@BSMD3170 From our experience if you are selected for an interview, you have a certain ranking going in based on what you have submitted so far (test scores, GPA, supplement essay, recommendations etc…). So lets say there is 50 people invited for the intervew, what I just stated previously will rank you somewhere between 1 and 50. The interview is the final piece of the puzzle. Depending on how you do, your ranking will either increase, decrease or stay the same. So if the program in question accepts the top 25 and you are going in ranked 49 you need to have a solid interview and hope those ranked higher than you don’t have a very good interview to make it into that top 25 to be offered admission. The X factor in this whole situation is the candidate has no idea where they are ranked going into the interview. As someone said earlier the interview is where the deck gets reshuffled…
Again for the programs my DC interviewed at this is what we saw. Others may have a different opinion.
@BSMD3170 This topic came up few times earlier, most recently this week itself, if you have the patience to go back and check. There are different insights shared. Right now, echoing what @Empire007 has articulated above. But I am not comfortable with the deck reshuffling analogy (meaning everything starts fresh now). I believe the interview is the icing on the cake, not the whole cake itself. Hope the analogy is appropriate.
In other words, I personally believe interview is A factor but not THE factor in most places. How much of A factor varies from program to program. Do your best. GL.
@ADMission18 Is that protocal program specific or across the board? Because what I said was essentially what was communicated at the schools we went to in the introductory session to us when parents and students were met by the program coordinators prior to the interview actually beginning.
Just so i am understanding cause what you said does make a lot of sense
So the file review score is your score going in prior to interview, the interview score is as it says your score on the interview and the composite score is the addition of the two?
From that point it becomes a subjective decision it seems so I guess that is the X factor that I was unaware of.
@BSMD3170 & @suecollege Just for information / curiosity purpose, no harm in trying to understand how the selection works. But no one will publish officially how it works and it differs from program to program. But more important is, how does it help or prepare any one for the interview, knowing there are 3 possible states.
Everything ignored and interview carries 100% weight for admission selection.
Interview is significant (let us say > 60%)
Interview is yet another factor along with all other 4-5 factors in the final selection.
My take is, just prepare and do well for the interview irrespective of the program selection process. Be you are and don’t worry about the outcome. GL.
On our very limited personal experience felt interview carried a significant weight. Again, do I know for sure. NO. Just a feeling.
Whatever it may be, I am at least consistent with what I believe and say. You seem to give different views on different days of the week, so with all due respect, may be you should pause to collect your thoughts and communicate in a better manner for the benefit of everyone here. Good luck to you too.
Interviews basically help BS/MD programs to get the RIGHT students.
(interview questions will clarify the qualifications of candidates directly,
e.g. essays and short answers might or might not totally come from candidates, it is very easy to unveil the REAL thoughts of candidates through interview questions.)
Be yourself will be fine.
(We VERIFY a diamond quality before we purchase it, don’t we?)
There’s no need for some of the personal attacks. I appreciate all the feedback from the commenters and find them extremely helpful. I believe the information are shared with good intentions and comes from experience. Thanks.
Right now is perhaps the most stressful time in the entire process, between the anxiety of waiting for an interview call or the anxiety of wondering how your interview is going to go. From my experience it takes a toll on the entire family. Senior year of HS for most kids is a way to wind down and enjoy life, for BSMD applicants it is long, tedious and nerve wracking time. These kids are all outstanding candidates as well as outstanding human beings many of whom made it this far through the support of their outstanding families. If you have made it to the interview at this point prepare the best you can and just be yourself as said by @bsmdegree and let the chips fall where they may. If your not genuine most seasoned interviewers will detect that anyway. My best to all.
@BSMD2018 we are in same boat for both Penn State and BU. Neither interview call nor rejection. Wish colleges at least inform candidates not selected for interview, so that they can move on.
For the Brown PLME, Brown conducts alumni interviews for all of its candidates, right? My DS had his interview with a graduate of the PLME program this week.