How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.52 | 77 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 57 |
| Negatively | 10 |
| No change | 9 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.80 | 74 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.51 | 59 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.77 | 61 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 5 |
| 25 minutes | 11 |
| 30 minutes | 19 |
| 35 minutes | 11 |
| 40 minutes | 4 |
| 45 minutes | 8 |
| 50 minutes | 8 |
| 55 minutes | 3 |
| 60+ minutes | 9 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 77 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 71 |
| In a group | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 41 |
| Closed file | 33 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.52 | 77 |
"Biggest failure in life"
"Tell us about a time when you came up with a solution for something"
"impactful volunteering experience and why"
"Tell me a time you failed and how it affected others."
"Tell us about yourself?"
"Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline."
"Tell us about a time when you held a leadership position (I think this was close to the original question)."
"Tell me about a time when ... (I won't ruin it for you, but they were all pretty situational)"
"Tell me about a time you had to do something you hated."
"Name a time you had a crisis and how did you resolve it/deal with it?"
"Tell us about a time when you had to step up between two parties to resolve a problem"
"Mostly all behavioral based questions. Describe a time that you and someone else had to resolve a conflict"
"Situational questions, have all of your major experiences in your mind (internships, research, activities) use those experiences to answer their questions."
"the questions on SDN are good to review"
"Tell me about a time where you had to solve a problem with a creative solution?"
"Did you make a promise and did you break it? Did you take a charge/initiative? How was it solved?"
"Tell me about a time you came up with a creative solution for a problem."
"Tell us about a crisis you've had and how you dealt with it."
"How do you respond to stress and how will you cope with the school and balance your personal life?"
"What was the last time you apologized to someone?"
"Just situational..."
"Tell me a situation in which you had a problem that you had to solve with a creative solution."
"why dentistry,why this school, tell something about your home country, the places and some events historical, hobbies, how you like us so far. any problems you faced in us"
"When was the last time you apologized?"
"All of the questions were: tell me about a time when you ...... Tell about how you dealt with it, and what were the results. Completely closed file. Seems like it's the first year with this format. Think of a lot of different experiences you have had."
"Tell me about yourself"
"what difference do you find between your home country and US? What you like and dislike about US?"
"Tell me about a time that you worked in a group and had a miscommunication."
"Why The U of M? Why Dentistry?"
"Why the U of MN?"
"Tell me about your culture."
"Tell me how I would know you are responsible? "
"Describe a time when you showed empathy."
"Why are you a better applicant this year?"
"Three reasons you would choose MN."
"Why dentistry? Why the U of M?"
"Why UM?"
"Why Dentistry?"
"where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Why the University of Minnesota? "
"Situation in which you displayed empathy"
"How have you shown empathy? Why Dentistry? Why MN? "
"Why D school?"
"how are you dependable"
"Why UMN?"
"Why UMN and not state school?"
"Name your strengths and weaknesses"
"Only asked me one question, really: "Why Minnesota - especially coming from NYC?""
"When have you shown empathy?"
"How are you responsible?"
"The HIV question"
"Why not medical school?"
"Do you think that the school you are presently attending is a good school? If so, what makes it a good school and would you recommend others to apply there?"
"Why you want to become a dentist?"
"What made you choose dentistry? "
"If you knew, then it wouldn't be any fun!! Good luck!"
"see above"
"If you had a patient come to you with symptons of HIV, but denied/unaware of having it, how would you approach the situation? "
"Why here, when it isnt your state school?"
"Situation where you displayed empathy?"
"How have you worked on a team before"
"Tell us about a time when you saw someone was mistreated"
"a time I made a mistake that affected others"
"Tell me a time you were under pressure and succeeded?"
"A time you helped someone through a tough situation?"
"Tell me about a time you were in a leadership role, and how you handled it."
"Tell us about a time when you had to solve a problem (I think this was the question or at least close)."
"Tell me about ..."
"When was a time you searched for for things on your own time? Like hobbies or education."
"What is something you do not like doing but do anyways?"
"What would you do if you didn't get again in this cycle? (for reapplicants)"
"When was the last time that you apologized?"
"Tell me about a time where you have struggled and how did you resolve it?"
"When was the last time you apologized to someone?"
"Did you do a project that was rewarding to you?"
"Tell me about a time you apologized"
"Tell us about a time you had to solve a problem with a creative solution."
"Future plans?"
"Just variations of generic behavioral-based questions."
"Tell me about a situation in which you were stressed out and how did you handle it?"
"can you say sorry. can you laugh on yourself"
"Tell me about a time where you had to do something that you didn't really want to do?"
"Why dentistry"
"How do you react to criticism?"
"Why University of Minnesota? "
"What was the most difficult situation you've had to deal with and how did you deal with it?"
"How do you respond to criticisms?"
