When Your Interviewer Says They Like You

[fluffywas]

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Hi everybody,

At my recent interview, my interviewer indicated they would recommend me for admissions. Obviously this is a good sign, but I won't know for sure until I receive a decision. I should patiently and stoically wait to hear back, but naturally I'm wondering about the admissions process post interview.

What does this mean for my chances post interview? My application was viewed favorably enough to receive an interview, and now I have a positive interview. Why would I be invited to interview if a positive interview still lead to rejection? On the other hand, the school cannot necessarily predict the quality of applicants' interviews as they send out interview invites, so applicants with highly rated interviews could still be rejected.

 

[NYCVillain]

Someone (think LizzyM) on this site uses the staircase analogy. Before the interview they have all the candidates placed on a staircase with the best candidates on paper at the top and the weaker candidates on bottom. A good interview will move someone up, a neutral interview will keep someone’s position and a bad interview will move someone down. So while a good interview definitely does help you, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee an acceptance. It depends on your starting place.

 

[soysizle]

So it can’t be a bad thing that’s for sure. One school the interviewer told me I want to see you at our school next year, I got accepted. At another school, a faculty member said I’d be a good fit here and that it went well but I ultimately got the R. The takeaway here is that there’s so much that’s factored in when adcoms review an applicant to make that final decision. The interview is just another one of those factors and at some schools it holds a lot of weight at others, not so much. Be happy the interview went well, that can only help you! I hope you get some good news!

 

[getdown]

It means absolutely nothing. Until you get that acceptance email, one person's word is meaningless. You can take it that you didn't bomb the interview portion but nothing more than that.

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

It is certainly a good sign that you had a great interview. I am sure it helped your application and hopefully your confidence as this tough process winds down for the year. However, I will agree with NYCVillain that individual interviewers at most institutions do not have a complete picture of the applicant pool in any given year and may not be very high in the decision-making hierarchy.

At most, I interview (open-file) only about 20-30 applicants per year, out of the hundreds of those that come to interview at our institution. So even though I might really like a particular applicant, it is hard for me to judge where they fall in the total pool in any specific year. Moreover, though at least 4 or 5 of those I interviewed last year got acceptances to my school, my TOP-rated applicant (of 25) I interviewed last year was NOT accepted. Student was from a top 20 UG, but had a lowish GPA and MCAT for our school. Student was absolutely outstanding in every way - the most mature applicant I had ever interviewed and doing great things running some great clinical programs etc. The other interviewer also ranked the applicant highly. Also URIM for race/ethnicity and LGBTQ+. But the powers that be in the end decision-making role did not accept the student. I guess he was too low on the "staircase". (I am now thinking that I sure hope I did not give the student a false impression at the interview bc I am sure I could not help but be very positive at our interview.)

 

[doc05]

It means nothing. People are never 100% honest, and frequently say things just to be polite. Just sit tight and wait.

 

[ciestar]

Also keep in mind that your interviewer is one part of a decision.

 

[deleted868248]

My interviewer said that he hoped to see me next year. I thought we vibed pretty well too. At the end of the interview, he gave me a mini tour showing me different publications and telling me more about his research. We ended up going over time. But, I got a rejection from the school last week, so maybe it was my stats? or...my interview didn't go as great as I thought.... perhaps, he gives mini tours to all applicants, and I wasn't very special.. lol 🙁

 

[puahate]

Ignore them. It means nothing

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It means something, but it is important to remember that the interviewer giving you a good write up is necessary but not sufficient. I had three interviews where I was expicitly told that they really liked me. Only got accepted at one, waitlisted at the others. The interview is only one part of the application.

 

[dr_kateb]

It's their job to be nice. They 1, don't want to be reported, and 2, are representing the school.

 

[fluffywas]

Thanks everybody for your insightful comments. Overall sounds like its a good thing but definitely no guarantee.

I disagree with people who say people don't always tell the truth, just trying to be nice, etc. I think there are few people, let alone respected physicians who interview prospective students, who would outright lie and say they are recommending a student when they in fact are not just for the sake of social ease.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Thanks everybody for your insightful comments. Overall sounds like its a good thing but definitely no guarantee.

I disagree with people who say people don't always tell the truth, just trying to be nice, etc. I think there are few people, let alone respected physicians who interview prospective students, who would outright lie and say they are recommending a student when they in fact are not just for the sake of social ease.

Don't underestimate what people will say to avoid conflict. Most people are very conflict averse when face to face.

 

[fluffywas]

Don't underestimate what people will say to avoid conflict. Most people are very conflict averse when face to face.

True, I just don't think most med school interviewers feel strongly compelled to tell applicants they are recommending when they really aren't. It's totally acceptable to not tell an applicant either way even when you like them, and interviewers generally know this.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

True, I just don't think most med school interviewers feel strongly compelled to tell applicants they are recommending when they really aren't. It's totally acceptable to not tell an applicant either way even when you like them, and interviewers generally know this.

That's not really the point though. The point is that even if the interviewers recommend you, you can still get WLed or rejected.

 

[Goro]

Thanks everybody for your insightful comments. Overall sounds like its a good thing but definitely no guarantee.

I disagree with people who say people don't always tell the truth, just trying to be nice, etc. I think there are few people, let alone respected physicians who interview prospective students, who would outright lie and say they are recommending a student when they in fact are not just for the sake of social ease.

We're well trained by Admissions deans NOT to let people get their hopes us. Thus, we're polite all the time.

Do you really think doctors, who are trained to give terrible news to patients and their families, are going to be intimidated by social interactions such as an interview????

 

[fluffywas]

That's not really the point though. The point is that even if the interviewers recommend you, you can still get WLed or rejected.

We're well trained by Admissions deans NOT to let people get their hopes us. Thus, we're polite all the time.

Do you really think doctors, who are trained to give terrible news to patients and their families, are going to be intimidated by social interactions such as an interview????

Yes I agree with you both. I was disagreeing with the idea that interviewers feel social pressure to give false hope.

 

[Osteosaur]

Rejected from two places where the interviewer said they liked me. Maybe they were being nice, maybe they just didn't have enough sway. First acceptance was from a totally neutral interview. Don't get complacent until you get that acceptance.

Don't waste time thinking a perfectly timed thank you note saying how much you love the school is going to help.

Just relax and try to move forward.

 

[fluffywas]

HA! I certainly felt it as an interviewer and have been told as such by faculty and dean to "smile" more. In some ways, I overly and oppositely compensated, often being the friendliest to those interviewees I wouldnt trust to walk my dog . It was also why I frequently the "stress / conflict" interviewer when that was a thing long ago.

I’m sure there’s social pressure to be friendly and positive at many institutions, especially when they want to brand themselves as welcoming. What you describe experiencing sounds normal and understandable.

I’m talking about interviewers telling outright they’ll recommend. There’s no need to do that unless you mean it or are weak to the point you shouldn’t be interviewing applicants.