what do they look for at interviews?

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anbuitachi

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I notice a lot of schools are aiming for stress free interviews. The interviews turn out to be more like a chat than an interview and in the end most people leave there feeling positive. But in the end only 40-50% are accepted and the rest not. What is it that they get from these chats that determine acceptance? any ideas?

im just wondering cause i think im getting something wrong about interviews.. im getting a good # of interviews but get rejected post interview... and grades/mcat isn't the problem. im assuming its interview!
 
There was a post by someone earlier about this.

1) Good fit for medicine
2) Good fit for the school
3) Personality
4) Ability
 
By the time you get to the interview, grades don't matter... The main thing they want is for you to be excited to be there. They want people that love their school. Make a list of why you want to go there and what pulls you to that school before you get to the interview.

Other than this, the point of the interview is to make sure that the applicants they accept are social, humble, and competent... You can lie about your reasons for wanting to become a physician, your strong dedication and how prepared you are for this on paper... But it's not gonna work in the interview.

I would be worried if you have had interviews and you are getting outright rejected without getting put on a waitlist. Maybe you are going in too little or overly prepared. My first interview I felt like I had prepared so much that I sounded rehearsed, I had to find a balance between being prepared but also being as real as possible. Luckily i am very opinionated so i can pretty much argue my point about anything... Good luck, remember, it takes just one acceptance, and you have to dig through a whole lot of rejections to get there!
 
i sometimes wonder how other people answer questions that i am asked in their interviews.
 
Potential reasons why a person with great numbers can not get in
1) Poor interviewing
2) A bad letter of recommendation
3) Sub-par personal statement

By the way the better your stats and ECs relative to others, the more likely you are to get in than the next guy who interviews (at least at most places).

2 & 3 seem like they should prevent you from getting the interview, but at a lot of schools you can still get interviews if your numbers are good enough. IIRC you interviewed at Buffalo though, and they thoroughly look through your app pre-interview so you can be assured that that is not the case.
Anyways a "conversational interview" can go bad if you A) are not good at making conversation (if there are any awkward pauses, nervous laughter, or foot-in-mouth moments those are good clues) B) your body language isn't too great C) you can't answer the few serious questions they ask well (remember it's not really just a conversation). D) They just don't get a good feel/don't establish good rapport.

You should also do at least one mock interview at some point (if you haven't yet). After a few interviews you should get better. I found that taking extensive notes after my interviews of stupid things I did wrong and questions I couldn't answer well or got stuck on helped me a ton.
Also if you have a lot of interviews in a short span it's best not to rehearse for the interviews except for the biggest questions (i.e. why medicine, why this school etc.)
 
noshie said:
By the time you get to the interview, grades don't matter... The main thing they want is for you to be excited to be there. They want people that love their school. Make a list of why you want to go there and what pulls you to that school before you get to the interview.

Other than this, the point of the interview is to make sure that the applicants they accept are social, humble, and competent... You can lie about your reasons for wanting to become a physician, your strong dedication and how prepared you are for this on paper... But it's not gonna work in the interview.

I would be worried if you have had interviews and you are getting outright rejected without getting put on a waitlist. Maybe you are going in too little or overly prepared. My first interview I felt like I had prepared so much that I sounded rehearsed, I had to find a balance between being prepared but also being as real as possible. Luckily i am very opinionated so i can pretty much argue my point about anything... Good luck, remember, it takes just one acceptance, and you have to dig through a whole lot of rejections to get there!
Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly disagree with the bolded. You're going to say that a 3.4/30 and a 4.0/40 candidate are going to be considered equally once they're invited to interview? That doesn't make sense. There's an additional criterion to judge on after the interview, but to say that three or four years of academic/extracurricular achievement is out the window after, at most, 2 hours of interviews is nonsensical.

To the OP, though, I agree with the above. I think they're mostly looking at 1) you're ability to communicate and interact with others and 2) your motivation for going into medicine and why you're applying to that school to see if you'll be a good fit.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
I wholeheartedly disagree with the bolded. You're going to say that a 3.4/30 and a 4.0/40 candidate are going to be considered equally once they're invited to interview? That doesn't make sense. There's an additional criterion to judge on after the interview, but to say that four years of academic/extracurricular achievement is out the window after, at most, 2 hours of interviews is nonsensical.