"What makes you a better candidate?"
"Questions about my undergraduate experiences in and out of the classroom"
"Why don't you shadow dentists more?"
"same question, substitute ''mature'' for responsible"
"Why dental, not medical?"
"Who do you look up to the most?"
"Negative aspect of dentistry."
"Describe a situation in which you displayed empathy."
"Who is someone you look up to and why?"
"Why MN? "
"What are three reasons for applying to U of M"
"Why MN?"
"what will you do if you don't get into dental school this year?"
"Three reasons you chose Minnesota."
"See another student cheating"
"why UMN?"
"What are your strenghs and weaknesses? Are you mature? How are you mature? "
"What would you do if you weren't accepted at Minnesota this year? Any dental school this year?"
"Why U Minn?"
"Why you?"
"What was the most challenging situation? How did you handle it?"
"What will you do if you are not accpeted to dental school this year?"
"What was a challenge in your life and how did you respond?"
"Maturity?"
"Why Minnesota?"
"Why Dentistry? "
"What happened on the o-chem section of the DAT? oops :)"
"Do you have any quesitons for me?"
"Why the U of M?"
"If one of your patients has been showing a sings of HIV infections....What would you do?"
"Why would you be a good fit at Minnesota?"
"Have you ever been in a situation where you had to help someone? And how did you do that?"
"What legacy do you hope to have?"
"a time you lost an argument"
"Tell us about your biggest failure"
"time I had to deal with a difficult person"
"Tell me about a time you did more than what was asked of you?"
"Impactful volunteer memory and why?"
"Why the University of Minnesota?"
"Tell us about a time... when someone didn't approve of your work."
"Tell me about a time you ..."
"When have you had to work with a group of people different than you?"
"Name a time you tried helping somewhat but they were dissatisfied with your work/response. How did you handle it?"
"When you worked with ppl from very diverse background to resolve a problem"
"Describe a time where you had completed a task for someone and they did not appreciate it and how did you react"
"Where do you see urself in 10 yr?"
"What are your long term goals with dentistry?"
"If you suddenly had a huge project assigned, how would you handle it?"
"Just variations of generic behavioral-based questions."
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"why not california( i live here)"
"What things do you like to do in your free time? Why THIS in particular?"
"Do you want us to tell anything to the admission committee? "
"Tell me about a time that you couldnt reach or accomplish a task on time"
"Describe leadership roles."
"describe a situation when you displayed empathy."
"What are your career goals?"
"What would you do if you didn't get into dental school?"
"same question, substitute ''independent'' for responsible "
"Discuss the current problems with our health care system and what can be done to fix it."
"What are you looking for in a school?"
"Leadership roles."
"What's a dentist's responsibility towards under/non-insured patients?"
"How will your strengths and weakness effect your ability to be a dentist?"
"How did you help someone through a tough situation?"
"What will I do if I don't get accepted to any dental school this year?"
"Who do you admire?"
"tell me about a time in which you displayed empathy."
"A person you admire and why."
"Why are you more qualified than other canidates"
"how would you contribute to the diversity of the school?"
"Are you worried about the demands of dental school?"
"Are you nervous for the workload required for dental school? How will you handle it?"
"What if you dont get into D school this year?"
"what's a weakness?"
"Why dentistry?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Volunteer experience?"
"Share a time that you had a challenge and how you responded to that challenge."
"What do you do for fun?"
"What has been your biggest challenge?"
"What leads you to believe that dentistry is the profession for you?"
"Why dental and not medical school?"
"Did you use any study tools (i.e. Kaplan books) to help with you DAT preparation? (BTW, I think they encourage it, they like the see high DAT scores)"
"What do you think of when you hear social responsibility?"
"Situation question about what I would do"
"Tell us about a time when you helped an underserved community"
"not sure"
"Any questions for us?"
"Tell me about a time you were faced with a problem and had to come up with three solutions, and how you decided which solution to use."
"Can't recall. However, the majority of the questions were behavioral. Just make sure you have a few answers that can be adapted and intertwined to make an interesting life story to the interviewers."
"Tell me about a time when you had to take charge..."
"none were interesting"
"none"
"Tell me about a time where you help someone and what did you do?"
"Were you in conflict with anyone? How did you solve it? A lot of conflict/management situational questions?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"Tell us about a time where you had to work with people from a very different background than you, and what did you learn from the experience."
"What do you fear the most?"
"The entire interview was like story time. My only advice would be to think of past experiences you have had and be able to think on your feet when applying those experiences to some off the wall questions they ask."
"Just variations of generic behavioral-based questions."
"Tell me about a time in which you had to break a commitment."
"When was the last time you apologized?"
"Can you laugh at yourself?!"
"What is the biggest appeal of dentistry on the scientific side?"
"It's a secret"
"Nothing really"
"If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?"
