How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.44 | 64 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 51 |
| Negatively | 5 |
| No change | 8 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.73 | 60 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.28 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.31 | 39 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 0 |
| 25 minutes | 2 |
| 30 minutes | 9 |
| 35 minutes | 1 |
| 40 minutes | 6 |
| 45 minutes | 16 |
| 50 minutes | 7 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 24 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 65 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 63 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 60 |
| Closed file | 3 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.44 | 64 |
"NDA"
"Can't say"
"Can't say! Signed an NDA."
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Tell me about your research in X. Have you thought about what your academic concentration be? Why Stanford? Detailed research questions. "
"Tell me about X activity"
"Tell me about ____ in your file, etc."
"Tell me about your research (asked very specific questions in response to my answer)."
"Faculty Interviewer #1: When did you get into Stanford? What do your parents and siblings do? What is your family history like? What are you doing currently? Why did you decide to take a year off? How do you feel about your undergraduate education? Can you tell me about an interesting clinical experience that you had? What kind of specialty would you like to go into? What are your career goals and how will you get there? How do your goals relate to your interest in Stanford? Can you tell me about (specific volunteer experience) and how it relates to your decision to go into medicine? Have I covered everything that you wanted to get across during this interview?"
"Student interview: Tell me about XXX in your file. Faculty: How to fix US healthcare system?"
"Specifics about Stanford's curriculum, P/F system, extra research years. Do you think doctors should be paid more than other professions? Some thought-provoking questions specific to my activities and research. "
"Why medicine/why Stanford?"
"How did you accomplish (leadership experience)?"
"What do you want to specialize in?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"What does your father/mother/sibling do? Where do they work? What education do they have? "
"Why PUBLIC HEALTH?"
"What do you know about Prop71 in California? What are some of the ethical concerns raised by people about human embryonic stem cell research and are they valid points in science? (I work with hES cells, so I assume that's why he asked such a direct question)"
"Tell me about your research experiences."
"nothing really stands out, standard stuff"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 or 15 years / What kind of medicine will you practice?"
"For the most part, I was asked to elaborate upon stuff in my AMCAS... that's pretty much it. Except for the "nature of the universe" question."
"Do you read the NY Times?"
"Elaborate on your research. Do you want to stay in a similar lab in med school?"
"see above."
"What do you see as the weakness of your application?"
"Tell me about your research (one guy only asked me about research). At the end i asked him if he wanted to ask me about activities or other things, and he said he had read my app."
"Why Stanford?"
"tell me about yourself."
"Why are you so passionate about social justice, education, and health care?"
"What area of medicine do you see yourself in (asked over and over until I said something specific)?"
"Tell me about yourself..."
"Describe your research/independent study"
"Describe you research and work experiences and your level of contribution/commitment."
"Tell me about your research in words I can understand."
"What do you like and dislike about your undergrad school?"
"why medicine?"
"Why medicine? Why Stanford?"
"Why medical school and not graduate school in the computational sciences?"
"Why Stanford? "
"Why medicine? Why medicine at Stanford?"
"Tell me about your family."
"What are your hobbies/interests?"
"How did you decide to return to school?"
"do you want to do academic medicine?"
"How would you deal with a patient who disagreed with what you said?"
"Student interviewer asked the generic questions + questions specific to my application"
"What do you anticipate as the greatest challenges in your career in medicine? What would be a nightmare experience with a doctor for you?"
"Tell me about your volunteer work?"
"How did you arrive at the decision to pursue medicine"
"NDA"
"Tell me about activity x?"
"Tell me about your family and upbringing. "
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Tell me about your research"
"What is it about Stanford, that draws you here?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Faculty Interviewer #2: Tell me about yourself. What is the biggest challenge that you have had to overcome? What do you like to do for fun? Why medicine? Why Stanford? What specialty would you like to go into? We had a very thorough discussion on the pros and cons of the current health care system, how our system compares to others, possible solutions as well as weaknesses of each solution, and what I thought was the best system for us to have. What are you looking forward to in medical school? What are some of the difficulties that you can think of? A discussion of Stanford's curriculum and environment. Do you have any questions for me?"
"Student: Was there any way you were disadvantaged as a child? (I wasn't. I never said I was. This was kind of awkward...) Faculty: Tell me about you... beginning from birth! (Funner way to answer the same question)"
"Student interview. A casual, thorough conversation about everything that I wanted to emphasize. Included research, volunteering, shadowing, motivations for medicine, why Stanford, other hobbies, etc. Then I asked him questions about his experience there."
"Tell me about such and such activity."
"Tell me about your family."
"What scholarly concentration do you think you would do?"
"How did you decide on medicine?"
"Why not MSTP? (came up in both interviews)"
"How do u wanna fix world's healthcare problem? "
"Do you see yourself as a leader in medicine? Why? Is academic medicine the field you want to lead in? (Stanford doesn't look to train family practice docs, and this is kinda a trap if you say no to ...even though people who want to go into family practice do come out...just not what they initially look for)"
"Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?"
"Tell me about your community service activities."
"Any info not on your app that you want to add? Who are you off the paper?"
"Why medicine? How do you know you like working with patients? "
"Who do you think wrote you the strongest LOR and why?"
"What are some advantages and D/A's of being in the medical field?"
"What kind of career do you envision for yourself?"
"What research are you doing now?"
"why did you decide to take time off before medical school? do you feel this will put you at a disadvantage?"
"Describe your career goals, as they relate to the preparation that you will receive while being at Stanford."
"Tell me about your research..."
"You talk a lot about your family in your application, how do you think they shaped who you are now and why you want to go into medicine?"
"What kind of medicine do you intend to practice and what previous experience have you had in this field? (In other words, how do your previous or current volunteer activities tie in with your future practice of medicine?)"
"What is your favorite book and why?"
"What roles did you take in your research? (Both my student and faculty interviewer asked that. It's probably something that comes up a lot at Stanford's interview)"
"Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"
"What was the most recent book you have read?"
"Tell me about your Russian literature class. What was the latest book you've read?"
"Describe yourself in three words?"
"Have you read any books lately?"
"I was asked a lot of questions about my family, husband etc."
"what was the last book you read?"
"Tell me more about the project you did for this bio class (hard b/c apparently it was mentioned in one of my letters and i had forgotten about it)"
"Why Stanford"
"What did you learn from your study abroad experience?"
"Why Stanford?"
"Tell me about your background"
"NDA"
"Why would Stanford be a good fit?"
"Conversation about coming out to California"
"Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"
"Can you tell me about your life starting from the very beginning?"
"Where else have you interviewed? What would make you choose Stanford over any of those schools?"