To the OP, though, I agree with the above. I think they're mostly looking at 1) you're ability to communicate and interact with others and 2) to pick your brain and figure out your motivation for going into medicine and why you're applying to that school to see if you'll be a good fit.
Click to expand...

I also disagree with grades not mattering. It may not matter as much after you get an interview but it still matters. Sometimes schools have an applicant with meh grades but a good story and they'll invite them to an interview just to get to know them. I'd expect that the school would need just to see that great story show through the interview to make up for the grades, while a person with good grades and scores won't be held to such a high standard. A school may just want to make sure that the candidate isn't awkward and can communicate. Sure, they'll still need to be a good interviewee but they won't have to use the interview to make up for flaws in their application.
 
I tend to not try to overanalyze my interviews, because doing so I think just adds to the paranoia, because we will never know completely what they are trying to look for unless we are actually on the admissions committee, and different schools do it slightly differently. I think the best advice is to be chill, do some basic research on the school beforehand, and practice the standard answers to questions like "why do you want to be a doctor" and you are good to go.

Of course, there will be some interviewers who try to throw you off, with stress interviews and whatnot. I don't know if it is possible to adequately prepare for those, just be yourself.
 
What I mean by "grades don't matter" is this... If they thought your grades were too low for their standards, they would not have given you an interview in the first place. For the OP to say that he/she was rejected after an interview, it was probably not because of their grades... In my opinion... And more importantly, after you get an interview, why should your grades matter to YOU?? I mean, your grades are basically set in stone after you click the submit button on your application... The only thing you have control of IS your interview from that point forward... So, grades should not be a factor for you because your interview now determines your admission.

Also, you can not say that someone with a 40/3.9 will always get in over someone with a 30/3.2 who had a similar good interview... We have all heard the stories of applicants with great grades falling short. Sure, it may be because their interview sucked, but it could also just be because the interviewer didn't feel they were ready for this path yet. Since it's not a given, I would say that grades really don't matter in the overall scheme of things AFTER you have received an interview. If it did, then people with great GPAs and MCATs would always get in before people with lower GPA/MCAT scores...

Argue all you want… It would be nice to think that grades are the biggest deal in this process, if only it were that easy… We all know it's the whole package… All I am saying is getting an interview means that your grades don't bother the school one bit. Your grades get you in the door, but it is your interview that seals the deal...
 
noshie said:
What I mean by "grades don't matter" is this... If they thought your grades were too low for their standards, they would not have given you an interview in the first place. For the OP to say that he/she was rejected after an interview, it was probably not because of their grades... In my opinion... And more importantly, after you get an interview, why should your grades matter to YOU?? I mean, your grades are basically set in stone after you click the submit button on your application... The only thing you have control of IS your interview from that point forward... So, grades should not be a factor for you because your interview now determines your admission.

Also, you can not say that someone with a 40/3.9 will always get in over someone with a 30/3.2 who had a similar good interview... We have all heard the stories of applicants with great grades falling short. Sure, it may be because their interview sucked, but it could also just be because the interviewer didn't feel they were ready for this path yet. Since it's not a given, I would say that grades really don't matter in the overall scheme of things AFTER you have received an interview. If it did, then people with great GPAs and MCATs would always get in before people with lower GPA/MCAT scores...

Argue all you want… It would be nice to think that grades are the biggest deal in this process, if only it were that easy… We all know it's the whole package… All I am saying is getting an interview means that your grades don't bother the school one bit.
Click to expand...

It really depends on the school, but based on what the deans/directors have said during my interview days, I would disagree with this. Most schools I've interviewed at have explicitly said that the interview is only one piece, and they look at the overall file when making decisions. One school in particular said that an applicant could have three mediocre interviews and get a full scholarship, while another applicant could have three great interviews and get rejected/waitlisted. The dean of another school said that they don't presume that they can glean more from an interview than your entire academic career or people who've known you a long time and written LORs, etc.

