What do I say?

[annabelle.]

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Ok, I only got one interview (which, by the way, I am very grateful for), but I am afraid it will look bad if they ask a question about where else I applied.

I actually only applied to one other school, but got rejected.
So anyways, my question is....what do I say if they ask if I have any more interviews? Isn't it bad if they know the other school already rejected me?

 

[biffbuddy]

coesp,

I wouldn't worry too much about this- most schools that i have interviewed at do not even touch on the subject of where else you applied- they are just trying to get to know you and get a sense of your personality. If the question does arise, I would just say that I applied to only a few schools b/c those were the only ones that I really wanted to attend- but I would try to steer the conversation back to why you think you are a good fit for X school- I wouldn't comment on the rejection- they dont know where you are in the process, and they dont have to- they are evaluating you for that school only, and you dont want to bias their judgement

relax, be honest, and you will do fine
good luck!!

 

[annabelle.]

biffbuddy,
Thanks for your reply!

 

[kwanny]

Hey coesp. I'm gonna disagree with biffbuddy and say that a lot of schools will ask where else you applied to. All the schools I've applied to with the exception of cornell and columbia asked me where else I applied to (or received interview invitations).

I don't think it could really affect the final outcome, but I say, just be honest and make it sound like you'd choose their school over others.

 

[Rendar5]

I've spoken with 17 interviewers (a lot of the schools I went to had multiple interviewers), and the vast majority of them have asked how many places I applied and if this was my first interview. Maybe half asked where I applied (they wanted location, not school) to see the type of location I was looking for. A quarter asked how many interviews I had. I only had 2 or 3 interviews where they wanted to know specifically what schools I applied to or been interviewed at.

So you have a good chance of having to say this is your first interview (won't have much of an impact. Just to see if you might be nervous and to set your mind at ease) and having to explain that you only applied to two schools. They'll probably want to know why because it will mean that you have a strong interest in their school.

Personally, I'd just answer their questions because the sooner you do that the sooner you get to talking about yourself. And if you have a very strong interest in the school, your answers could let them know that.

 

[biffbuddy]

hey,
guess I had different experiences than Kwanny and Rendar! honestly, ive had 4 interviews (6 interviewers) and only 1 asked me what other schools i had applied to and 1 asked me if I had any interviews coming up-
again, I would just be honest, but not necessarily mention the rejection- you might be asked, you might not, but you might as well prepare for the situation- you're already ahead of the game- just be natural
🙂

 

[drlexygoat]

Here's a generic answer I used when asked about other interviews at Miami: "I applied to a number of schools along the eastern seaboard and am still pending at most of them." Pending could mean interview already occured, waitlist, etc. Be general but don't lie (or the AMCAS fairy may haunt you)