"Both: Are you interested in academic medicine? "
"What do you think about moving to the West Coast?"
"What was your home town like?"
"Tell me more about your research. "
"What path will you take in medicine? Why Stanford?"
"What do you do for fun? Hobbies?"
"What is ur weakness/strength?"
"What do you know about some of the leading research here at Stanford? Do you know who any of the Nobel prize winners were here this year or what they did their research on? (I had tons of research experience, and I think they were just gauging my interest and how knowledgeable I was in the research field with my background)"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Will you be continuing research in med school?"
"What questions do you have for me?"
"What would you bring to Stanford that should make us accept you rather than all of the other amazing Nobel Peace Prize-winning applicants?"
"Tell me about your family."
"What do you do for fun?"
"Tell me about your research...have you done clinical research? or just bench? etc etc. Sorry this is so long, but there are no other posts for the school that really say much."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"why stanford versus any other medical school?"
"Why is diversity so important to you? Define in what ways do you feel Stanford will provide a diverse educational experience"
"Which scholarly concentration are you interested in and why?"
"Why MD/PhD?"
"Would you ever work for a non-profit organization/clinic?"
"Describe some clinical experiences you've had and what impressions they made on you."
"Where do you see yourself 20 years from now?"
"How do you see yourself in ten years? (Again, both my interviewers asked that. Stanford states explicitly that it's interested in people who will do more than clinical care, preferably being leaders in a health care field)"
"where do you see yourself in 10 yrs?"
"What type of research would you like to do here?"
"Tell me about a good book that you've read recently."
"Very specific questions about my background and philosophy"
"What are some of your hobbies?"
"How will you handle stress in medical school?"
"Why Stanford?"
"list the positives/negatives of medicine"
"What's the biggest problem in health care. How would you solve it. Are you planning to do 5 years?"
"Explain your thesis / current research to me as if I were in 7th grade. "
"Tell me about your research interets"
"I got asked to discuss a problem in an interviewer's lab."
"why medicine and not law?"
"If a patient was brain dead and on life support, how would you make the decision on whether or not to discontinue life support?"
"What makes Stanford different?"
"N/A"
"How do you think the curriculum design suits you learning style?"
"Faculty Interviewer #2: How do you think your parents feel about your accomplishments? Are your siblings as self motivated as you?"
"What will be your biggest challenge in coming to medical school?"
"Tell me about your hometown"
"Nothing too unique, just talk about my activities."
"Why did you choose the school you chose? Why Stanford? What is your take on the current health care debate?"
"How would you overhaul the US medical system? How do you think our system compares to those in other nations around the world? "
"What is your favorite style of art? (oil painting is one of my hobbies)"
"Which medical schools do you think have unimpressive programs?"
"Why am i doing this research? What is your long term goal? How it relates to it?"
"How did your mother's kidneys fail? (asked by a Urologist)"
"Nothing super-exciting...just the standard questions."
"nothing"
"Asking me to explore my family background and how it has affected me."
"if you could change something about your time in school, what would it be?"
"nothing really atypical..."
"What do you think is the basis of the universe? (No, seriously, I got asked this.)"
"Do you read the NY Times? Any other papers?"
"Nothing particularly interesting. The questions were very open ended. "
"What do you see as something you might have a problem with in the future as a physcian?"
"Stanford looks for leaders, so tell me about your leadership roles."
"One of my interviewers seemed to really know my file inside and out. He picked out a "theme" in my activities and life that I didn't even think I stressed in the app and then asked me to elaborate on it. It was more like a mentoring session really!"
"Because it was match day and first and second years were having exams, I had two faculty interviewers as opposed to one student and one faculty. Both of my researchers mainly wanted to talk about my research. My guess is they are trying to get a feel for how you'd fit in their program. "
"I have an ankle injury, do you think I should run in the upcoming marathon? (note: talked briefly about my running)"
"what can you offer in terms of diversity as a student at stanford?"
"Why do you want to become a leader in the field of academic medicine, and how would Stanford ensure you that you will achieve this goal? "
"Nothing too interesting..."
"Can't remember."
"Questions about my research. The long length led to some of the more interesting questions I've ever been asked along the way, asking about different ways to approach my research/how I would expand upon it."
"Tell me more specifics about statistics you used in your research a very long time ago"
"What kind of research or scholarly pursuit would you like to engage in at Stanford?"
"How would you apply the principles of music to medicine? Explain why you think the vocabulary of science is precise. Why do you think the patient asked you, a student who is not a medical doctor, to write down a medical term for her? *related to a shadowing experience."
"Nothing really, the questions are rather generic"
"tell me about yourself (the first question asked). no further explanation given. i started blabbering about my politcal views, and had no clue if that's what he wanted to hear."
"What were you like as a child? Did you rebel as a teenager?"
"A question specific to my research (what do you think are the pitfalls associated with such a theoretical/computational approach to protein folding?)"
"Most of the questions related specifically to my file."
"Out of all the people you've met in your travel abroad, pick one person and tell me about him/her."
"As a female, do you foresee any difficulties in going into medicine?"
"How hard did you study for the MCAT? (The interviewer asked because I did all of my prerequisites at a community college, did fairly well on the MCAT, and he was wondering if I actually learned the material there or if I studied 100/wk-it was the former)"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"none that really stood out..."
"Can't remember. Know your application inside and out; I had to explain my personal statement almost line by line. Be prepared for some unexpected questions. I was not asked "Why Stanford" or "Why medicine" or "Tell me about yourself"."
"Tell me about your family: father, sisters, grandparents (interesting b/c no other interviewer had asked me that before)"
"What do you look for in a medical school? Tell me about your research. "
"Explain your research to me as if i were in seventh grade."
"No real questions... most questions kinda just started with "tell me about your experience with _____ " and then everything just flowed from there. I heard however, that some others that day were asked ethical questions."
"no interesting questions, just questions related to my research/ other activites"
"I got asked to discuss a problem in an interviewer's lab."
"Detailed research questions: What temperature are your samples stored at, what issues have you encountered in your research, what future considerations are you looking toward, I think you and your PI are wasting your time: Justify your research project."
"Which of your recommenders knows you best?"
"N/A"
"What do you think will be the most difficult thing about med school?"
"Faculty Interviewer #1: Can you name a researcher that won the Nobel Prize for his work on ATP?"
"How to fix the US healthcare system? How do systems in other countries compare?"
"Healthcare system / how to fix?"
"How do you feel about assisted suicide?"
"see above."
"Some detailed questions about my secondary application essay. "
"Pros and cons of medicine?"
