interview invite, the schools are not "out of your league." Although the ratio of invited applicants to accepted applicants varies from school to school, you will only be invited if a school is genuinely interested in accepting you. If you think about what happens on interview day, you realize that interviews are very resource intensive. It is not in the school's best interest to invite applicants who they don't think have a decent shot at getting in. Also, 8 interview invitations is fantastic. You should be thrilled. My bet is you get accepted to several programs at least. Finally, you may be from California, but I wouldn't count UC Davis, UCSF, or Stanford among anybody's safeties.

 

[AwkInterview]

When I said "out of my league" I was merely stating they were very competitive schools and that I cannot guarantee myself a spot no matter if I thought I did brilliantly on the interview.

I agree that the UC system is a "wild west" in that all the schools are competitive to get interviews. But if I can get an interview at UCSF (which apparently has a really rough cut from secondary to interview), I thought I would have a strong chance of getting an interview at another UC as well.

 

[miz]

I have the same problem... and same schools! (but MD-PhD). I'm glad someone mentioned it, because i was actually considering adding more schools before the secondary deadline kicked in, before deciding that was a dumb idea (if the schools I applied to on time haven't notified me, why would the schools to which I apply late?)
I guess if I were offering advice to someone else in this situation I'd say, breathe, and prepare for the interviews you have, since you are likely to get interviews at less competitive schools as well. OK, off to go follow my own advice! Good luck at interviews, perhaps I will meet you and not know it 😉

 

[Narmerguy]

Sorry, didn't mean to be confrontational or to invalidate all of your advice. I suppose I can only speak about my school. At Penn, a "phenomenal" interview won't make up for a lackluster application and stats when compared to someone who's got it all but had an "okay" interview. We also interview a lot of applicants for a few spots.

I just think it's dangerous for someone to believe that getting an interview means you're already accepted. But I tend to be conservative and risk averse.

Ah, I guess I didn't state my view well then. I didn't mean to convey that getting an interview means your already accepted, I was trying to say that getting an interview means that you are of high enough caliber to be accepted, and thus shouldn't feel like you're "out of your league" or anything like that.

But your insight on Penn is good. You're right, it's dangerous to apply the same mentality to all your interviews since specific schools handle them differently.

 

[kkuhn]

My theory: they're just saving the best for last. 😎

JUST KIDDING. But hey, it happens -- I went to a fancy-pants undergrad school, so people assume I have lots of interviews. Not true!! There are just so many awesome people out there, it's hard to know what's going through these schools' heads.

 

[Cinclus]

I had a similar situation. Keep in mind that some schools are just much later in giving out their invites.

I don't know if it's true or not, but some places will see someone who is well above their average student on paper, and assume they are applying for a "safety school." A school wouldn't spend the time interviewing someone who wasn't planning on matriculating.

Give it time. Hopefully you'll interview somewhere that has early rolling acceptances so you can have one under your belt and relax.

An employee of the admissions office at one school I interviewed with confirmed that this sometimes occurs, though the same person disagrees with admissions people making these sorts of assumptions.