What school has the best and most organized interview day?

[Cat's Meow]

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So what do you all think?

👍 to Dartmouth. The rest sucked.

 

[werbowy]

Duke was excellent. The website, the interview day, the lunch that you could pre-order on the internet. Duke rocks.

 

[Cat's Meow]

Duke was excellent. The website, the interview day, the lunch that you could pre-order on the internet. Duke rocks.

You got to pre-order lunch 😱 ?

That's so cool, dude.

It just seems that some schools put serious effort into making interviewees feel welcomed and at home. Others don't.

 

[werbowy]

You got to pre-order lunch 😱 ?

That's so cool, dude.

It just seems that some schools put serious effort into making interviewees feel welcomed and at home. Others don't.

Cornell was basically like here is your packet, find your way to your interviewer. Peace! It felt kinda rude and cold. Plus there was constant banging from construction in the backdrop. So far, Vanderbilt and Duke have turned out to be the most hospitable places. Yale is coming pretty close behind (and they lost points only because of their super slow processing).

 

[Cat's Meow]

Cornell was basically like here is your packet, find your way to your interviewer. Peace! It felt kinda rude and cold. Plus there was constant banging from construction in the backdrop. So far, Vanderbilt and Duke have turned out to be the most hospitable places. Yale is coming pretty close behind (and they lost points only because of their super slow processing).

Doesn't it suck when you fly out and spend $$$ to go to a crappy interview day where you really don't feel welcomed. This has happened to me a number of times.

 

[werbowy]

Doesn't it suck when you fly out and spend $$$ to go to a crappy interview day where you really don't feel welcomed. This has happened to me a number of times.

Why did you like Darmouth?

 

[Cat's Meow]

Why did you like Darmouth?

Well before my interview, they snail mailed me a bunch of information on traveling / accomodations and gave me maps to find myself to the campus. So, although Dartmouth is in the middle of nowehere, I knew exactly how to get there 🙂

Also, the people were incredibly nice and had a very well-planned day. Morning introductions, a brief presentation by an officer of the admissions committee, a financial aid presentation...and then an extended tour of their hospital followed by lunch and (finally) two interviews. To top off the day, there was a tour of the medical school itself.

I felt like it was worth going out there and that I had not wasted my time. At some schools, the only things planned are a half-a** tour, short lunch, and 1-2 interviews.

 

[sunUCB]

I liked Tulane's....organized well, and very friendly admissions staff.

Rosalind Franklin was another one of those "here is your packet, now go sit and wait" type of schools. They did have breakfast though.

 

[futuremsfdoc]

without a doubt washu. free room, pizza party for dinner the night before, breakfast with eggs and hash browns and anything else you wanted, gourmet lunch on the top floor of the barnes hospital, access to the student lounge with pool tables, ping pong, big screen, foosball, and a patio. no school can top that.

 

[werbowy]

Yale was sorta like that. Richard Silverman was super awesome. That cat is a cool cat. Then there was a tour by the students and it was really impressive. Northwestern has the most detailed information on the interview day on its website. I think I will like Northwestern. I interview there pretty soon.

There is always the second look weekend, though. I think then, you'll get a thorough look at what you're getting into. Somehow, I already have my mind made up....

 

[werbowy]

University of Washington was terrible. I got there and the food was cold because someone didn't light the sterno. We watched a poorly produced DVD on the medical school. Terrible. Columbia wasn't great either.

LOL!!!

Columbia sucked. Did you see the student rooms? They were super tiny!

 

[Cat's Meow]

It seems that some top-notch schools have really bad interview days 🙁

I perceive it like this: these schools think that they are too good to sell themselves.

 

[Treg]

Penn was really organized. They covered everything you could imagine, including intro session, fin. aid session, tour, your choice of pbl session or anatomy lab, lunch with students, and then your interviews. They had a system to check out, which was nice since at many places you are like, "ok, bye then!" after your interviews.