"Which medical schools do you think have unimpressive programs?"
"You say you like research, why Public health then?"
"Why didn't you have more clinical experience?"
"We have many of the top candidates in the country apply here...what do you bring to the entering class that makes you a better choice than many of the other candidates we have this year."
"nothing"
"Honestly no difficult questions. The interviews were very conversational and specific to my file."
"a follow-up to my answer to the previous"
"specific questions about my research by my faculty interviewer. if you've done research, make sure you are ready to talk about it intelligently."
"What would be the hardest thing for you to do as a physician?"
"Who are you off the paper?"
"I see you have all this research- why medicine instead of research? Why MD instead of MD/PhD or PhD. "
"What do you see as the differences between Stanford and UCSF?"
"Why should Stanford accept you?"
"What would you like me to tell the admission's committee about yourself?"
"I already know all about your outside activities by reading your application, but tell me how these will help you as a physician."
"stanford's goal is to produce leaders in the medical field. in what way do you see yourself becoming a leader?"
"How do you expect to serve your community -- Latinos -- by being far and remote from them (i.e. working in an academic medicine center?"
"... or too difficult"
"After already explaining why I want to go into medicine in a previous question, my interviewer then explicitly asked me why I wanted to go into medicine. I felt like what I just said was unintelligable."
"Nothing overly difficult."
"very specific question about my research"
"Nothing really, most of the questions had to do with my level of involvement in the different activities I had listed on my application."
"Why would you want to continue here (undergrad and med school)?"
"What makes you stand out from all the other applicants? If both you and your friend apply for one spot in med school, who do you think should take the spot?"
"what is a weakness or failing of yours?"
"Hypothetical situation about a patient and how I would get them to change unhealthy habits."
"Same as above"
"What makes you special?"
"None."
"The open ended question, "tell me about yourself" was the most difficut for me because i felt like I rambled "
"No difficult questions."
"What is your impression of Stanford?"
"Why you? What will you bring to the class? How are you diverse? What on your application are you most proud of? Describe a problem you had and how you overcame it. What rae the difficulties faced by physicians today?"
"Compare your two research projects."
"none, it was a very casual conversation. the interviewers knew my application already (my other interviews had been blind so it was a little different) so they had specific questions in mind."
"Strengths and weaknesses"
"Question based on book we had both read about cultural differences affecting medical care."
"None"
"A lot of MMI prep"
"Read up on MMI"
"Looked up MMI materials available online, especially related to McMaster University. These were very helpful in feeling prepared for the types of prompts to expect, though every MMI is different."
"SDN, website, secondary"
"SDN, school website"
"School website, SDN"
"Reviewed my secondary."
"School's website, read up on Scholarly Concentration, SDN, reviewed application"
"Previous interviewing experience, MSAR, SDN, School's Website, and Some research into the ethics of medicine."
"SDN, health policy, AMCAS file, prepared answers to standard questions."
"School's website, talked to students"
"Read up a lot on the curriculum and read over my application."
"I lived my life for the past twenty-some years, so I assumed I could talk about it."
"School's website, talking to current students"
"Read my secondary, my thesis, SDN, AMCAS and reviewed my publications"
"SMS website"
"Read about Stanford, reread my application, prepared questions to ask. "
"SDN, Stanford website, review my application. I highly suggest that you learn about the program and the school as much as you can before the interview. "
"Nothing, coz I am not interested in going to Stanford."
"Website, MSAR, and conversations with students."
"Mostly just knew my AMCAS backwards and forwards, as all of my interviewers notes were based on interesting little facts and things I said in my essays and activities sections. Also read up on a lot of the schools achievements and interesting facts."
"read website, Bodenheimer's book, read this site"
"SDN, school website, previous interviews"
"going on lots of interviews prior to this one"
"reviewed app, read about the curriculum, talked to a couple current students"
"Re-read AMCAS application"
"SDN, reviewed website"
"SDN, reviewed application"
"reread my application/secondary, looked at school's website, read interview feedback"
"Website and MSAR"
"Really read up on their program, there are so many intricate aspects of this "do-it-yourself" type curriculum. Talked to current med students and looked at the "why stanford is awesome" webpage"
"Read my application, went over med.stanford.edu...basically tried to formulate my answer of "why stanford?" which was asked by both interviewers (that's a standard question at the school)"
"stanford.edu and talked with current students"
"thoroughly reviewed sms website, read over http://medicologic.com/stanford/convince.htm and healthprofessions.org, and reread application/research material."
"1. Read Stanford's program, overview, mission, goals, and innitiatives. 2. knew my application very well. 3. talked to current stanford medical students. 4. got in touch with the admissions counselors. 5. participated at SUMMA. "
"SDN, school website, re-read secondary"
"I read up on Stanford's curriculum; it was also my sixth interviews, so I was well-practiced"
"Went to all of the ones before this one"
"I reviewed my application, secondary and went to the website: http://www.stanford.edu/~ralphc/convince.htm which is very accurate and an amazing resource."
"Read website, learned about programs"
"This was my ninth interview, so I was pretty comfortable with the generic questions. I checked out http://www.stanford.edu/~ralphc/convince.htm and spoke with my student host."
"Read my personal statement, talked to 1st years, researched labs at the med school, tried to chill out"
"Read up on my research reports (Stanford's big on research experience) and my secondary essays"
"talked to my friends at stanford; checked out med.stanford.edu; read my PS and 2ndary essays"
"Read Stanford website, my AMCAS and secondary. Talked with current students."
"SDN; reviewed my amcas and secondary"
"This was my last interview so I just re-read my application to refresh."
"SDN website, read up on my research, knew my AMCAS and secondary."
"Read Understanding Public Policy, my application, and the website."
"Read SDN, went over my application."
"read SDN; talked to alumns from my undergrad"
"Reveiwed primary & secondary apps., scoured the website"
"It was my tenth so I kind of had answers to most of the questions."
"I didn't."
"Read Stanford website, read SDN."
"read over my application."
"Read about Stanford program"
"This site, 8th interview so not much prep"
"Read some books, questioned myself and my motives"
"reviewed my application, read up on some ethical/health policy issues"
"The facilities at the school were amazing, the opportunity to do interdisciplinary research or obtain a dual-degree in any of Stanford's other excellent programs, and the people - the students were genuinely excited to meet the interviewees and took a lot of time out of their day to talk to us."
"Flexmed curriculum"
"Amazing research opportunities, lots of money for students"
"Friendliness and contentment of the student body. Focus on innovation. Abundant research opportunities. Gorgeous campus. Evident prosperity of the school."