"Tell me about your culture."
"Probably the question on how to handle a patient with HIV"
"What will you do between now and August if you are accepted to prepare for dental school?"
"What would you do with unlimited money and 10 days?"
"If you and a friend were both applying and you got accepted and they didn't, how would you console them?"
"What do you a dentist's responsibilities towards under/non-insured patients should be?"
"If you had 10 days and unlimited funds to vaction where would you go and why?"
"If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be?"
"If a friend and I both applied and only I got into dental school, how would I handle the situation?"
"If you and another individual applied for dental school and only you were accepted, how would you console them?"
"If you were to chose another career besides being a dentist, what would it be?"
"if you and your friend both applied to the same school and you got in and your friend didn't, how would you console him/her?"
"Give me three reasons as to why you want to attend our dental school?"
"What do you think of the healthcare system? - work towards universal healthcare, Bush vetoed vchip/champ - dental related, etc..."
"If you and a friend both applied but he/she didn't get in....what would you say to him/her? how would you console him/her?"
"How have you shown empathy."
"What would you do if you and a close friend both worked hard and interviewed for dental school but only you got in?"
"what would you do if tension in office & HIV+ person "
"All were the expected ones"
"What will you do if you don't get in? (I will, so this question surprised me because it proved the interviewer hadn't read a lick of my file.)"
"Nothing, the interviewer had a list of standard questions in front of her."
"If you are not accepted to dental school next year, what will you do?"
"N/A"
"If you had a patient come in with signs of HIV on their HH, what would you do?"
"Describe how you are mature."
"When have you shown empathy?"
"Something to the effect of how would you deal with a person who needed dental services but couldn't pay."
"I was asked why I did not want to become a medical doctor, because of one of the stories I relayed in my AADSAS essay. Basicall a rephrase of the general question, "Why do you want to be a dentist?""
"the same aids question"
"none really"
"If you had a patient come in with abnormalities in their mouth telling you they knew there was something wrong with them, and you took a look and concurred with what they had said, only realizing that these signs were similar to AIDS symptoms, would you treat them? If so, how would you go about it?"
"If one of your patients has been showing a sings of HIV infections....What would you do?"
"What's unique about you?"
"Something along the lines of 'How would you handle a patient that had AIDS and did not know about it?'"
"Hypothetically, what if I said you would be accepted to our program right now, but you would have to serve 1 year extra in addition to the 4 years of Dental school working with the Indian Health Service would you accept? And why?"
"I wasn't asked anything real interesting. The interviewer didn't deviate from the standard list of questions in front of her."
"If you recieved three letters of acceptance on Dec 1, what would be your bottom line in choosing which school to attend?"
"if you were offered acceptance at multiple schools, what criteria would you use to choose?"
"Not a question, but the interviewer made a comment about when he lived in Oregon and how Portland was the capital...and I kept thinking, "No it's not, Salem is" but decided not to correct him...unless it was a test, oh well."
"Do you think your fraternity involvement hurt your greades?"
"Situation where there was conflict due to someone's background"
"Tell us about a time when you made a mistake ? Tell us about a time when you went above expectations?"
"I can't remember exactly how it was asked but something along the lines of "a time I gave someone a good customer experience" but it didn't have to be in a retail setting."
"None, all situational."
"Same answer as before. Can't recall a difficult question. Maybe something like "tell us about a time when you let someone down and how you remedied that." However, I am not sure if that was the exact question."
"Tell me about a time ..."
"Name a time you had a crisis, how did you resolve it?"
"Tell us about a time when someone disagreed with you very strongly when you felt like you didn't do anything wrong"
"All of them were difficult for me since it was all behavioral based, also very intimidating since it was a 2 one 1 interview and they just took turns switching off asking questions and then there would be pauses where they are just writing things down on their interview sheet."
"What did you learn from your church volunteering event? I honestly said "I didn't know""
"Tell me about a time where you work with different ppl or in a group and what did you do ?"
"Was there something that changed your prioritizations?"
"Tell me about a time when a plan you had did not go according to plan."
"Tell us about a time where you went out of your way to help someone and they were dissatisfied with the result."
"Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to help someone and as an end result they were dissatisfied with your service."
"Just variations of generic behavioral-based questions."
"tell me about a time in which you apologized for something that you were directly involved in? I honestly couldn't think of anything..."
"i didn't know they know more than me about my home country ."
"None."
"This is too."
"Nothing"
"What is the greatest challenge you have faced in your life?"
"Why don't you do more shadowing of dentists?"
"Why do you want to go to the U of MN?** see below"
"Describe the most difficult thing you have encountered in your life."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Same as above."
"Same"
"If you had 10 days and unlimited funds to vaction where would you go and why?"
"What is one thing you would change in the health field?"
"If you got offers from 4 or 5 schools what criteria would I use to choose a school?"
