Boston, MA
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2009-10
⭐ Overall Impressions
How do you rank the facilities?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
9 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?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
💬 Interview Questions
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
How did you get involved in community service?
What was the most interesting question?
You mentioned [insert phrase from AMCAS application]. What did you mean by this?
What was the most difficult question?
There were no curve balls at all, so I got asked standard questions.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions
How long was the interview?
45 minutes
How did the interview impress you?
Negatively ☹️
How many people interviewed you?
2
What was the stress level of the interview?
4 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
7 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 a regional location
How did you prepare for the interview?
Read HMS's website, its viewbook, talked to my student host.
What impressed you positively?
The facilities seem great, and the simulation sessions were very, very cool. My host was wonderful, and the one other student that I got to talk to during the day (when I was lost...) was really nice and helpful when I asked her questions about campus life/culture.
What impressed you negatively?
My experience seems to be the exception rather than the norm, but I really did not enjoy my visit at all. There was very little structure to the day and a *ton* of down time, and I never got to meet any students because my interview schedule made me miss lunch *and* the tour (which are the two major opportunities to ask questions). Thus, by the time that my interviews rolled around, I was really hungry and completely unfamiliarized with the school as far as first-hand experience goes. I read a lot about it and talked about the school with my host (who was wonderful!), but that still represents all that I know about HMS. If I actually get in, I'll have to go for second look to even begin learning what the school is really like.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
1. There is NO breakfast; there are some granola bars - and water if you're lucky. So if you're going to need to commute to get to campus as I did, eat something in the morning!
2. Your interview may be scheduled during the lunch/tour. If this happens, you will not get to meet any students during the day; nor will you get to eat. Ever.
3. There are 0 scheduled events other than the introduction/tour/lunch. So prepare for lots of downtime. The admissions staff wants you to get to ''know the school,'' but it's really hard to do this if you're wholly unfamiliar with the campus (and wearing dress shoes!).
4. Your student interviewer may be a M2.
What are your general comments?
As mentioned above, I did not enjoy my visit because of the poorly planned day. I really got a sense that the admissions office did not care whether or not I thought highly of the school because (the student greeter made plainly clear), Harvard gets about 80% yield and ''everyone who gets in comes.'' I know that a lot of people place a premium onto the name of the school (and HMS is certainly quite a name). But throughout the day, I could not shake the feeling that I was not valued as a person, which was awful.
📍 On-Site Experience
What is your in-state status?
Out of state
What were your total hours spent traveling?
4-6 hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Train or subway
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
$101-$200
Where did you stay?
With students at the school
How would you rate the hotel?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
yes
Success!
School has been added to your favorites.