I was not impressed by my Columbia day. Very disorganized, awful first year tour guide, and the office staff was not friendly at all. Also, they invited me to a one-on-one student breakfast, which was a meeting at that bagel shop. I was less than thrilled when we went to the same place for lunch a few hours later.

Pitt has a nice interview day as well, much like Penn.

🙂Treg

 

[Cat's Meow]

Penn was really organized. They covered everything you could imagine, including intro session, fin. aid session, tour, your choice of pbl session or anatomy lab, lunch with students, and then your interviews. They had a system to check out, which was nice since at many places you are like, "ok, bye then!" after your interviews.

I was not impressed by my Columbia day. Very disorganized, awful first year tour guide, and the office staff was not friendly at all. Also, they invited me to a one-on-one student breakfast, which was a meeting at that bagel shop. I was less than thrilled when we went to the same place for lunch a few hours later.

Pitt has a nice interview day as well, much like Penn.

🙂Treg

Pittsburgh was pretty cool. Agreed. They had a good day with a lot planned. I got a good feeling for what the school was like in most respects.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

without a doubt washu. free room, pizza party for dinner the night before, breakfast with eggs and hash browns and anything else you wanted, gourmet lunch on the top floor of the barnes hospital, access to the student lounge with pool tables, ping pong, big screen, foosball, and a patio. no school can top that.

wow!! even the night before? that's awesome and it's great to meet people you will be spending the day with so you're not so nervous to even meet people. That also helps you know your way around before searching that morning. I always try to check out the campus and where i'm supposed to meet the day before, but that's a really great way to do it. 👍

 

[Psycho Doctor]

University of Washington was terrible. I got there and the food was cold because someone didn't light the sterno. We watched a poorly produced DVD on the medical school. Terrible. Columbia wasn't great either.

why did everyone dislike Columbia's so much? Maybe being my first one, i had nothing to compare it to. And maybe being so anxious for it, they calmed me down so i was appreciative of that.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Duke was excellent. The website, the interview day, the lunch that you could pre-order on the internet. Duke rocks.

Duke's interview day was pretty good 🙂 The school is amazing. However, they mixed up our lunch orders... so i was a little dissappointed....

 

[Wiggy73]

Another vote for Duke 👍, and in addition to everything mentioned upthread their portfolio/info packet was very good. Also the photo IDs they make for you - definitely uber-organized. Awesome school, hospital, website, interview day... Duke just rocks! 👎 to Vanderbilt, though. WAAY too much dead time, and pathetic "tour" consisting of the student lounge and some lockers. Vandy, you can do better.

 

[acidhouse303]

u mich ann arbor had a great interview day, they even gave me a ride to and from the airport (its a a 30-40min ride from detroit metro to ann arbor so a cab is around fifty bucks) i had dinner w some of the students and chilled at one of their apts the night before, they were mad nice. Boston U's interview day was pretty good too as was U Chicagos. I dont really have any complaints I guess. Everything else was pretty much OK/expected. No horrible experiences, but then again, I didnt apply to Columbia b/c I know how they can be...

 

[UCLAstudent]

MCW's was very well-organized. The provided transportation to and from the airport (a limo!), had a social with medical students the night before, and the whole interview day went very smoothly.

UCLA's was really lame.

 

[IndyZX]

my favorite has probably been penn thus far. it was a really well done interview day.

the good ones...
penn (perfect)
northwestern (posh)
michigan
ut-southwestern
columbia (i actually really liked my interview day, i guess it depends on the host)
baylor
hopkins

starts getting iffy...
cornell
utmb

bad...
ut-houston (waiting around forever doing nothing)

 

[Brain]

I thought Texas A&M was great. They had someone escort you to your interviews so that us navigationally-challenged people did not have to worry about getting lost. There were several of each type of tour so you got to see everything regardless of when your interview was and you were assigned tours so that there was no worrying about if you had time to go on it before your interview. There was just enough down time to relax a bit but not so much as to get bored. Also, all the students were super friendly and seemed to like their school.

