Interview Tips

For the 2012-2013 cycle, I got 9 interview invites and attended 5 of them (UoP, Michigan, NYU, UPenn, UCLA).

Now that interviews are completely, 100%, glorifyingly over, I'm proud to say I was 5 for 5 interviews, aka I got accepted anywhere I interviewed! woot.

I would attribute my success to three factors, and I'll list them for you below (Interview Prep Checklist below as well!).

1. Being genuine.

• On my UCLA interview, they asked me what I'd been doing over my gap year. I started listing being like, "It's been a pretty busy year.. I have several part time jobs as a dental assistant, teacher, tutor...and a waitress.. to make rent by the end of the month.. haha" At that, both my interviewers jumped at my sheepish last response, and said "Being a server is probably one of the most valuable experiences you coulda gotten out of all the jobs you listed. Being in a service position blah blah blah" etc. They knew that being a server doesn't sound fancy, but the life experience is invaluable. 

How I Studied for the DAT

This is just what I did to prepare for the DAT. I had a not-pretty GPA (both science and overall), and figured the DAT was my one chance to prove to adcoms that I'm actually very smart! lol. Some encouragement - I had a low GPA but a pretty high DAT and received enough interview invites to choose a school that really fits me. In my experience, a high DAT can open doors that were previously closed. Moral of the story? If you study hard, this score can really make or break you. 

Also, I started out being HORRIBLE at OChem, pretty good at Gchem, and pretty decent at bio (I'm a bio major). That in mind, these resources served me very well. 

RESOURCES

• Kathleen and Annie. Seriously, study buddies make life sooo much better. All three of us will tell you that our summer studying for our MCAT/DAT/OAT was actually really fun.. It sounds so nerdy, but being with your friends, asking each other questions, and encouraging each other will really help you through studying that could otherwise be extremely dull/stressful. 
• DAT Destroyer (I swear, worth its weight in GOLD. I literally learned ochem from the ground up using this book.)
• Crack DAT PAT 
• TopScore tests (8 tests, but you need windows for this I think)
• Kaplan class - Kaplan online materials (5 tests, math review, online class support, Kaplan Blue Book)
• Kaplan Blue Book
• Princeton Review MCAT Biological Sciences Review Book
• My college bio book
• Freelanceteach on youtube (love this guy! so cute and nerdy)
• Sample DAT from ADA website
• **Resources I didn't use, but people liked: Chad's videos, Cliff Notes AP Biology, DAT Achiever, this link (seems to have lots of helpful stuff.. but it's kind of weird ahha)

Research, and How to Make a Position Less Elusive

The problem is quite circular.

Labs want undergrads with research experience. Undergrads who are starting out don't have any, which is why they're looking for a position. BUT, don't give up! One of the best mentors I've had in college was my lab post doc, and working in a lab brought life to my major (as cheesy as that sounds). If research is something you want to explore, you gotta get that break somehow.

Several Approaches to Getting a Lab Position

How to Sneak Coffee Into a Library

DISCLAIMER: this post is not for those who intend to wildly splash their coffee on books in the library, or leave crumbs all over tables that are supposed to be used by others.

This post IS for people like myself, who are coffee-addicts, and need the caffeine to stay awake and really just need to study. I'm talking about those days when you walk alllll the way to the library from your apartment, only to realize you left your coffee thermos at home, and you're still running on only 4 hours of sleep. If this is you, this trick just may save your life, as it has mine ;)

Materials:

• 1 delicious cup of coffee (or a latte, or tea, or an americano, whatever floats your boat)
• 3 coffee lids (THREE, not two. You will not be happy if you only bring two)
• A backpack with side pockets or a jacket (a coffee hiding place)