Richmond, VA
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2011-12
⭐ Overall Impressions
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
7 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
7 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
6 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
💬 Interview Questions
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
Tell me about yourself. (This was asked very conversationally.)
What was the most interesting question?
Tell me about a time when you were judgmental about someone else.
What was the most difficult question?
Tell me about a challenge you faced, how you overcame it, what you learned from it, and how you applied that lesson in a subsequent situation. Despite the 'difficulty' of this question, my interviewer was very friendly about it and we "conversed" through my response.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions
How long was the interview?
60+ minutes
How did the interview impress you?
Positively 🙂
How many people interviewed you?
1
What was the stress level of the interview?
2 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What was the style of the interview?
One-on-one
What type of interview was it?
Open file
Where did the interview take place?
At the school
How did you prepare for the interview?
Read questions on SDN, researched the school.
What impressed you positively?
Happiness of students. The tour was very thorough and left me with a really great impression of the school! They even pulled a 4th year med student for us to talk to (which is somewhat unusual based on my previous interview experiences)! VCU is very "well rounded" in the sense that it is a well-known research institution and is a great place to prepare for a career as a specialist, but it is also a great place to do something like rural primary care. Also the location is great (right in downtown Richmond), with abundant affordable housing in 'hip' neighborhoods very close by!
What impressed you negatively?
Not much! There is some downtime during the interview day (up to an hour or so), but it's no big deal. Out-of-state students generally can't get in-state tuition.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Your interviewer is required to ask a set of "behavioral" questions such as "tell me about a time you were challenged" or "discuss a time you made a mistake and what you learned from it."
What are your general comments?
VCU is middle of the pack in terms of rankings/prestige, so I was very pleasantly surprised by how engaged and happy all of the students seemed! I really got the impression that the students here are satisfied with the education they are receiving AND have fulfilling lives outside of school. In addition, the interview day was well organized, and the tour was very comprehensive and enjoyable. Having no preconceived notions about the school's reputation or cost, I think VCU's interview day left me most impressed with the school, even more so than some of the more "prestigious" places I've interviewed.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Nothing really! Would be great if student host list included email addresses.
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