Why would a school not hold interviews?

[Teekam]

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I haven't seen a thread for this, so I figured I would see if anyone had some insight. I applied to 15 schools but did not realize that 4 of them do not conduct interviews (Alabama State, U of Florida, UT Health Science Center, and Arkansas State).

The PT profession is heavily reliant on verbal communication, body language, and having a decent personality, none of which can be reliably drawn from the PTCAS application. So, why wouldn't a school want to see their potential students in person to gauge them? UT HSC had interviews last year, but I confirmed that they are not holding them this year, so something changed.

I don't expect to get into any of those schools because I am not a top applicant on paper and have no chance of displaying my abilities, growth, or passion outside of a 4500 character essay, but I do have 3 interviews lined up with 1 of them completed. Seems to me they will be able to more accurately judge me than schools that decide to half-blindly accept students. Am I crazy?

 

[DPThopeful1859]

I agree with you 100%. I will never understand why a school would opt to not conduct interviews. You could easily accept someone with stellar grades and the personality of a wet mop, whereas someone with mediocre grades might mesh well with patients and have a great personality. Perhaps school preference?

 

[pthopeful_11]

Honestly, I have no idea how to help you answer this. I'm just curious. I interviewed at UTHSC in Memphis last year. I wonder what made them stop. Interviews last year were crazy, so so so many people.


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[Lefty1339]

Interviewer bias

 

[baker16]

I know of 1 school in Texas that did study where they see who they would accept before an interview (based on GPAs/essays/resume/etc.) and who they would accept after an interview... turns out they would have accepted the same people. I got this info first hand from someone on the admissions committee at the school.

 

[Lefty1339]

One way to set yourself apart is to visit a program in person that doesn't have admission interview. Programs want to see your true level of interest. Consider this your interview, your chance to stand out.

 

[pthopeful_11]

I agree that making a visit makes a difference! I'm a first year PT student at ASU (one of your schools mentioned that doesn't hold interviews).


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[PathforwardtoDPT]

I'm willing to guess some programs opt out of interviewing due to inefficiency of the process. For instance, USC has nearly 100 seats to fill and don't require interviews.

 

[okramango]

My program didn't interview, and they said it was because studies show that interviewers tend to unconsciously favor people who are most like themselves, and they didn't want interviewer bias to interfere with the makeup of the class. Also, there were no studies supporting the idea that interviews increase the quality of students accepted. But they still have a day for potential students to come tour the campus and meet the faculty and students.

 

[ACVthaPT]

Well I'm from Texas and I know some schools such as UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso), which are so far in west texas (and practically in the middle of nowhere) that they are away from any of the major cities in Texas. I think this is why they stopped holding interviews, the interview actually deters potential PT candidates in my opinion. If driving, El Paso is about 11 hours away from Houston, 9 hours away from Austin, 9 hours from San Antonio, and 9 hours away from Dallas. Those are the four biggest cities in Texas and majority of students are from those cities. Since they are so far, many students (especially the top tier ones) won't even bother driving or flying out there just to interview when they can be accepted into more prestigious, highly ranked PT schools which are close to their homes such as TWU denton/dallas/houston campuses, Texas State near Austin, UNT near dallas, Incarnate Word in San Antonio and others. Why drive 9-11 hours to interview at a lower ranked college when I can be accepted into a better one which is right down the street from me? UTEP must have fugured they have a better shot at attracting the best students by removing the interview from the process.

 

[DEETAT]

I visited Duke and UW-Madison who also don't hold interview.

Duke said: A lot of qualified students wouldn't apply because they were unable to afford to fly out to their interview.

UW-Madison said: They are able to tell just from the application, and it saves students money.

 

[Lefty1339]

I agree that making a visit makes a difference! I'm a first year PT student at ASU (one of your schools mentioned that doesn't hold interviews).


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100%

I visited Duke and UW-Madison who also don't hold interview.

Duke said: A lot of qualified students wouldn't apply because they were unable to afford to fly out to their interview.

UW-Madison said: They are able to tell just from the application, and it saves students money.

I am headed to UW-Madison next year and I second that. There are many reasons why programs don't hold interviews.

 

[DPThopeful1859]

Call me crazy, but honestly I feel like my interview made ALL the difference. I've been trying to get accepted for 6-7 years, with a 3.3 GPA, a 3.4 pre-req GPA and a 3.85 post-bac GPA. GRE 155V, 146Q and 4.o W. I've worked my tail off for 6 years as an aide and front desk, getting more experience and carefully applying to schools that would look at me as a person and not another number. I finally got that chance with a school I hadn't heard of, but that gave me the time of day and the opportunity to shine and show them why I would be a great therapist.

