How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
No responses
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
No responses
How did you prepare for the interview?
SDN interview feedback, school website, reflection on expected questions, worked out at hotel night before. Make certain you are very familiar w/your seconday essay & resume. The interview is closed file and they will not have access to your gpa or mcats unless this information is referenced in your secondary app. Also be prepared with your own questions for the interview panel.
What impressed you positively?
Everything exceeded my expectations. I also expected to wait four weeks (till after holidays) to learn decision of adcom, but was thrilled to be informed of my acceptance (via message on my cell phone) just ten days after my interview. The call was a nice touch.
What impressed you negatively?
This has been mentioned often, but there is downtime in the conference room waiting for everyone to complete their interview. Breaking us into two groups was helpful and students stopped in to speak informally with us, but that part of the day did drag on. A few of the students (not official ambassadors) seemed somewhat unprofessional and immature. They did not lead my tour group.
The only other negative for me is the idea of 7:30 a.m. exams on Monday mornings; so much for family day on Sundays, we'll have to be flexible.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
I did some driving around. There are actually many options for married/family housing within a ten mile radius of school (recommended maximum commuting distance). I knew that, if accepted, I would not live on campus and was concerned that my arrangements would pose a disadvantage in my education. If I were younger and single or married without children, I do think living on campus would be enjoyable, convenient and affordable.
What are your general comments?
Overall, a very pleasant experience and a well-organized day. I felt comfortable and welcome. The admissions staff provides coffee, juice, water and snacks in the library atrium. I stayed at the Comfort Inn the night before. Was a bit worried that it would be a dump, but it was actually very nice and a shuttle to campus is available starting at 7am. I drove myself and was in the parking garage in under 10 minutes. There was an intro by admissions staff, a welcome and brief Q/A by the dean (a very bright, fun and open person) and then our group of 12 split up. Group A did interviews first; group B did financial aid talk and tour first; then we met again in conference room and switched. The downtime occurs when group A has finished their tour and group B is still interviewing. You cannot leave the room for long, as it is not certain when everyone will be finished. Admissions person gave some concluding remarks and told us that the adcom meeting date was not set, but would occur "soon, before Christmas". We were then dismissed with the student hosts to a complementary lunch in the cafeteria. This is optional, but for me it was a chance to spend more time with the students and absorb the atmosphere of the school. If it had not been so cold and dismal the day of my interview, I would have remained on campus after lunch for more exploration and people watching.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
No responses