"Smallness of the class, how happy everyone was, there's tons of money for students"
"The campus is gorgeous, especially the undergraduate campus. Feels like you're on vacation. The low debt and lots of research funding are really appealing as well. Students giving the tour were really friendly and helpful. "
"Incredibly friendly, unbelievable research resources, low student loans!"
"Everything. Stanford is amazing"
"The new building and financial aid."
"Absolutely gorgeous campus, super friendly people, happy med students, good financial aid, myriad opportunities for research (in any area you may be interested in), decent on campus housing"
"The personal attention that I received during the whole day. The fact that the school was continually building and improving itself. The awesome tour guides. The school's willingness to help its students financially, although some of it comes from the student performing additional research through MedScholars or becoming a Teaching Assistant. The tremendous opportunities available here. The friendliness of the Admissions Staff. Only 4 students per cadaver in a decent anatomy lab. The option for self-motivated students to design a pace that is good for them, but this could be a negative as well."
"Pass/Fail system, happy students, access to research resources, generous financial aid, beautiful location, old-school gross anatomy labs (not necessarily in priority order)"
"Friendly students, stress free environment, and seemingly limitless resources to do whatever you want. Very flexible curriculum"
"The facilities are fantastic, and the students are very relaxed. Four-year P/F curriculum and a very strong emphasis on research. The entire campus is absolutely gorgeous. Fantastic financial aid."
"The facilities are beautiful. The location is beautiful. I have never met so many happy people. I would be standing alone for no more than 30 seconds before a med student would come over and start talking to me about how much they loved their lives and how great Stanford is."
"The student body is very enthusiastic, the faculty is very supportive, the curriculum is very flexible, there are great opportunities for research."
"Stanford is incredible. They did an amazing job of pairing me with interviewers with similar interests. The school offers great financial aid (avg debt ~$60,000) and has an overwhelming focus on research, which I liked. The facilities are amazing. My visit made this school my top choice, even over Harvard (where I also interviewed). "
"The student interviewer was awesome; the area is amazing-my first time to CA from the east coast-it was like paradise; admissions counselour is very responsive, only a handful of interviewees (usually 4-8 only per day), the cool palm tree road"
"The enthusiasm of the student body, the wealth of resources for research, travel, clinical work (mentors, financial), the genuine kindness of admissions staff, concentrations and academies program. "
"My second interviewer is very encouraging, i like her. The hospitals are very nice."
"The campus is probably the most beautiful in the US. The Office of Student Affairs was far more personable than the other schools I've been too. I've interviewed at several top ten schools and this was all around the best experience. "
"The amount of money that this school has! It's a private university with tons of huge donors that make most of the school look amazing. Med student resources top-notch."
"facilities, flowers, students, financial aid, and the WEATHER"
"The amazing facilities, how nice the admissions staff was, and the bay area!"
"this school is like a fantasy camp, i dont think i have to explain much more than that. it would be painful to turn it down."
"flexible curriculum, P/F (aka pass now, pass later), videotaped lectures available online, lots of financial aid, great campus, happy students..."
"How happy the students are, the weather, the curriculum (well, at least I like it), the flexibility, the myriad of reserach opportunities, pass-fail is awesome, financial aid is great (if you don't care about merit-based aid)"
"Very low student debt, happy students, gorgeous campus, great weather"
"The students were very enthusiastic and happy. Med Scholars provides lots of money for research, and debt is low. The campus is gorgeous, and the weather is great. Yummy lunch with custom-made sandwiches. "
"the students seem to really love the school, the new research buildings are very nice, the school has tons of money to pay you for research, travel, and teaching "
"There are so many opportunities to be involved in resaerch, community service, and believe it or not make money at it. The finacial aid is incredible. Also the students seem happier with the P/F system."
"Almost everything. It's my first choice and the best fit for my personality. I like that they allow students to grow on their own."
"Some of the new facilities and the friendliness of the faculty (you have to go to your interviews...and both of mine were in basements of old buildings...but people knew i was interviewing by my suit and would offer to point me in the right way)"
"everything"
"warm and welcoming nature of admissions staff, enthusiastic and diverse students (about half take time off), opportunities for research, community outreach, and teaching, financial aid, flexibility of curriculum, ability to individualize study, p/f grading all four years, videotaped lectures, SWEAT, pre-maltriculation program, beautiful campus connected to undergrad, my interview group."
"The laid-back feeling, unlimited opportunities, friendliness, beautiful weather, research, clinical training, and STUDENT BODY DIVERSITY!!!!!"
"It is simply beautiful there. The location is great because you have all the advantages of close cities (SF, San Jose etc) without having to live in one. The tour was informative, and the facilities were beautiful. The meetings with the assistant dean and financial aid counselor were a great opportunity to find out additional information. And the financial aid really is among the best. Further, the assistant dean told me that since the scholarly concentration program is so new (2 years old), the current tendency of students to take 5 years may dissipate as the kinks work out from the transition to the new curriculum."
"The weather, the up-beat students, pass/fail grading, new hospital/clinical/research buildings, and the weather."
"Research. Although there aren't as many faculty members here as there are at many other schools, the quality is outstanding across the board. Also their focus on integrative approaches to Research and BioX. Also, the weather might be impossible to beat."
"Stanford is an amazing school and what impressed me the most is that the students were so cool, so laid back, so friendly and willing to talk/help... despite the fact that they happen to attend one of the very best Medical Schools in the world. The campus was beautiful. The administration was made up of really nice people. "
"Nice school, happy students, cool research funding opportunities"
"The Stanford University campus is arguably one of the most impressive ones I've ever seen. If you have time during your interview trip, make sure you see more than just the medical school section of the campus."
"financial aid!!!, research opportunities, generally the faculty are so nice, students seem smart but not snobbish, and the admissions office is so helpful"
"Flexibility in the curriculum (Can take electives in first two years), scholarly concentration, nice and flat campus (like a park), numerous ways to get funded for tuition besides need-based aids."
"Where do i begin? This school is wonderful. Everybody, everything there was happy and nice."
"The students were VERY happy and laid-back. The curriculum is innovative and flexible, esp. the opportunities for research in any area you want. The financial aid is amazing."
"The med school campus is beautiful. They have a new cross-disciplinary research center right next to the main medical school building. Incredible financial aid and research funding opportunities. They operate on a true pass/fail system, and their Scholarly Concentrations system seemed very flexible. During the lecture that I sat through, the students convinced the instructor to give them 12 days for their take-home final instead of 1 day like he had originally intended."
