My 2020 Interview and Match Day Journey

Happy holidays everybody! I decided to take a break from applications so that I can finish up my posts about my 2020 application cycle. I last left off talking about my interviews. I received 3 interviews for the 7 I applied to, and I scheduled 2 interviews for February and 1 for April. I only did a small amount of interview prep before my first interview, but I think it ended up being the right amount for that particular interview.

The night before my first interview, the interviewees had dinner with the current first year students. It was a great opportunity, especially for first-time like myself who hadn't experienced GC program interview yet. We had time to chat about our experiences and those of the first year students. The current students gave an overview of how the interview day would go, what their life looked like as a student, and who we'd be interviewing with. They answered all of our questions and did a good job at making me feel less nervous for the day ahead.

I was still anxious as I suited up the next morning. The only concrete detail I had was that the interview would run from 8 am - 2 pm. After arriving, we finally received our schedules for the day. Each applicant would interview 5 times over the span of 3.5 hours. My interview schedule was absolutely terrifying. I had 4/5 of my interviews back to back to back to back, meaning I interviewed for around 1.5 hours straight. My first question was "tell me about yourself." As I rambled through my life story, I could hear my voice quivering and see my body shaking. After I answered, my interviewer smiled and asked "Are you nervous?"

I nodded sheepishly, afraid I started the interview off on the wrong foot. He told me not to worry, that we were just here to have a conversation.

After that, we talked about things that were easy for me to discuss-band, football, my internship. I left that interview smiling, feeling better about the hour ahead. Most of my remaining interviews were truly conversations instead of interrogations. One interviewer even went to GC school with one of my recommenders. After my 4th interview, I had an hour break before my final one, which was with the program director. Despite the fact that she was the PD, I felt so at ease talking with her. We exchanged stories and laughs, and I went into lunch feeling so excited about the chance to attend the program.

After lunch, we observed one of the classes the current students had and listened to closing remarks. When we finished, the current students took us on a brief tour of the city. I drove home in a daze and even called my parents to tell them I thought this program was it.

Two weeks later, I had my next interview. This time, it was a half-day interview that ran from 11-5:30. It started the same as the first, with introductions and an information session. Then I was off to interview, this time starting with the PD. I felt that my previous interview had prepared me enough for this one, and I chatted easily with the program director. After a quick break, I had to complete a writing portion, which I was incredibly nervous about. I was afraid I'd have to write about a topic in genetic counseling, but it ended up being a general life question. After writing, I had 3 more interviews, which were a little more question and answer than a ebb and flow conversation, but they all went well. Following the interviews and writing was a group exercise. I knew I needed to make my voice heard without stepping on any toes, which was a little difficult with 6 or so other applicants. Following the group activity was a wrap up session and a tour of campus. Once again, I left the interview excited and confident.

After that interview, I had one week of classes and then I was on spring break. Those last few days in March were filled with mystery for both faculty and students. There were rumors that we might not come back after break, but how could that be true? We hadn't even had a single case in our state yet. I went on my spring break trip and a few days later my school announced spring break would be extended one week. Shortly after, it was announced that we would be going virtual and not returning to campus.

I was absolutely devastated. In the blink of an eye, the remaining few months of my last semester had been taken from me. I had already had my last day in class, my last trip to the rec, my last night out on the strip, and I didn't even know it at the time. Even my spring break trip was ended early. I packed up and went back to my apartment with a difficult decision to make- would I be quarantining at home with my family or by myself in my one bed apartment? Like most people in the early days of the pandemic, I thought we'd only be in this for 2 weeks. I'd spent all of my senior year living on my own, and I couldn't imagine going home and trying to join classes and take tests with all of my family on the other side of my wall. Plus, I would still have to pay for my apartment, regardless if I was living in it or not.

It wasn't long after I decided to stay at my apartment that my last interview had been moved to virtual. I was both relieved and disappointed. I hadn't booked a flight or a hotel yet, so I was relieved to not worry about getting refunds. On the other hand, I had never been to the campus before and felt that being on campus was crucial. I went into the interview with low expectations, because I had loved the other two schools so much and was missing out on the in-person vibes. The interview also started at 7 am my time, which made it difficult to be alert and present for the first part of the day. After a group activity and an information session, I bounced from interview room to interview room. Most of the interviews went well, but they seemed really keen on me staying in the state after graduation. I wasn't opposed to staying there, but I also wanted to have the option of going anywhere in the country and exploring a new area. This, coupled with bad vibes from one interview and no idea of what the campus looked like, left me feeling unsure about the program.

With a few weeks left until match day, I wrestled with the decision of my rankings. I was struggling to get past the vibes from my interview with the last school, and it was also difficult to imagine moving 12+ hours away from my support system in the middle of a pandemic. I had seen over and over again to not rank a program that you wouldn't be happy with. I wasn't sure that I would be unhappy at this program, but I knew I wanted to attend the other 2 so much more. After many hours of internal debates and conversations with loved ones, I ultimately decided not to rank the program. In the end, I just wasn't as excited about certain parts of it I thought I was, and I couldn't imagine moving to a brand new state where I knew nobody. Some programs are better fits for some applicants than others, and that's okay.

As the week or so between submitting my rankings and match day dragged on, I went back and forth on if I made the right decision or not. What if I could've matched to that school? I felt confident about my interviews at the other two schools, but what if they didn't feel the same? I was terrified of not matching, because it meant so much more uncertainty than matching would.

I set an alarm on match day to be awake when the first emails were expected to be sent. Mine arrived 4 minutes after my alarm. I was shaking so bad I could barely unlock my phone. Before I clicked on the email, I just knew I hadn't matched. I was right. I was both in shock and not surprised. I spent most of the day in bed, wondering how this could've happened. Here I was, a week away from what would've been my graduation, with absolutely zero plans. I had waited so long for this moment, and I felt absolutely defeated.

I used to struggle with regrets and moving past situations. Sometime a few years ago, I worked on developing an "everything happens for a reason" attitude. While it took me some time to get over the disappointment of not matching (rightfully so), I eventually came around to "everything happens for a reason." And I was right. My SO had gotten a job offer in my hometown, which I was going to have to move back to for the time being. I have gotten so much additional time with him and my family than I would have if I went straight to grad school. I also already feel much more prepared for this application cycle and grad school in general.

Now that I've gotten through my 2020 application cycle, I'll start making posts about what I did between cycles and how I'm approaching this cycle. I'm halfway through submitting my applications, so hopefully I'll have a lot of free time on my hands soon! In the meantime, I hope you all have a happy holiday season! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message on here or on my Instagram! If you want to hear more about my journey, please feel free to subscribe to the blog at the bottom of the page, or you can follow me on Instagram @journey2gc!