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In case you're wondering if you should stay with a student host when interviewing, here are a couple of experiences I had:
School A:
I arrived in the afternoon and after introductions and unpacking my suit, the student gave me a driving tour of the town, including locations where many other students find apartments. Next he took me on a walking tour of some nice places near where he lived, and I treated him to dinner at a really good pub. All this time I had the chance to ask him about the school and life in the city. He also seemed to pride himself on helping applicants get accepted and helped prepare me for the interview by asking some common questions and critiquing my answers from the school's perspective. I welcomed this because it was my first interview. He also mentioned one question that I hadn't considered asking, but when I did at both my interviews so far, the interviewers seemed happy that I had asked it. After dinner he introduced me to 10 or so other students who I got to know, watch interact with each other, and ask questions of. By the end of the day I felt like I had a good concept of the school's vibe, had made some connections (ex. I met the son of the faculty member I ate lunch with the next day, etc.) and knew enough to help me ask better questions during interviews.
School B:
Again, I arrived in the afternoon and the student took me out to a med student picnic where I met around 30 other med students who were happy to answer any questions I had and shared their perspectives. Again, it was great to hear from so many students from all classes, see how diverse the class was on social occasions, and see how they interact with each other. I left with a good idea of the school's vibe. After the picnic, my host took me on a tour of some of the more interesting parts of town, then a tour of the campus.
The student host experience is a great way to get the inside scoop on a school. You'll be able to better evaluate the school, and during interviews you'll come across as more knowledgeable about and interested in the institution.
If all this student interaction before the interview sounds intimidating to you, try to see it from a different perspective. The interview is an important way for schools to see what kind of person you are. Meeting tons of students can help make you more comfortable interacting with members of the school, and if you are relaxed during interviews I think you'll come across as more confident and approachable.
School A:
I arrived in the afternoon and after introductions and unpacking my suit, the student gave me a driving tour of the town, including locations where many other students find apartments. Next he took me on a walking tour of some nice places near where he lived, and I treated him to dinner at a really good pub. All this time I had the chance to ask him about the school and life in the city. He also seemed to pride himself on helping applicants get accepted and helped prepare me for the interview by asking some common questions and critiquing my answers from the school's perspective. I welcomed this because it was my first interview. He also mentioned one question that I hadn't considered asking, but when I did at both my interviews so far, the interviewers seemed happy that I had asked it. After dinner he introduced me to 10 or so other students who I got to know, watch interact with each other, and ask questions of. By the end of the day I felt like I had a good concept of the school's vibe, had made some connections (ex. I met the son of the faculty member I ate lunch with the next day, etc.) and knew enough to help me ask better questions during interviews.
School B:
Again, I arrived in the afternoon and the student took me out to a med student picnic where I met around 30 other med students who were happy to answer any questions I had and shared their perspectives. Again, it was great to hear from so many students from all classes, see how diverse the class was on social occasions, and see how they interact with each other. I left with a good idea of the school's vibe. After the picnic, my host took me on a tour of some of the more interesting parts of town, then a tour of the campus.
The student host experience is a great way to get the inside scoop on a school. You'll be able to better evaluate the school, and during interviews you'll come across as more knowledgeable about and interested in the institution.
If all this student interaction before the interview sounds intimidating to you, try to see it from a different perspective. The interview is an important way for schools to see what kind of person you are. Meeting tons of students can help make you more comfortable interacting with members of the school, and if you are relaxed during interviews I think you'll come across as more confident and approachable.
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