 

[Teekam]

I agree that making a visit makes a difference! I'm a first year PT student at ASU (one of your schools mentioned that doesn't hold interviews).

Who did you meet with and how did you set it up so that you were able to meet with someone that has a part in the admissions decision? I visited ASU a few years ago when I first applied out of undergrad and I can't remember who I spoke with, but I don't think they were part of the decision.

@Lefty1339, @baker16, @PathforwardtoDPT, @okramango, @ACVthaPT, @DEETAT: Thanks for the insights. I can see how some of those things could cause this, especially schools that tend to accept people from very far away or don't have a nearby pool of people to choose from. As for the interviewer bias and studies about accepting the same people regardless, yeah I get it, but I don't like it. lol

 

[DEETAT]

Who did you meet with and how did you set it up so that you were able to meet with someone that has a part in the admissions decision? I visited ASU a few years ago when I first applied out of undergrad and I can't remember who I spoke with, but I don't think they were part of the decision.

@Lefty1339, @baker16, @PathforwardtoDPT, @okramango, @ACVthaPT, @DEETAT: Thanks for the insights. I can see how some of those things could cause this, especially schools that tend to accept people from very far away or don't have a nearby pool of people to choose from. As for the interviewer bias and studies about accepting the same people regardless, yeah I get it, but I don't like it. lol

I also feel as though schools that do a more holistic approach then just numbers (reading essays, extra circulars, awards, ect.) those schools are more likely not to have interviews. As the other schools I applied to, to make the first cut is all numbers (GRE and GPA), and then interviews are granted. Like Regis in CO does not look at any recommendation letters or essays until after you are granted an interview.

 

[Bones26]

As a side note...during my application process, one school did their interviews in a group format. It quickly turned into a situation where each candidate was "one-upping" the last. It was probably great for Type A gunners. I definitely didn't shine in that format, and I doubt many people do. So technically that school holds interviews, but I wouldn't call that an accurate portrayal of a student's personality.

I think that's why some schools take things like essays, letters of rec, etc into consideration in lieu of an interview. If your personality sucks, you probably won't have letters just GLOWING about how awesome you are. Anyone can behave himself and act somewhat likeable for 30-45 minutes. It's harder to pretend to be a decent person over a period of time in a work/school/volunteer setting.

 

[MagDPT]

UF doesn't hold interviews, but instead they invite applicants for visit days. Why do you think this is the case? They state that receiving a visit day invitation doesn't guarantee acceptance but not receiving an invitation does not mean anything towards acceptance as well.

 

[pthopeful_11]

Who did you meet with and how did you set it up so that you were able to meet with someone that has a part in the admissions decision? I visited ASU a few years ago when I first applied out of undergrad and I can't remember who I spoke with, but I don't think they were part of the decision.

@Lefty1339, @baker16, @PathforwardtoDPT, @okramango, @ACVthaPT, @DEETAT: Thanks for the insights. I can see how some of those things could cause this, especially schools that tend to accept people from very far away or don't have a nearby pool of people to choose from. As for the interviewer bias and studies about accepting the same people regardless, yeah I get it, but I don't like it. lol

I just scheduled a visit and was given a tour, and everyone gets a tour by the same person. I only got to speak with one professor that day. Admissions works a little bit differently than years past. Last week some of my classmates and a professor were just chatting about admissions and how we were so thankful to be in the program. The professors stressed how it made a difference for those who visited. I encourage you to do the same!!


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[2017DPT]

If some schools do not interview because research shows it is inefficient and there is interview bias, why is it that other health professions require interviews, even post-back, master programs?

 

[DanceQueen66]

Call me crazy, but honestly I feel like my interview made ALL the differencWh
e. I've been trying to get accepted for 6-7 years, with a 3.3 GPA, a 3.4 pre-req GPA and a 3.85 post-bac GPA. GRE 155V, 146Q and 4.o W. I've worked my tail off for 6 years as an aide and front desk, getting more experience and carefully applying to schools that would look at me as a person and not another number. I finally got that chance with a school I hadn't heard of, but that gave me the time of day and the opportunity to shine and show them why I would be a great therapist.

Which school you are attending

 

[webulu]

If some schools do not interview because research shows it is inefficient and there is interview bias, why is it that other health professions require interviews, even post-back, master programs?

Because people don't always choose to do what is rational, aren't aware of the research, not in the process of constantly re-examining accepted practices - any number of reasons. Or perhaps disagree with the perspective that interviews are inefficient, not good at selecting the best candidates, subject to significant bias on the part of the interviewers and therefore not entirely fair.

