Why Do They Waitlist You After A Great Interview

[Cherebourg]

So I am at the interview and the guy goes to me, "I think you would make a great doctor." So for two months I wait patietly (tough not to envision an acceptance)......and then BANG waitlist.

WHY?

What more do these people need? Are they teasing me? The interviewer and I hit it off and then WAITLIST? WHY?

In the off chance that any ad com members surf SDN, please explain....

Thanks.

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[lulubean]

the same thing happened to me at uc san diego - man, i loved that school.
the good thing is that we weren't outright rejected! there is still a chance for us (and I think a relatively good one at that!)

besides, i don't think the interview is the deciding factor - they might not have liked something else in our application package

anyway, good luck! it ain't over till it's over!

 

[blz]

So I am at the interview and the guy goes to me, "I think you would make a great doctor." So for two months I wait patietly (tough not to envision an acceptance)......and then BANG waitlist.

WHY?

What more do these people need? Are they teasing me? The interviewer and I hit it off and then WAITLIST? WHY?

In the off chance that any ad com members surf SDN, please explain....

Thanks.

You have to realize that on average, most interviews go very well. So obivously, just because you had a good interview doesn't mean you'll get in because there's probably a crapload of other people who also had good interviews.

 

[CaMD]

Every single interviewer I've had has talked about how great I am and how I'll be a great Dr. and great for their school etc. Sometimes I get accepted, sometimes I get waitlisted.

Either a. the interviews count for way less than they make it seem or b. interviewers are told to flatter everyone no matter what, so that if the adcom decides to admit you you have warm fuzzies about the school and want to attend. If they reject you, doesn't affect them anyways. It's a lot easier to be nice and than truthful.

 

[OSUdoc08]

So I am at the interview and the guy goes to me, "I think you would make a great doctor." So for two months I wait patietly (tough not to envision an acceptance)......and then BANG waitlist.

WHY?

What more do these people need? Are they teasing me? The interviewer and I hit it off and then WAITLIST? WHY?

In the off chance that any ad com members surf SDN, please explain....

Thanks.

If 20 people had great interviews, and they can only accept 10 at that time, then the people with the lowest GPA's and MCAT's or other application flaws will be "recycled" until later.

 

[Law2Doc]

So I am at the interview and the guy goes to me, "I think you would make a great doctor." So for two months I wait patietly (tough not to envision an acceptance)......and then BANG waitlist.

WHY?

What more do these people need? Are they teasing me? The interviewer and I hit it off and then WAITLIST? WHY?

In the off chance that any ad com members surf SDN, please explain....

Thanks.

While an interviewer can sometimes act as an advocate, in most cases he/she just submits comments and a numerical score to the adcom. The adcom takes this into consideration, and then votes on who gets in, waitlisted and rejected. Thus even if you scored well on the interview, when the adcom looked at that in the context of your overall application (as compared to the other interviewed candidates) that may have only been enough to get you on the waitlist. Unless the interviewer is the Dean of Admissions, I don't think you can bank on his/her positive comments meaning a surefire admission.

 

[Megalofyia]

I am 100% convinced the interview means VERY little... there might be the odd school here or there that takes the interview with more than a grain of salt.. but I think for the most part the interview is some sort of technicality.

 

[neoncandle]

I think that people have to remember that an interview is just part of the picture the ADCOMs consider and you should work on your whole application before next time.

 

[Qemmalee]

If the interview is just another part of the overall application and having a great interview doesn't mean an automatic acceptance, then what about a so-so or poor interview? That's not the kiss of death is it?

 

[Law2Doc]

If the interview is just another part of the overall application and having a great interview doesn't mean an automatic acceptance, then what about a so-so or poor interview? That's not the kiss of death is it?

Depends -- It can be. If you were a truly unbelievably amazing candidate on paper, you would probably have to be really bad in the interview to fall out of favor. But if you figure that a lot of similarly qualified people are getting interviewed, and on average about a quarter of people who get interviewed get accepted, obviously the interview can be a big determining factor.

