Withdraw from Interview?

[doremi2010]

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I've been invited to interview at 4 schools so far and just got my 5th interview invite. I'm really happy and thankful about how my app cycle is going. The thing is, with the cycle still being early, and that I am getting all these invites, I feel like I will be getting more later on, and to schools I like much better. This last invite is from a school that is not on the top of my list, but I wouldn't mind going to.

I would like to save money to go to interview at schools I like much better, and I don't know how much time off I can take off from work. Would it be dumb to turn down this interview, or is there a way I can postpone it until later, when I have an acceptance in hand and can be more picky? Thanks!

 

[EpicBearMan]

Congratulations on your interviews!

I personally won't be withdrawing from any interviews until I have an acceptance. I've one interview so far myself, and would be able to reschedule for later if I wished, so you probably would be able to postpone your interviews too. Keep in mind that later interviews won't have as much of an advantage due to rolling admissions. You could also think of the first interviews as expensive practice runs . By the time you get invites from your top choices, you will be ready to nail the interview.

 

[Tabicakes]

I've been invited to interview at 4 schools so far and just got my 5th interview invite. I'm really happy and thankful about how my app cycle is going. The thing is, with the cycle still being early, and that I am getting all these invites, I feel like I will be getting more later on, and to schools I like much better. This last invite is from a school that is not on the top of my list, but I wouldn't mind going to.

I would like to save money to go to interview at schools I like much better, and I don't know how much time off I can take off from work. Would it be dumb to turn down this interview, or is there a way I can postpone it until later, when I have an acceptance in hand and can be more picky? Thanks!

I know what you mean. I've had 5 invites too, inlcuding 1 from TCOM, an osteopathic school. TCOM was really was just a backup option for me, and I ended up cancelling the interview. Looking back, I'm glad I did - I saved lots of time and money.

Good luck whatever you decide!🙂

 

[cubssox2000]

Do not withdraw from an interview until you have an acceptance in hand. You never know which schools you don't think you will like will really surprise you at the interview (and vice versa).

 

[zer0crew]

Have you considered interviewing at one of your second choice schools first? I know it sounds a bit ridiculous to spend two days, fly out there and go through the whole interview process with no real intention of matriculating there, but think of it this way;

Do you really want your do you top-choic med school interview to be your first-ever med school interview?

Only reason I bring this up is a friend of mine had their first interview at their top choice school last year and they felt like they totally botched it because they just weren't prepared for such a high stakes interview.

I know it seems like such a waste of time/money, but on the other hand, it is a pretty big decision... Just some food for thought!

 

[BullDog4Eva]

I know a Harvard graduate with 7 interviews and no acceptances. Moral of the story: multiple interviews does not guarantee at least one acceptance.

In the least, do not turn down any interviews until you've gotten accepted to a school you like better than the school you will be interviewing.

 

[Kaustikos]

I know a Harvard graduate with 7 interviews and no acceptances. Moral of the story: multiple interviews does not guarantee at least one acceptance.

In the least, do not turn down any interviews until you've gotten accepted to a school you like better than the school you will be interviewing.

Good advice

 

[Barcu]

Do not withdraw from an interview until you have an acceptance in hand. You never know which schools you don't think you will like will really surprise you at the interview (and vice versa).

I agree with this.

Congrats on all the early interview invites! I think these show that you are a great candidate, and assuming you interview well, may be looking at multiple acceptances.

HOWEVER, an interview invite does not equal an acceptance. An interview means that the school likes you enough to accept you, but schools will sometimes accept only a fraction of those who interview. Time and money wasted now will be much better than needing to apply again next year. Once you get that one acceptance, you can be more picky. But, I would really recommend waiting until then.

And this poster brought up another good point about falling in love with a school while visiting on an interview. You never know which school out there is perfect for you until you go. You should really try to go to as many as your budget (both financial and time) will allow.

 

[DrDrummer]

I'm trying to deal with this by staggering submission of secondaries, which hopefully will allow me to get some interviews after November 15th, when I'll know whether or not I got a pre-match acceptance here in TX.

It's frustrating and expensive, having to take time off of work, but I feel like to turn down or withdraw from a school at this point in the game would be presumptuous, bordering on arrogant. I absolutely do not want to look back in a year, after I'm rejected or waitlisted at the schools I've interviewed at, and wish that I'd spent $200 to fly out to some school that maybe wasn't my # 1 choice originally, and then have to spend thousands of dollars to reapply.

 

[Neurofanatic]

I would personally accept the invite. It's just not worth looking back and wondering if you just went to that other interview if you would be reapplying. Plus as others have said you that school could be the one you fall in love with.

 

[swamprat]

Yeah don't cancel interviews until you have an acceptance letter. Last year I started getting interview invites from places not on the top of my list but I applied broadly just in case and I had gotten more invites than I expected. Needless to say I played games a bit, moving interviews back etc, but once I got that first acceptance I sent out a buncha emails thanking them for the invite but that I was no longer interested. Just try and push the interview back back back preferably after oct 15th if u can..

 

[DrBowtie]

#1 rule: Don't turn down any interviews until you have an acceptance.

The goal is getting accepted. Don't let a little bit of success get to your head.

I was only 25% conversion of interview -> acceptance

 

[doremi2010]

Thanks everyone for all your advice. I guess the consensus is to not withdraw, so I'm probably gonna try to push it back until after Oct. 15th if I can. I am just getting stressed with how expensive this process is, and being able to take time off from work when everything is just happening at the same time.

 

[wanderer]

I wonder, does pushing an interview until after October 15th signal to that school that you are not that interested in them? They must realize you have multiple interviews and would therefore expect to hear back from a few places on or around October 15th.

 

[gravitywave]

fair enough, but this is a point in your life at which you really, really need to commit. you need to spend the money on these interviews. you need to manage your work situation so that you can make these interviews happen.

this is your future we're talking about, the rest is your past.

 

[ronaldo23]

I wonder, does pushing an interview until after October 15th signal to that school that you are not that interested in them? They must realize you have multiple interviews and would therefore expect to hear back from a few places on or around October 15th.

no i don't think that is the case at all. Just make up some BS excuse like you will be in the area in November interviewing at a place close by in and that you want to minimize travel costs, or that your job/ECs/school schedule makes it impossible to interview before then.