"They knew who I was as soon as I walked in. I always think that is really nice, especially when you have come from far away. It seems like the students were very well treated and EVERYONE I talked to loved Stanford. While I was there I thought it was fishy, but after doing a ton of research on their programs, I understood why. Also the weather and campus was beautiful. After visiting all of the dank and urban places in the US where most medical centers are, I came to appreciate the sunshine. Hey, If I have to spend half a decade somewhere, why not go to a top school that is also in a nice place?"
"Financial Aid, supportive faculty and staff, great incentives for doing research."
"The campus was beautiful! You must see it for yourself to believe it. The students were very happy and tan in the middle of the winter."
"Financial Aid"
"the weather but little else"
"All the personal touches-Because the class size is small (86) everyone in the admissions office knows all of the students by name, I had a 30 min. one-on-one interview with financial aid, was given an individual exit interview at the end of the day..."
"Financial Aid (this is the biggest thing going for them). Students were diverse and came from all types of backgrounds. The faculty carries prestige and the match list was impressive. Oh and the weather was not too bad."
"The financial aid, the students, the faculty, the weather"
"Campus is nice. Weather was perfect. Admissions staff were very friendly and helpful. Financial aid is unbelievable. I love the free pen!"
"the incredible financial aid program and the opportunities to do so many other things while in med school."
"All I can say is wow. It is an incredible school. Great financial aid, med scholars, learning outside the academic realm. All of the students are genuinely happy -- more so than at any other school I've interviewed at."
"Fin. aid is INCREDIBLE. Program *really* encourages you to pursue interests."
"Their MedScholars program and financial aid. The area around there is also really beautiful and full of life. The campus itself is quite grand."
"the financial aid thy offer! its unbeleivable"
"Clinical rotations seem weak."
"Clinical sites were average"
"Did not get to meet anyone who had done any clinical rotations; this was especially disappointing given that the quality of these rotations is the weakest part of Stanford's reputation. With the students, a lack of self-reflection/engagement with potential negatives of the school."
"The location"
"My student interviewer was harsh in the questions being asked. It was not what I expected from a student, and reflected poorly on the school in my opinion. After a seemingly good interview with a faculty, I asked for e-mail contact and was told "no, I don't need fan mail." Kind of cold and shocking. "
"N/A"
"Hmm, nothing "
"The students were not as friendly as other schools that I have been to. Something like 70% of the student body will take 5 years to complete, mainly to do extra work to reduce financial costs. The lack of an urban/diverse patient population, but that can be offset by interaction with individuals that really care about their health. Stanford and Palo Alto may be too suburban/posh for some people."
"The whole focus in both my interviews on academic medicine... As if leaders/researchers couldn't be groomed from/work in alternate practice models. Nasty old classrooms (although there will be a new med school in 2010). "
"facilities are older, but they're in the process of constructing a new building. "
"The admissions office has more than a little 'tude and tends not to be too helpful, student housing is very, very expensive. The hospital also doesn't have the greatest case mix. Disproportionately wealthy student body."
"The school is not in an urban area nor is affiliated with a large country hospital like Ben Taub (Baylor) or Bellvue (NYU). Also, if research isn't your thing, I wouldn't come here as no one seems to care about primary care. "
"The weather; off and on rain, but that's about it; and the bookstore isn't all that special once you have been to UPenn's bookstore"
"Tardiness of both interviewers, my interviewer's snooty attitude and comments (not representative of the school)."
"My first interviewer is a lame guy ... i wish i never met him"
"Absolutely nothing."
"The location is really the worst thing about the school. It's a beautiful area, don't get me wrong. But it's such a small little city that there's hardly anything to do. I personally would rather live in NY, SF, Boston, or LA...somewhere with lots of culture and endless possibilities. Palo Alto is just really small and somewhat isolated...which might be exactly what some people want, but not me."
"Their interviews are supposed to be open-file but my faculty interviewer had lost my file--so it was a CLOSED-FILE interview. She didn't really ask much about me and just seemed disinterested. "
"I don't like how the class it so small."
"cost of living is through the roof, even higher than sf. i had never been to the bay area, and it was essentially a suburb, not even a college town but a bona fide suburb. the weather was noticeably better than the one i'm from, though."
"long class hours (9-5)... but then again you don't have to go to lectures since they're taped. "
"Seems like you'd probably want a car, since a number of the clinical teaching sites aren't on campus"
"Long class hours (9-5), many students take 5 yrs to finish med school, students don't go to class"
"Some of the faculty were rather disinterested. Class hours are long (9-5). "
"some of the medical buildings are quite old/need retrofitting to be seismically sound, class from 9-5 m,tu,th,f (i guess you don't really need to go since lectures are on videotaped)"
"Some of the school facilities look a little old, but the new research buildings are very nice. "
"Wednesday = no class so I didn't get to meet many students. Be careful when scheduling your interviews!"
"The classrooms are pretty old, but they seem to be slowly updating things. Also, in the morning, our interview coordinator made it a point for us to introduce ourselves. She ended up telling everyone in the group information from our applications. When one gentleman introduced himself, she waited until he was done and then pointed out that he was getting his PhD. Another girl started an NGO etc. etc. While that definitely says that they have stellar applicants, it's kind of awkward for someone else to be sharing it. Could have been an isolated incident..."
"need to distinguish oneself with research, business ventures, founding of organizations, etc, country club-like suburb, old facilities, focus on "producing leaders" rather than clinical physicians, weaker clinical training, colder weather in nor cal than so cal."
"some of the classrooms are not apar with the other locations. Hopefully, there will be some renovations"
"The scholarly concentration program was at first appealing to me, but when I heard about it there, it seemed much less impressive. I really felt like the point of all the research was prestige and not improving one's skills and gaining greater insight. Also, do not go to an interview on a WEDNESDAY! There are no classes on Wednesdays, so there were few students on campus and no classes to visit. It seemed overall like this was the sort of place to come to do residencies (because the hospital is really amazing) but maybe not medical school if you are not very research-oriented... "
"The school buildings are kind of crappy."
"The program is pretty relaxed, a little too much for my tastes."
"It was hard to tell what "counts" towards your evaluation - you have an orientation meeting/curriculum talk with the associate dean of admissions, but he's not introduced that way and I still have no idea whether he takes notes on people during the talk. You will definitely run into random students who are on the admissions committee (which is awesome that they let students have input!!), but I think it makes you nervous when you realize someone is on the admissions com. after you've just been rambling about nothing to them for like 15 minutes."
"Middle of the suburbs"
"There's not really much to do in Palo Alto, so most students hang out in San Francisco on the weekends. It's hard to get to SF without a car, so it's a good idea to have friends with cars. "
"stressful student interview who second guessed all my responses"
"Some other people in my interview group seem very hard-core into basic science research, but I'm only moderately interested in it, so I feel a bit out of place."
