What Should I Make of This Question?

[desout777]

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[somemaybedoc]

Last week I had an interview at a really competitive program. The first thing the interviewer asked me was, "Where else have you been invited to interview?" I didn't want to give her that information, becuase it's a little uncomfortable, but I did anyway. I told her that I had 4 other interviews so far, one at my state school, one at Case Western, and 2 at mid/lower level private schools.

How do you think an admissions committee would respond to this information? I'm a little embarassed that my other interviews are at non-impressive schools... Or is taht a good thing?

What do you all make of this?

The fact that your other schools are lower ranked might actually be a good thing since they'll think that by accepting you, there is a high probability that you will take their offer, thus increasing their yield from acceptances.

 

[univscience]

i'm glad you brought this up because i was wondering it myself. anyone else care to elaborate on responses to this question?

 

[desout777]

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[zimmie256]

But it could also tell them that none of the other programs in their range thought i was worth inviting...

who knows! the point is that i am entirely baffled thinking of how the admissions committee could possibly use this information!

... but there's nothing i can do about it..

Honestly, I think sometimes they're just curious about what other programs are up to... Meaning that they're interested on the school level, not on the level of deciding anything about your particular application... You're just a way for them to get that info... But who knows, maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part...

 

[somemaybedoc]

But it could also tell them that none of the other programs in their range thought i was worth inviting...

who knows! the point is that i am entirely baffled thinking of how the admissions committee could possibly use this information!

... but there's nothing i can do about it..

A prestigious program that thought you were good enough to invite to an interview is not going to care that its peers aren't interested. These aren't kids on a playground fighting for the most wanted toy just because somebody else wants it.

 

[leahmaria]

But it could also tell them that none of the other programs in their range thought i was worth inviting...

who knows! the point is that i am entirely baffled thinking of how the admissions committee could possibly use this information!

... but there's nothing i can do about it..

they also don't know where you applied...

 

[SeminoleFan3]

At the end of my interview at UK, my interviewers (both of them) asked where else I had applied to. It was actually on their list of things to ask.

Either way, I told them, and I still got in.

 

[Law2Doc]

Last week I had an interview at a really competitive program. The first thing the interviewer asked me was, "Where else have you been invited to interview?" I didn't want to give her that information, becuase it's a little uncomfortable, but I did anyway. I told her that I had 4 other interviews so far, one at my state school, one at Case Western, and 2 at mid/lower level private schools.

How do you think an admissions committee would respond to this information? I'm a little embarassed that my other interviews are at non-impressive schools... Or is taht a good thing?

What do you all make of this?

They just want to get a sense of whether you are in demand. It's all about keeping up the the Joneses. The fact that this wasn't your one interview probably gave you some street credibility. But it won't be the deciding factor either way.

 

[Orthodoc40]

They just want to get a sense of whether you are in demand. It's all about keeping up the the Joneses. The fact that this wasn't your one interview probably gave you some street credibility. But it won't be the deciding factor either way.

I wonder if that changes if your interviews are all DO programs and it is an MD program asking. Or if they only want to know about other MD interviews.

 

[Law2Doc]

I wonder if that changes if your interviews are all DO programs and it is an MD program asking. Or if they only want to know about other MD interviews.

If you have other MD interviews, I will always list those if it's an MD school asking (and vice versa).

 

[Orthodoc40]

If you have other MD interviews, I will always list those if it's an MD school asking (and vice versa).

Does that mean you would NOT list the DO schools to an MD school??

 

[CTtarheel]

I would hesitate to refer to schools as "lower level" or "mid level" or anything like that. Just give them names and let them make value judgements. You never know if you might refer to someone's alma mater as a "lower level" school!

 

[TSK]

Yeah, I hate it when interviewers ask this question. I always wanna say, "None of your damn business" but I don't think that that would go over too well....
🙂

 

[MadHopsMD]

I would hesitate to refer to schools as "lower level" or "mid level" or anything like that. Just give them names and let them make value judgements. You never know if you might refer to someone's alma mater as a "lower level" school!

👍 I agree. I would just say, schools around my area. However, i loved this school so much, i dont mind leaving my neighbourhood...

 

[desout777]

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[etf]

interestingly enough, i also felt like saying "none of your beeswax" when a fellow interviewee asked me this question and then started berating the schools i mentioned...

 

[PhantomfanMD]

I'm a little embarassed that my other interviews are at non-impressive schools... Or is taht a good thing?

WTF? Excuse me? since when is getting an interview at ANY medical school "non-impressive?" Getting into/seriously being considered for admission to any medical school in the U.S. is a great accomplishment that most people never get to experience, doctors are an elite group and devaluing different medical schools is just wrong. All Allopathic schools award the SAME M.D. and it doesn't matter if you went to Hopkins of Howard, you're still a qualified physician to practice in the U.S. which is what we're all after here.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

no one is ever going to accept/reject based on where you applied or who invites you for an interview, so go with the truth.

 

[desout777]

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[Wordplay]

Do you actually list ALL your schools? So what's the consensus on deciding which schools to list (if not all, i.e. if you have a lot of invites or a "weird" list)?

 

[farikanok]

i got this question at all of my interviews... i just dodged the question by naming geographic locations and saying "all of the schools in my state." honestly, i don't think it's a deciding factor for the admissions committee.

 

[dopaminesurge]

Last week I had an interview at a really competitive program. The first thing the interviewer asked me was, "Where else have you been invited to interview?" I didn't want to give her that information, becuase it's a little uncomfortable, but I did anyway. I told her that I had 4 other interviews so far, one at my state school, one at Case Western, and 2 at mid/lower level private schools.

How do you think an admissions committee would respond to this information? I'm a little embarassed that my other interviews are at non-impressive schools... Or is taht a good thing?

What do you all make of this?

I'm just chiming in that it's ridiculously rude, in my opinion, to ask this.

 

[americanangel]

You know its funny that most pre-meds freak out when the interviewer asks them this questions. My friend is applying to vet school and every school knows about every other school that she applied to (apparently that how it works with vet school). And she was approached by her interviewer about the number of schools she applied to. They asked her, "it seems like your not devoted enough to our school since you appplied to 13 other schools..." And she replied, "I just want to go to vet school so I'm making sure I cover all of my bases"

At least we don't have to worry about why are you applying to so many and all those other sorts of questions. By advice, just me honest and do what your gut tells you to.