weird question

[missdr]

so here is a new one...what do you say to a program that you did NOT rank when they call and want to know if you have any questions. i really want to know if honesty is the best policy here...i didn't rank 2 programs that i interviewed at and although i really liked both programs, i don't want to live in either city. i know that the match is student driven , and i want to be honest (even though i am sure it will be an uncomfortable conversation). one program left a phone message and said they would try back again tomorrow and i don't know what to say!!!! any ideas about this??? BKN--would you appreciate a student sharing this info or rather not know...?

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[Snacker]

I think you can be honest AND avoid an uncomfortable situation. They most likely will not directly ask you if and what you are ranking them, just your thoughts on the program & if you have any questions. You said you liked the programs, so say it and tell them you don't have any Q's. It can't hurt them on their rank list either to go past you, as the system is also set up very favorably for the programs.

 

[BKN]

so here is a new one...what do you say to a program that you did NOT rank when they call and want to know if you have any questions. i really want to know if honesty is the best policy here...i didn't rank 2 programs that i interviewed at and although i really liked both programs, i don't want to live in either city. i know that the match is student driven , and i want to be honest (even though i am sure it will be an uncomfortable conversation). one program left a phone message and said they would try back again tomorrow and i don't know what to say!!!! any ideas about this??? BKN--would you appreciate a student sharing this info or rather not know...?

I think this is very nice of you to worry about helping PDs at programs that you have no intention of ranking. I wouldn't stress. I think these are primarily recruiting calls.

You could simply answer that you have no questions, that they were very informative and that you liked their program. That's honest. You can't be compelled to say whether or not your ranked them and you are under no obligation to help them improve their program or their recruiting process.

That said, I'd like to know if an applicant is not ranking my program for a substantive reason. There is nothing I can do about somone who does not want to live in my town. I'm used to it; mountains and desert are not for everyone. In fact, we had the most extreme case of it this year. Apparently two of our candidates met at the airport the day before the interview. One did not show up the next day. I'm thinking his S.O. must have taken one look and said "No way. I want trees."

If someone perceived a problem with the program however, I'd really like to know about it. Other applicants might see it that way too. If I agreed, I'd like a chance to think about it and work on it. It would be an uncomfortable conversation. The PD would certainly try to convince you that you were wrong in your perceptions. I'd appreciate the help, but I'm not sure every PD would.

Cheers.

 

[missdr]

thanks so much for the great advice!!!!

 

[colforbinMD]

thanks so much for the great advice!!!!

Did you not realize you wouldn't want to live in those citys when you accepted the interviews?

 

[missdr]

no...one place i actually thought would be my first choice but when my SO and i got there we really hated it...and i was surprised, but since we both felt that way we decided not to rank...the other place (we realized when we got there) had no job opps for my SO.

 

[colforbinMD]

no...one place i actually thought would be my first choice but when my SO and i got there we really hated it...and i was surprised, but since we both felt that way we decided not to rank...the other place (we realized when we got there) had no job opps for my SO.

Wow from first choice to no rank. That must have been a crappy town. At least ya know now though right Out of curiosity what does your SO do? Good luck to you and your SO.

 

[EctopicFetus]

no...one place i actually thought would be my first choice but when my SO and i got there we really hated it...and i was surprised, but since we both felt that way we decided not to rank...

Sounds eerily similar to BKN's story..