"Palo Alto and the weather are too country club/resort-like. As a result, the area is expensive to live in. But it's sunny and 60 degrees in the middle of january!"
"The scheduling of the day seemed a bit confusing at first since some of the presentations got changed around."
"It was fifty-five degrees on the day of the interview, and some Stanford students felt the need to wear ear-muffs."
"At first I was not sold on the 5 year curriculum. But then I did some investigating. If you do the 5 year plan, you will probably only pay for 3 years since they pay for the research year and the 5th year is "free" (incredibly low tuition) It is totally possible to do it in 4 years, but why not have the option if they are willing to give it you. Also it is very possible to pick up a masters during that extra year, so it is not "wasted" at all."
"Nothing."
"Nothing"
"It was difficult to get clear answers to questions about curriculum changes. I think things are still up in the air."
"where do I start... the ridiculous number of class hours compared to other schools; the interview experience itself; etc."
"Number of cut-throat interviewees from Stanford, the definite favoritism towards Ivies and Stanford based on the people at my interview session. The facilities are terrible and that library was a joke. I went to a Yale interview a couple of weeks earlier and all I can say is that Stanford's curriculum is an unsuccessful Yale wanna-be. By the way I also went to UCLA for an interview and I can't believe that people believe actually put Stanford before it. Los Angeles was beautiful and their new medical center looks like it will be amazing. "
"the facilities weren't that great, and they don't escort you to your interviewers, they give you a map and you take yourself."
"The Student Lounge had a weird odor. I'm sure the library is worse but we didn't get to see the inside of it."
"first year is very heavy on lecture."
"I guess facilities, but they were perfectly acceptable"
"Some of the classrooms were kinda old (with exception of anatomy labs)."
"the very traditional curriculum (first and second years are spent entirely in lecture 8am-5pm), facilities are pretty old"
"This is the most minor thing but it was quite warm on interview day, maybe bring a water bottle for the campus tour?"
"The interview itself was not very stressful."
"The Bay Area can still be cold"
"I would mostly meet M1s and not get to ask anyone about the clinical experience."
"That the tour was gonna be really long."
"That I would be asked really detailed research questions. "
"1 interview was 30 mins, the other was 1 hour 30 mins"
"N/A"
"That I would totally fall in love with the school"
"That there would only be two of us!"
"Construction around the med school office building. "
"The majority of students are on a 5 year plan. Financial aid pretty much sucks. When they talk about the massive reduced debt compared to other schools, you need to work as a researcher or TA that forces you to do 5 years."
"Two one hour interviews. I wish I would have known that I'd be interviewing for nearly two hours straight. "
"Things are further apart than they look on a map. "
"That my faculty interviewer would ask me no questions about why I want to be a doctor or what qualifies me to be at Stanford."
"I have to walk a lot during the tour"
"Nothing. "
"I did a lot of research about the school ahead of time...nothing came as a suprise."
"Other reviews had said that I should prepare for health care and my research-related questions, so I had spent all this time prepping for those but I got none. "
"That my day would be over before 2 pm!"
"there's a reason people love california so much, it's really a neat place (i had never been). a little more pricey than it's probably worth, though."
"You have to park a few blocks away from the MSOB where the admissions office is. "
"medscholars program - $12,000/quarter up to three times for research/travel (how awesome is that?) "
"More about the COE"
"I went to Stanford for undergrad and I still live in the Bay Area, so really not much was new. I recommend checking out the undergrad campus. Warning - do not be fooled into thinking that Stanford is very close to SF. It still takes a 30-40 min drive to get there. Stanford is usually described as a "bubble" for a good reason."
"How suburban and undiverse the area around Stanford is (while i hear East Palo Alto is mixed, the area around stanford is very yuppie/country club--not very colorful). "
"the new scholarly concentration of neuroscience and cognitive processes"
"arrive before 8am no matter what the person says when you call to confirm."
"There are no classes on Wednesday!"
"Stanford really tries to help middle class medical students as well as those with greater need. It's helpful to know about your personal financial status to determine for what types of Stanford financial aid you might qualify."
"There are no required research rotations."
"The flexibility the school offers - the five year program is recommended, you can basically design your own "major," and the school is willing to give you financial support to do anything you want... oh, and their financial aid program is amazing"
"I actually really liked it. I wasn't initially that super excited about the idea of Stanford, but I really liked it, and would definitely go there."
"It's very easy to get lost while driving around all the one-way streets on campus. "
"student interviewers give the most critical interrogations. This is my last interview, thank god, but my blood pressure still increased during my first interview here. i think that it was the sense that my answers were not well received or respected that really got to me. i took a twenty minute walk to recuperate from the interview."
"The interview is a way to "make sure you are who you are on paper", so there is no set questions for interviewers to ask, I feel that interviewers can easily run out of stuff to ask the applicants."
"This website: www.stanford.edu/~ralphc/convince.htm"
"I had a lot of down time and would have brought something to do, or more comfy shoes to make exploring the campus easier."
"Just what a great school this is. I had my two interviews at 9am and 10am, and I would have been much better equipped to answer "why Stanford?" at the end of the day."
"I would have been more nervous if I knew that Stanford was my first choice. My ignorance was bliss!"
"That Stanford encourages students to pursue research."
"I wish I had known more about the amazing financial aid-I would have brought some hard numbers so I could get a better approximation of where I stood $wise."
"Stanford is right next to East Palo alto, which has a reputation for being the second most dangerous place in the bay area (Oakland was first)"
"They take your picture! For the yearbook. Take the KX bus from STanford shopping center for $1.50 if you're going back to San Francisco airport."
"We took pictures for the facebook. Practice your smile before you get to the interview. =)"
"They have a great cafeteria. You meet lots of people who work in the admissions office one on one. "
"The MSOB, where you meet for your interview, is NOT in, or even very near the medical school. Get directions there, and not to the medical school building."
"Well, I didn't quite grasp how big the school was and I ended up running to my lab when I realized how far my interview was."
"nothing"
"Stanford was my #1 choice going into interview day and cemented itself at the top of my list afterwards."
"Loved the school."
"Everyone told me about research, research, research--and did we mention everybody gets paid to do it? Also, they use a "flipped classroom" model which is the greatest thing since the Flexner Report (it actually does sound nice but the administration's self-regard on this matter is a bit over the top). In general, the day was well-organized and the MMI was clearly thought out well. I wish they could try to involve more 4th/5th year students so we can get a sense of the clinical years!"