 

[webulu]

I also feel as though schools that do a more holistic approach then just numbers (reading essays, extra circulars, awards, ect.) those schools are more likely not to have interviews. As the other schools I applied to, to make the first cut is all numbers (GRE and GPA), and then interviews are granted. Like Regis in CO does not look at any recommendation letters or essays until after you are granted an interview.

Big agree on this - I think the idea would be that, even without outstanding stats, you could show your awesomeness through essays and recs and service/experience.

 

[2017DPT]

Just if anybody is curious, I asked 3 schools about why they don't hold interviews.
1. They've done research and they have seen no differences in the quality of applicants that join the cohort
2. Interviewer bias
3. Not worth the investment for the interviews as they are expensive but still accept quality candidates by just telling from the other aspects of one's application

 

[hopefulpt1]

In my opinion I think that GPA's/LOR are a way better representation of ones personality than hanging out with 40 random people for 3 hours one afternoon. Also, those who shine in group settings are usually favored by interviewers.

 

[Lefty1339]

In my opinion I think that GPA's/LOR are a way better representation of ones personality than hanging out with 40 random people for 3 hours one afternoon. Also, those who shine in group settings are usually favored by interviewers.

So true

 

[DPThopeful1859]

To be honest, I think interviewing is a great way to see who stands out and who is very personable.

Which school you are attending

Campbell University in NC

 

[DPThopeful1859]

I guess to me, my stats look very average or to some schools, aren't competitive enough (3.3 GPA, 3.4 pre req, 3.8 post bac). No, I don't have a stellar GPA or a 160 on each section of the GRE, but my lengthy experience, background and dedication to this field should be enough to get into a university. Again, call me crazy, but if I were a university, I would WANT to interview the students coming into the program because I want to see who has the personality to interact and succeed in providing excellent patient care. Not just because they're smart enough, but because they exceed expectations when it comes to interacting and being hands on with a patient. Since I've tried to apply and get in somewhere for 6-7 years with average scores and I've not been granted that opportunity until now, I'm a firm believer that my interview was what made the difference and set me apart from others since I am the average candidate on paper. It MADE me stand out and say "hey, this is what I've gone through, this is what my experience is, this is why you should pick me. Hear my story and consider me." I can try to explain that in an essay all day long, but frankly, no one can see your dedication or passion for how badly you want or deserve it unless you're face to face with the people who decide your fate. Just my two cents....

 

[hopefulpt1]

I guess to me, my stats look very average or to some schools, aren't competitive enough (3.3 GPA, 3.4 pre req, 3.8 post bac). No, I don't have a stellar GPA or a 160 on each section of the GRE, but my lengthy experience, background and dedication to this field should be enough to get into a university. Again, call me crazy, but if I were a university, I would WANT to interview the students coming into the program because I want to see who has the personality to interact and succeed in providing excellent patient care. Not just because they're smart enough, but because they exceed expectations when it comes to interacting and being hands on with a patient. Since I've tried to apply and get in somewhere for 6-7 years with average scores and I've not been granted that opportunity until now, I'm a firm believer that my interview was what made the difference and set me apart from others since I am the average candidate on paper. It MADE me stand out and say "hey, this is what I've gone through, this is what my experience is, this is why you should pick me. Hear my story and consider me." I can try to explain that in an essay all day long, but frankly, no one can see your dedication or passion for how badly you want or deserve it unless you're face to face with the people who decide your fate. Just my two cents....

n=1

For every person like yourself who probably deserves to be in a program there are 10 who have average stats as well as an average personality/iffy experience. Dedication to the field itself does not entitle you to a seat in a program. Dedication to the field along with good scores is what does.

I think that the whole "I have a great personality, ACCEPT ME" thing is dangerous. I tend to think that those who have known you through shadowing experiences are better examples of how you will fair in a program and interact with others.

After all these schools' main focus is to protect their reputation and pass percentages.

 

[DPThopeful1859]

n=1

For every person like yourself who probably deserves to be in a program there are 10 who have average stats as well as an average personality/iffy experience. Dedication to the field itself does not entitle you to a seat in a program. Dedication to the field along with good scores is what does.

I think that the whole "I have a great personality, ACCEPT ME" thing is dangerous. I tend to think that those who have known you through shadowing experiences are better examples of how you will fair in a program and interact with others.

After all these schools' main focus is to protect their reputation and pass percentages.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I wasn't trying to say that personality is the only thing that matters. Do I feel like it should speak volumes when it comes to how they deal in patient interaction based situations?? Absolutely. I do agree that dedication to the field with good scores matters, but I think that's why an interview is important to see the personality AND the scores. A university could accept someone with outstanding scores, but have the personality of a wet mop. I'd much rather accept a student with pretty average scores and an excellent personality because honestly, you can teach someone measurements and protocols all day long....you can't teach personality.