What to Bring to an Interview

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I'm sorry if this has been discussed at length in another thread, but I couldn't find anything.

For those of you who have interviewed before, what did you bring with you? I'm thinking a copy of VMCAS and resume are good ideas as well as a little notepad and pen just in case.

Probably depends on the nature of the interview. I took a notepad folder and pen ... asked if they minded if I took notes ... and then proceeded not to write a single thing the entire time. I was so nervous that I barely remembered to take my folder with me when I left. And I forgot the barely touched water my wife bought for me right beforehand. Sigh.

I think you can safely bring those things you mentioned, but I'd suggest not pulling out your VMCAS app and resume to refer to them; anything you need from there should be in your head.
 
I'm sorry if this has been discussed at length in another thread, but I couldn't find anything.

For those of you who have interviewed before, what did you bring with you? I'm thinking a copy of VMCAS and resume are good ideas as well as a little notepad and pen just in case.

I brought my purse (water, chapstick, wallet, cell phone TURNED OFF, and a billion other things that live in my purse), and I keep a small notebook and pens in my purse. All my interviews have also given us a folder with day-of info in it, so I'll bring that. I generally have my application with me just so I can review it before I go in. For my Purdue interview, I printed up a list of questions from interview feedback, wrote out my answers/thought process, and brought that with to review beforehand.

Honestly I never take notes either DURING the interview, but it's been helpful to have a notebook during info sessions!
 
For my vet school interviews, I took my vmcas to review before I went in, mostly my personal statement. I didn't want them to ask a question about something I forgot I even put in there. For the actual interview however, I didn't take anything into the room with me.

If it is for a job, I would definitely take a resume!
 
Bring your personality and let it show... Sounds cheesy but it's really all you need.
 
I brought in my large professional purse (one that I use specifically for interviews and similar functions) that had a folder with paper I had used to take notes during the info session. I also had in there the info folder the school had given me. In my purse I had my phone (turned off, of course), chapstick, tissues, and a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss (I know some people think I'm a weirdo for having these things, but especially since some of my interviews were after lunch, I wanted to make sure I had clean teeth and non-offensive breath! Makes me feel more confident 😉). I slung my coat across my other arm. I really hate feeling weighed down by clutter, so I tried to keep what I brought in there minimal. Having the large, sleek purse/bag to tuck everything in to helped me feel very organized.

I remember one thing I was nervous about actually was the logistics of how I would avoid bringing the little suitcase I was traveling with into the interview. I interviewed at different OOS schools, and my hotel checkout time was before my interviews. The student services offices at the schools are usually pretty cool about letting you stash your suitcase in the office in those situations. At one of the places, I explained my situation to the hotel staff and they let me keep my bag in the manager's office and come back for it after my interview. People are generally helpful and willing to work with you if you find yourself in that predicament.

I didn't take any notes during my interviews. Honestly, I was so focused on having a real conversation with my interviewers that I don't think I would have remembered! And my interviews actually went pretty well with me doing it that way. The night before/morning of my interviews, I did review any supplemental essays I had written for that school, just so I could recall what they already knew about me.

Best of luck on your interviews! 🙂
 
Bring your personality and let it show... Sounds cheesy but it's really all you need.


Right. I wouldn't bring much more than a pen and paper, for some emergency that I can't even think of. I was advised by the people conducting interviews not to take anything into the interview, so my pen/paper were not needed (I left my purse outside with my mom). I don't think I would bring my VMCAS info (at least not into the room) because you should be rehearsed and ready enough for the interview to sell yourself without your application. You know what you've done and how great you are. There also is such a thing as over-preparing.

If you need to, do run-through interviews with several people prior to the interview so you'll be prepared enough not to have to use anything. I printed off a list of potential questions from the internet and had my mom conduct an interview with me the night before.
 
I didn't take any notes during my interviews. Honestly, I was so focused on having a real conversation with my interviewers that I don't think I would have remembered!


As you should be. Interviewers don't want to see you on paper. They want to see you as you are... on the spot, candidly.
 
When I interviewed at Auburn, my boss gave me a copy of their alumni magazine. It had some good information about current programs, future plans, and the history of the college. I had it with me, brought up some of the stuff I read when they asked me why I wanted to go there, and that went over pretty well.
 
I brought a small, conservative black purse with car keys, breath strips, a comb, stain stick and ID in it and a professional leather folio with my VMCAS application and appropriate supplemental app in it to review in the time before the interview. At OSU I made sure the folio also had pen and paper because they had informative sessions and student panels, and I wanted to take notes. Make sure you have paper if you want to take notes on the school or hospital, but even if you want to, I wouldn't recommend taking notes in the interview--the interviewers are not there to talk to you, you're there to talk to them! If you want, you can sit down right away afterward and write down the questions you can remember, but any folio you bring should go on the floor with your purse and/or coat if appropriate.

In the car, I brought a stain stick (white silk shell ftw), an extra blouse, hair junk, tissues, make-up and various other doodads--but none of that came in with me (except for another stain stick in the purse--yes I had two!).

I would also second whoever said that if you bring someone, to leave EVERYTHING with them. It's just flustering to have to put a bunch of stuff down, pick it up at the end, worry about stepping on it or dropping it, etc.
 
What you're doing right now is one of the best things you can do. I was SHOCKED when I was at Western and girls were asking, "what do you think the questions are going to be like?" or, "What questions do they ask?" Honestly, EVERYTHING is on this website, or maybe a little google search. If you know what questions they've asked before, you won't be shocked or stunted at the interview. I brought my purse (and luggage which I stashed in a room in a corner cause of early check-out time) with a pen and that's literally it. I don't even think I used the pen. I think interviewers would not be happy if you opened up anything in the interview. Or, that's been my experiences. Just try to calm down and not think that this is one of the most important moments of your life! Lol. I saw people with a nice cute little folder that I'm sure housed their VMCAS, resume/CV, and supplemental, but they didn't even open it and ended up just carrying it around like extra baggage. Read up on your personal statement and supplementals a few days before and that's all you need.
 
I would also second whoever said that if you bring someone, to leave EVERYTHING with them. It's just flustering to have to put a bunch of stuff down, pick it up at the end, worry about stepping on it or dropping it, etc.

Or dropping it all over your interviewer's feet... 😳

FAIL.
 
What you're doing right now is one of the best things you can do. I was SHOCKED when I was at Western and girls were asking, "what do you think the questions are going to be like?" or, "What questions do they ask?"

Yeah... there definitely were not many SDN-ers in attendance. I was killing time with someone who wasn't familiar with behavioral interviews, and I happened to have a list of questions I'd lifted from the interview feedback section, so I gave her a few samples.

I tried to pick questions I thought were likely to come up, but they didn't end up asking a single one of them. :lame:
 
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