"This school is really big on 'personalizing' your education. Consequently you do everything one on one. Meet with the dean one on one. Financial aid one on one. Each interview was paired with one student on the interview. You really only at with the other 2-4 interviewees at lunch...interesting..."
"The campus is gorgeous, and some of the admissions staff is really friendly. I was blown away by the facilities and buildings. But overall I left feeling unimpressed due to the unfriendliness of my interviewers. "
"Stanford is awesome."
"If you can, get in a bit early the day before and check out the campus... the main quad, the Rodin sculpture garden...amazing"
"After having researched the school, I did not go into the interview day as excited as I was beforehand. However, I came out absolutely amazed by what Stanford had to offer. True, there are some things that the school may not be able to offer when compared to others located in urban cities. However, I truly got the sense that the opportunities were all there for the self-directed and self-motivated. My interviews were brief, but I was given the chance to express the most important things. I had two faculty interviewers (as did the other interviewee), but that is abnormal and related to the timing of the interview day. The picture that you take on interview day will follow you the rest of your time at Stanford if you matriculate, so smile! This place was amazing, definitely explore it for yourself."
"This school is great and seems to have a really well-rounded student body. I went wandering around during a break and some med student found me and brought me to class with him! Awesomeness."
"FIrst interview was with a student who was an MD/PHD. He was very nice and casual, but the fact that he was MD/PHD was annoying since he didn't know much about the Scholarly Concentration program, so he couldn't answer my questions. Faculty interviewer was great. Only asked a few tough questions. Both interviewers were very interested in my leadership experience. Also they both probed very deep into my answers. A lot of interviews are so short that you can just gloss over details on things, but they really prodded deep asking ''how/why'' frequently."
"arrived, welcome talk, fin.aid talk, curriculum talk, two interviews, lunch, tour, wrap up talk."
"The day at Stanford is very personalized (only 5-8 people) and left a very positive impression."
"Nice, personal interview day, with individual meetings with admissions counselour and financial aid counselour to answer all of your questions. They take good care of interviewees; they interviewed just 500 of 6500. "
"The hospital was nice, the lectures are recorded online, the admissions staff is really helpful, and the other doctors and research faculty seem to really care about the students and about their work. I really liked Stanford going into the interview but my faculty interviewer was kind of an ignorant snob in the comments he made about doctors in society and didn't seem much interested in me (all with a smile on his face though, ha!). He was fairly new and wasn't familiar with a lot of the faculty at Stanford or even details about the program, which I was surprised at (since everyone else there was so knowledgeable). I kind of got the feeling that he was sizing me up against his own son who was also applying this year rather than seeing if I'd be a good fit. My student interviewer grilled me about every aspect of my life, which was nice in the sense that she cared but it was a bit overkill and lengthy (felt more like an interrogation than an interview conversation). The interview experience left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and I wasn't really sure I wanted to go there anymore (I also wasn't surprised to get rejected after my bad faculty interview). However, I am certain that my experience is not representative of the school or other people there but the faculty interview is a really important factor. "
"Start at 7:30. End around 3:45. Very small group, 3 ppl only. Stanford ppl are so proud of their school. Don't expect the school to be near the city. It's remote out there in Palo Alto. "
"Excellent interview experience. This university is perfect. The landscape is awesome, the buildings are beautiful, and the people on the West coast were so much nicer than the people at the other schools I've been to (New England). The financial aid advisor sat with everyone individually rather than giving a presentation. The people who designed the curriculum did the same. "
"Overall the school was amazing! I always knew from the reputation of the school that it's a great place to be, but actually seeing the campus and the students really made me like it even more."
"Although I am desperate to attend this school, I have mixed feelings about my chances b/c of interview file mix-up."
"I had a really great interview experience at Stanford; before I visited there it was not one of my top choices, but quickly became so. They have amazing opportunities to lower your debt by doing research and teaching, which I loved! Unfortunately I didn't get in, which was sort of surprising because I thought I hit it off well with both of my interviewers."
"the day is quite relaxing and my fellow interviewees were nice folks. i also had awesome student hosts who really made the visit great."
"Overall, a very chill interview day and everyone including my interviewers were friendly and helpful. You can check out a lecture if you have time - they're in the mornings (no class on weds). No med students showed up during our scheduled "lunch with med students" which was a bit disappointing. If this happens to you, find a med student or two in your downtime between interviews/talks to chat about what they like or don't like about the school. The students that I did talk to were more than willing to share their experiences. "
"Pretty awesome... I'm sure going there if I get in."
"Good interview day, and not as long as I thought it would be because I was out before 4pm,, and the info on the web said the interviews could go till 6. The start time was early (7:15 if you need to park, 7:30 if you don't)"
"it was very relaxed the whole day. the staff, students, and faculty were all very friendly. "
"I had an excellent time at Stanford, and it is my top choice. If I get in, I will definitely be there next fall."
"Great, very positive. The first interviewer had a specific set of questions and he took notes on my answers. The second was much less formal and more like a conversation. I had two faculty."
"You definitely don't want to interview on a Wednesday since there is no class (and there are few students around). At least that's what the coordinator said. I was there on a Thursday, but b/c of exams it was the same thing. My first interviewer was very dry..just wanted to talk about research. My second interviewer and I talked about research, but we got off topic and talked about news etc."
"Overall it was great. Student interview was short but to the point. Faculty interview was very comfortable and I felt very respected rather than questioned."
"wonderful! one interview was a bit more stressful because it seemed she was truly judging/analyzing my answers (the point of an interview, of course) and trying to determine whether or not i am stanford material, while the other was just a friendly chat. hopefully i will get the thursday night phone call from dr. garcia within 2-4 weeks! ps. stanford started interviewing much later (jan-april) this year (secondary now given to all applicants). i was complete in late october and received an invite in early march, so be patient. "
"Despite a rather stressful faculty interview, I had an amazing student interview. Stanford is my dream school, and I am going there next fall. It's a great school, but not for everyone. Just make sure you know why Stanford works for you!"
"I arrived at 7:30 for a short orientation. Then I had two morning interviews, one with a faculty member and then a student. The faculty member was very research-oriented and seemed less interested in my clinical and patient-based experiences. Then there was an extremely informative meeting with a financial aid counselor. After lunch and a tour with students, we met in a group and individually with an assistant dean to discuss the curriculum and any other final questions. I was finished by 2, though most other interviewees had afternoon interviews and were there much later."
"I was prepared to dislike Stanford, as I didn't like it when I visited at the end of high school. But I really enjoyed both interviews, and the school can't be beat if you have direction, motivation, and you're tired of cold weather!"