 

[Childe]

without a doubt washu. free room, pizza party for dinner the night before, breakfast with eggs and hash browns and anything else you wanted, gourmet lunch on the top floor of the barnes hospital, access to the student lounge with pool tables, ping pong, big screen, foosball, and a patio. no school can top that.

yep.

 

[Cat's Meow]

I was a little disappointed by Harvard. Although the staff in the admissions office is really nice, the day is a little disorganized and there is way too much down time.

The tour was impromptu and very disorganized. They did not even have a financial aid session...I think that this should be a part of any interview day.

But I guess it's Harvard, so you can't complain...

 

[Cat's Meow]

MCW's was very well-organized. The provided transportation to and from the airport (a limo!), had a social with medical students the night before, and the whole interview day went very smoothly.

UCLA's was really lame.

Agreed. Although UCLA medical school is awesome--in fact, really really awesome 👍 --the interview day was horrible. The worst I have done 👎

No presentations, no financial aid session, no talk with the dean...NOTHING. Jeez.

Only a half hour tour, a short lunch, and one to two interviews. Yeah--that's right--some people only get one interview rather than two!!! That's unfair if you ask me.

 

[tic112]

U Mich was impressive.
very well organized, tons of students stopped by to talk with applicants, student hosts were fantastic, escorts to take you to and from interviews

 

[texasaggie2005]

To all of you that interviewed at UMich, I don't remember getting anything about student hosts. Did I miss something?

 

[bqj]

Georgetown was awesome. They had a lot of speeches but made you feel like a very important applicant.

 

[Jason110]

The interview day at the Cleveland Clinic (though long) was by far the most professional interview day I've had.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Georgetown was awesome. They had a lot of speeches but made you feel like a very important applicant.

I thought people at gtown talked too much. I got bored (and super sleepy) half way through. The lunch was pretty yummy though.

 

[BigRedPingpong]

NJMS failed to show their hospital during the tour- a big minus. The food was very plain: pizza. The only thing that was a plus for the interview day was it was short and the students were cool.

 

[getunconcsious]

I'd vote UT-Southwestern. The worst by far was the University of Nevada--NO LUNCH. Just a tour, an interview, a 2-hour wait doing nothing, and then another interview. I flew from Houston to Reno for THIS? I guess it is my home state's only school though, so I had to go

 

[UCLAstudent]

Agreed. Although UCLA medical school is awesome--in fact, really really awesome 👍 --the interview day was horrible. The worst I have done 👎

No presentations, no financial aid session, no talk with the dean...NOTHING. Jeez.

Only a half hour tour, a short lunch, and one to two interviews. Yeah--that's right--some people only get one interview rather than two!!! That's unfair if you ask me.

It was the worst one for me, too. At every other school, I felt that the interview day was about selling the school to me (in addition to having the chance to sell myself to the school in the interview). If I were not an undergrad at UCLA, I would not have been impressed by the school, based solely on the interview day. 👎

But I will probably still pick the school over everywhere else!

 

[SFAJess]

I thought Texas A&M was great. They had someone escort you to your interviews so that us navigationally-challenged people did not have to worry about getting lost. There were several of each type of tour so you got to see everything regardless of when your interview was and you were assigned tours so that there was no worrying about if you had time to go on it before your interview. There was just enough down time to relax a bit but not so much as to get bored. Also, all the students were super friendly and seemed to like their school.

A&M was the best by far for me, too!! Filo was awesome! 👍

 

[Cat's Meow]

To all of you that interviewed at UMich, I don't remember getting anything about student hosts. Did I miss something?

What exactly is an "aggie"?

I guess UC Davis in California has the same mascot, but exactly what is an aggie?

 

[synapse lapse]

UTSouthwestern was nice...but I've only been to 2 so far. UTMB was ok, not as coherent as UTSW.

 

[KiKat37]

What exactly is an "aggie"?

I guess UC Davis in California has the same mascot, but exactly what is an aggie?

From the Urban Dictionary:

1. aggie

A student or alumni of Texas A&M, a university in College Station, Texas.