 

[PBMaxx]

It's like GPA-- it's really easy to screw up a 4.0, but hard as hell to salvage a 2.5.

I.E. You can probably ruin a good app file with a tanked interview easier than saving a mediocre app file with a great interview.


Fair isn't it?

 

[coincidental]

While an interviewer can sometimes act as an advocate, in most cases he/she just submits comments and a numerical score to the adcom. The adcom takes this into consideration, and then votes on who gets in, waitlisted and rejected. Thus even if you scored well on the interview, when the adcom looked at that in the context of your overall application (as compared to the other interviewed candidates) that may have only been enough to get you on the waitlist. Unless the interviewer is the Dean of Admissions, I don't think you can bank on his/her positive comments meaning a surefire admission.

Even with the Dean of Admissions, I wouldn't bank on it. My doctor interviewer was suddenly called away so I got interviewed by some dean (I'm 80% certain she was the admissions dean, but I could be wrong). And it was a great interview, one of the best I've had so far (I think, the outcome does suggest otherwise, doesn't it?). Two months later....waitlist. These things just happen and the admissions committee works in myterious ways.

 

[gbiz]

You know every school is different for how the interview is considered... there are medical schools that the only way an interview can affect you is negatively... basically they have the interiview to see if you are fit for the school. If you are, then it doesnt affect you, if you arent, you dont get in for sure.

Other schools are different. Depends on them.


Personally, I thought my UMich interviews sucked... and I was waitlisted. I thought my Cincinnati interview was flawless and that she loved me... and I was waitlisted.

C'est la vie!!!!

 

[Pinkertinkle]

So I am at the interview and the guy goes to me, "I think you would make a great doctor." So for two months I wait patietly (tough not to envision an acceptance)......and then BANG waitlist.

That interviewer must have been blowing smoke up your ass.

 

[gbiz]

Its because you were too good for the school, so they didnt think youd actually go there!!!! LOL

 

[SocialistMD]

The interviews are meant to confirm that (a) you are not a complete psychopath and (b) your personality fits with the personality of the school. Each school has its own personality, and the people chosen to interview tend to represent this personality, or at least know it when they see it, and try to find people who fit that mold. Generally speaking, if you get an interview, it means you are academically qualified to attend the school; it is a waste of everyone's time and money otherwise. The interview is to find those people who "fit."

What you do not appreciate until you are actually in med school (and I do not mean this to sound like I'm talking down to you, it's just like how I can't tell you how it feels to have a baby because I've never been in labor) is the amount of interaction you have with your classmates and how much you come to depend on each other. Being around people who learn like you and with whom you can get along is huge when you spend almost 24/7 with the same 50-200 people. That's not to say that there aren't people in my class who are very different from me, but we have the same underlying core that allows us to get along and work out any differences.

As to why you were waitlisted after a great interview, I can't say. Maybe the person interviewing you does think you will make a great doctor, but that your personality doesn't mesh with the personality of the school as well as some other applicants and that you will better become that great doctor at another location.

 

[getunconcsious]

You want to know why, Cherebourg? Because they're LIFE RUINERS! People on admissions committees are life ruiners, plain and simple. They get out of bed in the morning to $hit on years' worth of our hard work. I could never be on an admission committee, ever.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Every single interviewer I've had has talked about how great I am and how I'll be a great Dr. and great for their school etc. Sometimes I get accepted, sometimes I get waitlisted.

Either a. the interviews count for way less than they make it seem or b. interviewers are told to flatter everyone no matter what, so that if the adcom decides to admit you you have warm fuzzies about the school and want to attend. If they reject you, doesn't affect them anyways. It's a lot easier to be nice and than truthful.

i questioned this on a previous thread. suddenly now I'm really depressed.

 

[CaMD]

i questioned this on a previous thread. suddenly now I'm really depressed.

Sorry. It's just my current theory.