"For the self-directed student that knows exactly what they want to do, look no further, this is your prefect program."
"fyi, the "why stanford is awesome" site has moved to: http://medicologic.com/stanford/convince.htm"
"I love Stanford. I wasn't even going to go to the interview because I live on the east coast... but I am SO happy I went and now it's my first choice. The school is amazing and will help you to become any kind of doctor you want to become. You will be so relaxed because the school is so supportive and flexible for its students. The campus is amazing. Housing is fairly expensive, but the financial aid awards are great and cover housing too. The students there are the best, honestly. They are sweet, open, caring, cool, fun, smart... just fantastic people. The interviewers know your whole application - not just "they've read it"... they KNOW it - and are able to ask specific questions to find out who you really are and why you're going into medicine. It says a lot about a school when they can get these doctor-interviewers to give up their precious time to learn all about some applicant(s). Basically, Stanford is the best medical school environment I've ever been in and I highly recommend taking the trip out there... even if you're coming from Guam!"
"Overall, it was quite a good interview experience. The day was quite long, and I had to wait for 20-30mins for my interviewers to show up (the student and faculty interviewers are quite busy). But, the Admissions' office counselors were really nice and easy to talk to. We had a very encouraging exit talk from one of them, which I thought was a fitting end to the day. Tuition and fees are being estimated at about $54,700 for the 2004-05 entering class. Although the financial aid is quite good, there is a $30,000 cap and you have to work as a TA or write research proposals to earn the rest of the money for school (if you don't want to borrow too much money). Maybe this is why most students at Stanford stay for 5years instead of 4. "
"positive in terms of interview #2, bad experience in interview #1, LONG day"
"Unlike some schools, there are no set directions on where the interviews should go, so depending on your interviewer, it may be easy to run out of stuff to say, resulting in awkward silence. The campus and curriculum are nice, and the students are very friendly (Not snobbish at all). Stanford prouds itself on its flexible curriculum and the financial aids it provides."
"While at Stanford, I was told about a senior med student's website that details his views on Stanford: http://www.stanford.edu/~ralphc/convince.htm "
"Stanford is amazing and is definitely at the top of my list now. It was a different feeling to the interview than at my previous interviews, but that was not a bad thing. Everyone was very friendly and I got all my questions answered. Now I can just hope for a phone call on Thurs. night."
"The admissions staff went out of its way to be friendly and hospitable. A small group of interviewees (5) made the entire event very comfortable. They paired me with a faculty interviewer from my home city (Chicago) and with a student interviewer in the MD/PhD program (I had indicated on my application my desire to be a research MD). It seemed like this was the only school where I had interviewers that really understood my research. Due to my interview schedule, I missed the main financial aid and curriculum presentations, but they arranged for me to receive one-on-one presentations from each counselor."
"Really neat place, but you really need to investigate why Stanford does some of the seemingly strange things they do like the 5-year plan and the scholarly concentrations. They are really looking out for their students, bit while you are interviewing, that is not always obvious."
"I liked everything about this school. The education, research, and overall enviornment at Stanford are topnotch. The interview itself was low stress. Just be prepared to talk about yourself."
"What a contrast to the east coast private schools! Everyone was so much more relaxed. Overall the culture was great, the students here are truly happy. The campus blew me away with all the trees and flowers planted everywhere."
"Great weather, friendly students. My interview was fairly relaxed and didn't cover every aspect of my application. It was more conversational."
"I have to agree with the other interviewee who noted the parallels between Stanford and Yale. When I read his/her review before my interview, I thought the individual was simply upset due to a bad interview experience but s/he was right on target. I don't know if Yale followed Stanford's lead or what but the similarities are ridiculous. The only problem is that Yale does it better. Oh yeah, don't forget to ask them about their new "track system" and the fact that a lot of their students usually take five years to finish. Ask them if it's because they really want to finish in five or if the course work and the desire to "live a little" simply gets to them."
"I had one student interviewer and one faculty member. I also had one of my interviews at the VA, which is easily the nicest hospital I have ever seen."
"I got the impression that Palo Alto was somewhat remote and nothing more than a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. The school and Clinical rotations are throughout the southern part of the bay which kind of leaves you without that urban setting you could get from SF, NY, or LA. People seem to be totally brainwashed about this school. "
"It was good. There is a student interviewer and a faculty interviewer. The student one was easier for me than the faculty, but they were pretty laid back."
"Great school. Lots of opportunities (and incentives) for research and community involvement. Housing is mixed with other grad students. Outstanding match list. Seems like students are happy but overworked (lots of in-class time)."
"i forgot to add in my previous entry, that i was asked in some detail about papers, etc. that i had written - even though some of them were from 3 years ago!"
"I already knew a good deal about the school and the students seemed really really laidback and very happy (weather has something to do with it i'm sure). I had a really good time--the interviewers were really nice."
"Incredible."
"Two great interviews! The interviewers did more talking than other interviews. Very friendly, lots of questions about my research and my study abroad (in a 3rd world country), lots of trying to sell the school. Not as many of the broad, open questions ("tell me about yourself") - instead, more specific, somewhat easier or at least more interesting questions ("what first sparked your interest?,")"
"Had a great time... my advise is to go out there for a couple of days, enjoy the great Japanese food, go to San Franciso, see the sights, have fun!"
"I had a very positive experience. The interview coordinator did a great job setting me up with interviewers who shared some interests with me. All the students seemed very happy and friendly. My best interview experience yet."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 63 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 35 |
| Neutral | 2 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.71 | 38 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 18 |
| Out of state | 18 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 8 |
| 2-3 hours | 4 |
| 4-6 hours | 11 |
| 7+ hours | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 22 |
| Automobile | 12 |
| Train or subway | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 6 |
| $101-$200 | 8 |
| $201-$300 | 3 |
| $301-$400 | 6 |
| $401-$500 | 2 |
| $501+ | 3 |
DCA
SJC/OAK
San Jose
SJC
SFO
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 2 |
| With students at the school | 12 |
| Friends or family | 8 |
| Hotel | 5 |
| Home | 1 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.15 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.21 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.44 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.32 | 19 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.21 | 19 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.26 | 19 |
"The interview invitation says you have to "confirm" your interview five business days beforehand. This is confusing. Do you have to email, or call? Exactly five business days, or at least (or at most)? Will the office reach out and remind you? This has caused numerous applicants stress, and it doesn't seem to be an actual requirement."
"Stanford does a superb job of executing a very thorough, informative orientation."
"This was the friendliest, most helpful, most organized admissions staff in my experience!"
"Thank you for the wonderful day!!"
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What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?