I have a hard time believing that grades/ECs/LORs go out the window at the interview stage (nor should they IMO unless the interviewee does something inappropriate) - I definitely haven't heard any school say that, though that's not to say no schools conduct their process that way. I do think at that stage you shouldn't worry about those things anymore because you can't change them, but in many cases they definitely factor into the final decision.

But to the OP, I would trust LizzyM and Catalystik's sentiments regarding what schools actually look for at the interview.
 
noshie said:
Argue all you want… It would be nice to think that grades are the biggest deal in this process, if only it were that easy… We all know it’s the whole package… All I am saying is getting an interview means that your grades don’t bother the school one bit. Your grades get you in the door, but it is your interview that seals the deal...
Click to expand...
No one has argued that grades are the biggest deal in the process. What people are saying, and what I agree with, is that just because you got invited to an interview doesn't mean that your grades are automatically thrown out the window. They still likely remain a part of the equation after the interview when the adcoms are deciding your fate. Sure, they probably aren't as important post-interview as they are pre-interview. But I wouldn't go as far as to suggest that "by the time you get to the interview, grades don't matter."
 
Kaushik said:
No one has argued that grades are the biggest deal in the process. What people are saying, and what I agree with, is that just because you got invited to an interview doesn't mean that your grades are automatically thrown out the window. They still likely remain a part of the equation after the interview when the adcoms are deciding your fate. Sure, they probably aren't as important post-interview as they are pre-interview. But I wouldn't go as far as to suggest that "by the time you get to the interview, grades don't matter."
Click to expand...

Well, I am certainly not saying that the grades don't go into the overall determination of acceptance! That's crazy... It's the whole package of course. But for you, the interviewee, grades do not matter at the interview stage because they are giving you a chance to show them that you are more than just a bunch of numbers. I think you guys misunderstood my point in the first post... 🙄 I would not think you would get a rejection after an interview because of your grades...
 
First of all grades matter in that, for open-file interviews, they affect the interviewer's perception of you. Second, for some schools you can get an interview, perform amazingly well, be a good fit for the school and all, and still not get in, because the fact is that at a lot of schools the process for getting an interview is not nearly as thorough. This usually happens with lack of certain activities rather than low gpa or mcat (but people have posted that they got courtesy interviews for various reasons and were rejected immediately due to low grades).
 
LizzyM said:
Pleasant personality, sense of humor, joy
Professional demeanor and maturity, poise
Appropropriate command of the English language
Sincerity
Humility
Click to expand...

Sweet.

I'm golden then yo!
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
I wholeheartedly disagree with the bolded. You're going to say that a 3.4/30 and a 4.0/40 candidate are going to be considered equally once they're invited to interview? That doesn't make sense. There's an additional criterion to judge on after the interview, but to say that three or four years of academic/extracurricular achievement is out the window after, at most, 2 hours of interviews is nonsensical.

To the OP, though, I agree with the above. I think they're mostly looking at 1) you're ability to communicate and interact with others and 2) your motivation for going into medicine and why you're applying to that school to see if you'll be a good fit.
Click to expand...

👍👍👍
 
noshie said:
Well, I am certainly not saying that the grades don't go into the overall determination of acceptance! That's crazy... It's the whole package of course. But for you, the interviewee, grades do not matter at the interview stage because they are giving you a chance to show them that you are more than just a bunch of numbers. I think you guys misunderstood my point in the first post... 🙄 I would not think you would get a rejection after an interview because of your grades...
Click to expand...

I think your post is naive..............anything can happen..........
 
noshie said:
Well, I am certainly not saying that the grades don't go into the overall determination of acceptance! That's crazy... It's the whole package of course. But for you, the interviewee, grades do not matter at the interview stage because they are giving you a chance to show them that you are more than just a bunch of numbers. I think you guys misunderstood my point in the first post... 🙄 I would not think you would get a rejection after an interview because of your grades...
Click to expand...