 

[Cat's Meow]

From the Urban Dictionary:

1. aggie

A student or alumni of Texas A&M, a university in College Station, Texas.

So, what about the people at UC-Davis? A friend of mine who goes there considers himself to be an aggie, too.

 

[KiKat37]

So, what about the people at UC-Davis? A friend of mine who goes there considers himself to be an aggie, too.

There are like 10 different definitions...

1. aggie

A student or alumni of Texas A&M, a university in College Station, Texas.

2. Aggie

A spirited group that is stocked full of traditions and family bonds. An angel on earth!

3. aggie

A student or former student at the best college in Texas, Texas A&M. Well known for its traditions and friendly campus.

4. aggie

A marble made of agate.

5. aggie

People raised on farms who drive around in utes (or to americans, Pick-up trucks) and have many aerials on their cars; generally alcoholics.

6. aggie

The mascot of the best school in Northern California; UC Davis
The UC Davis mascot, the Aggie, is present on their shirts and sweaters.

7. aggie

aggravated
Why you all aggie? Everything's fine, relax.

8. Aggie

A Redneck that has an Ag class and is in FFA

9. Aggie

As explained to me after hearing many many Aggie jokes, Aggies are compared to polloks.

"Aggie jokes are like polock jokes"

10. aggie

A graduate or attendee of Oklahoma State University.

 

[Cat's Meow]

There are like 10 different definitions...

1. aggie

A student or alumni of Texas A&M, a university in College Station, Texas.

2. Aggie

A spirited group that is stocked full of traditions and family bonds. An angel on earth!

3. aggie

A student or former student at the best college in Texas, Texas A&M. Well known for its traditions and friendly campus.

4. aggie

A marble made of agate.

5. aggie

People raised on farms who drive around in utes (or to americans, Pick-up trucks) and have many aerials on their cars; generally alcoholics.

6. aggie

The mascot of the best school in Northern California; UC Davis
The UC Davis mascot, the Aggie, is present on their shirts and sweaters.

7. aggie

aggravated
Why you all aggie? Everything's fine, relax.

8. Aggie

A Redneck that has an Ag class and is in FFA

9. Aggie

As explained to me after hearing many many Aggie jokes, Aggies are compared to polloks.

"Aggie jokes are like polock jokes"

10. aggie

A graduate or attendee of Oklahoma State University.

Thanks!

 

[bridge01]

Agreed. Although UCLA medical school is awesome--in fact, really really awesome 👍 --the interview day was horrible. The worst I have done 👎

No presentations, no financial aid session, no talk with the dean...NOTHING. Jeez.

Only a half hour tour, a short lunch, and one to two interviews. Yeah--that's right--some people only get one interview rather than two!!! That's unfair if you ask me.

allow me to edit this:
"some people get two interviews rather than one!!! That's unfair if you ask me."

 

[Cat's Meow]

allow me to edit this:
"some people get two interviews rather than one!!! That's unfair if you ask me."

And if that one interview goes poorly? You only have one person--rather than two--advocating for your admissions.

Sometimes a second interview can be a good "back-up" for a poor first interview, or it could be a reinforcer of a good first interview.

 

[ellia08]

Wash U - hooray for free housing in a single room! pizza party and student breakfast were also great. [this is an unbeatable combo for interviewing!]

University of Michigan (realize my bias here, Im from umich)-- very little downtime, neat technology seminar, a financial aid orientation that was actually HELPFULL!! amazing!

Duke- personalized web order system was nifty (see above) also they made obtaining travel arrangements incredibly easy

Overall, downtime = bad (see above posts), orientations to specialized programs (ex: PBL at northwestern, technology services at michigan, etc etc) = ALWAYS good, free food (Duke) and lodging (Wash U) is always very much appreciated

 

[riverie]

To all of you that interviewed at UMich, I don't remember getting anything about student hosts. Did I miss something?

ya had to call them to ask about student hosts. i find it silly that they didn't just give you the information in the first place. 😛