How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

9 out of 10

How long was the interview?

30 minutes

Where did the interview take place?

At the school

How many people interviewed you?

1

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Open file

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?

"Tell me about your research? What did you discover?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 2)?

"Where have you shadowed? What really interested you?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 3)?

"Is it ethical to give placebos? (a topic I brought up! don't worry, Columbia doesn't adhere to the "test" interviewing strategy)" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"The standard question with a twist: Him: What would you do if you don't get into medicine? Me: I'll keep trying until the day God comes down and tells me to stop. Him: Then what? Me: (slight pause) Him: Find a new god." Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most difficult question?

"Why should we admit you? ( another standard question, I know, but having spent the last few hours with Ivy league grads with perfect GPAs and MCAT scores and years of research and volunteer work that would put Mother Teresa to shame..., I began to ask myself that very question)." Report Response | I was asked this question too

How did you prepare for the interview?

"SDN, school website, but should have gone over my secondary with a comb! At one point it seemed as though my interviewer knew me better than I knew myself...." Report Response

What impressed you positively?

"how well my interviewer knew my application; P & S clubs; Residency Matches; opportunities for research; support/mentoring systems in place; shadowing physician 1st yr; new baby's hospital; 19 hospitals affliated with the university allowing a glimpse into various parts of medicine (e.g. rural vs. urban; wealthy vs poverty; primary care vs tertiary; etc); working with patients from all over the world [not JUST the Dominican Republic!!!!]; Nobel Prize Lauretes and other experts actually teach first years (rather than remain holed up in their labs); relatively low level of debt upon graduating; 1/3 students take time off to pursue other interests (dual degrees, research, etc)... oh I could go on and on....." Report Response

What impressed you negatively?

"limited small group discussions; relatively low tech campus; the students who were 'so eager' to talk as they brush by you to grab so coffee before streaming out the door for class (there was something fake about those students in general, IMHO); not in the glamorous parts of Manhattan (unlike other NYC schools); " Report Response

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

"The school honestly does nothing to sell itself to you. Best thing to do is sit in on a class and talk to the students during the break." Report Response

What are your general comments?

"The actual interview was awesome! 20 students interview at a time and not one had a bad experience. The interview is casual and conversational (though the interviewer will not hold back if you say something stupid). The tour consisted of nothing more than a walk showing how the school is physically connected to the hospital (but I didn't get the "residency directors will walk up to you and shake your hand because you graduated from columbia"speach)." Report Response

Who was the tour given by?

Student

How did the tourguide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

8 out of 10

What was your total time spent traveling?

4-6 hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Airplane

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

$401-$500

What airport did you use?

LGA

Where did you stay?

With students at the school

How would you rate the hotel?

6 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

On what date did the interview take place?

01/27/2005

How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?

9 out of 10

What is your ranking of this school's location?

10 out of 10

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

8 out of 10