I see what your saying, enjoy the rest of you day yo!
 
texahn said:
i sometimes wonder how other people answer questions that i am asked in their interviews.
Click to expand...


me too!!! People always ask "how did the interview go??!!" and its like i don't know!! b/c I don't have anything or anyone else to compare it to!
 
princessBP said:
me too!!! People always ask "how did the interview go??!!" and its like i don't know!! b/c I don't have anything or anyone else to compare it to!
Click to expand...
People say the same thing regardless, except in rare situations (i.e. an interviewer is a complete jerk).
 
Hey guys,

I do have a question about interviews and the rapport one establishes with one's interviewer. Do you think that being told "we would love to have you here", "I think you'll be very successful here at ______", "I hope you enjoy your stay here and hope you come back!", or "I am confident you are ready for med school and hope to see you in the future" are honest, sincere comments that all interviewers make or are they simply "canned lines to make one feel good"?

I know it probably depends on the interviewer, but I just want the opinions of others about those "end of interview comments".
 
noshie said:
Well, I am certainly not saying that the grades don't go into the overall determination of acceptance! That's crazy... It's the whole package of course. But for you, the interviewee, grades do not matter at the interview stage because they are giving you a chance to show them that you are more than just a bunch of numbers. I think you guys misunderstood my point in the first post... 🙄 I would not think you would get a rejection after an interview because of your grades...
Click to expand...


I have posted this in another thread, but I received an interview at my state school last year with a low MCAT. Not long into the day did I realize that I had no chance. I was rejected and a few months later was able to talk to the director of admissions. He literally said, "we like you, you are a great fit for the school..." but that I needed to address my weak points, which were purely academic. So saying that just getting an interview means grades are only a small part of the picture is a complete fallacy. I believe, especially at state schools, there's something such as a "courtesy interview." I'm speaking from cold, hard experience.
 
I wondered the same thing after I interviewed and got denied at schools I thought I had good interview experiences at. What one of my buddies explained to me was that you leaving with a positive experience in no way has to match the experience the interviewer had.

In the process of having a 'stress-free' interview, you're more likely to feel comfortable, be more animated, and inadvertently screw yourself. A good interviewer should be able to make you feel comfortable enough to express your thoughts/beliefs without necessarily expressing what he himself is thinking.

Scenario: interviewer asks you a question. You answer. The interviewer nods his head, asks clarifying questions and generally seems interested in your answer and you. Everything seems peachy right? ? Wrong. Just because he plays along doesn't mean he agrees with your answers or likes you. He could just be a damn good poker player. Cynical, but hey it happens.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Hey guys,

I do have a question about interviews and the rapport one establishes with one's interviewer. Do you think that being told "we would love to have you here", "I think you'll be very successful here at ______", "I hope you enjoy your stay here and hope you come back!", or "I am confident you are ready for med school and hope to see you in the future" are honest, sincere comments that all interviewers make or are they simply "canned lines to make one feel good"?

I know it probably depends on the interviewer, but I just want the opinions of others about those "end of interview comments".
Click to expand...
I think it means he'll recommend you, but ultimately it's up to the committee. So if you have good ECs and stats relative to the school and you hear that, you have a good chance.
 
wanderer100 said:
I think it means he'll recommend you, but ultimately it's up to the committee. So if you have good ECs and stats relative to the school and you hear that, you have a good chance.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input! Hopefully it'll mean good things to come from the schools where these comments were made--these schools' interviews were open-file, so they knew what kinda stuff I'd done...But we'll see what happens in the coming weeks/months I guess!
:luck: to everyone else!

Btw, regarding interviews and what they mean, I think it's along the lines of what I've been getting at with this post. The committee ultimately the body that makes the decision whether or not to interview/accept you. If they want to interview you, there's clearly something there that interests them, but ultimately, everything is usually "factored in" for hte final acceptance. One school told me that exactly--if you're being interviewed, grades don't matter "at this point" because they're "good enough", BUT at the final decision meeting, everything gets factored in and we make a decision based on EVERY ASPECT of your file.

I think it's safe to say that bad interviews will not bode well for you, but good interviews can "go either way"---depending on the "real" feeling of your interviewer & the adcom--what THEY want in terms of their class...are you truly a "good fit" and do we really "want" that person here?
 
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