"No difficult questions"
"Tell me about a time you helped someone in a tough situation."
"none really."
"Describe a time in your life where you displayed empathy."
"A girl is crying because she did bad on a test, what would you do? - it may not seem difficult but it caught me off guard, i would naturally try to comfort her, but sometimes it is better to leave those situations alone so i seemed a little unsure"
"previous"
"How have you shown empathy."
"Describe a situation in which you demonstrated empathy. Explain in terms of helping a struggling friend study for a test the next day and you also have a very difficult test the next day."
"What is the biggest challenge/decision you have had in your life?"
"what's the hardest decision you've had to make in the past year"
"None"
"none, all were manageable. "
"N/A"
"above"
"Same."
"When have you shown empathy? -- I hate these types of questions. I hate sharing things I have done for others because I did not do those things so I could regurgitate the experience to get into dental school!"
"What has been your biggest challenge in life?"
"nothn"
"What are some assets that you could add to the U of M School of Dentistry?"
"Why dental and not medical school?"
"How'd you overcome a major challenge?"
"The same question in the 'most intersting question' post"
"Will you be able to deal with racial and social diversity?"
"What is your biggest personnal challenge?"
"How does your definition of social awareness relate to how you will apply it in dentistry. "
"If you were looking over a patient's file and his/her history seemed to indicate that he/she may be HIV positive, how would you react personally and would you treat that patient differently?"
"What will you do if you are accepted into another school? (Not sure if this was a test since I was doing the early decison program...)"
"nothing really"
"Looked at SND questions, used moral and ethical based questions"
"And, previous interviews"
"BigInterview"
"Student Doctor Network Interview Feedbacks."
"Reviewed my application, looked at sdn, and reviewed U of M's website."
"Looking up this same exact interview feedback. Also, as previously said, think about some good examples of situations that make you stand out and really exemplify your potential for dental school and as a well-rounded individual in general (or something like that). Just practice even if you think you are good at interviews and answering questions on the fly."
"Practice questions, reviewing my application"
"SDN and questions I remember from last year interviewing"
"Mock interview, read through the SDN interview feedback, researched the school online (check the current students section, NOT the prospective students section."
"Practiced a bunch of questions and thought of examples in my past"
"SDN feedback, school's website, practices behavioral questions by myself"
"SDN Interview survey, practice interview w/ friends and family, and just practicing my answers outloud."
"Generic situational question, SDN. I highly suggest this interview feedback page as a resource."
"SDN and typical interview questions"
"Well"
"SDN posts and read school website"
"Googled behavioral-based questions and practiced them with people"
"read the feedback, but they must have changed their interview process within the past couple of years because now it is all closed file and standardized to very specific questions that everyone gets asked no matter what was in your file."
"friends, sdn, self preparation"
"SDN interview feedback, looked up school, hung out with positive friends right before the interview."
"STN, website"
"SDN, Google"
"SDN feedbacks(thanks to all!), SOP."
"SDN, my app, my supplementary"
"SDN, application and just relaxing beforehand instead of cramming answers"
"SDN, previous interview experience. No mock interview."
"The usual: SDN, mock interview, made sure I had my talking points "
"Mock interview, reviewed applications, SDN"
"SDN, mock interview, reading school website, researching school"
"alumni, current students, lots of pre-dental advising"
"SDN, U of MN website, talking to alumni"
"Read other students feedback."
"SDN, UMN website"
"Reading SDN, reviewing the school's website, browsing around the ADA website."
"SDN interview feedback, mock interview, spoke with D1 students"
"SDN, practice with my wife"
"This website, talking with current students not involved with the admissions committee"
"Read through my essays"
"Looked at the interview feedback for UM. Practiced in front of the mirror."
"SDN, school website"
"Talked to current dental students."
"read up on the school, studied ada website and problems facing dentistry in future, journal articles, etc...."
"UMN website, mock interview"
"SDN, reviewed app, school's website"
"SDN, predents.com, Minnesota website and materials."
"Talked to dentists, read SDN"
"drank coffee"
"Practiced with my wife. Read SDN."
"no prep"
"read student doctor network, talked with a friend who interviewed there last year"
"Reviewed school statement about program in dental school guide."
"this website, their website"
"SDN"
"SDN, School Website, Talking to former students"
"Looked at this web site and the schools web site, did some mock interviews, yada yada yada."
"Website, SDN."
"read this site and thier website"
"Read the pamphlets they sent me in the mail, SDN"
"SDN, did mock interviews with my family"
"sdn, web site of the UMN, packet that they send"
"SDN, school catalog/website, read essays"
"Talked to friends who go there."
"Visited School and SDN"
"Read SDN, school website, talked with D1 students..."
"Read through website, relaxed"
"reviewed my aadsas app. read up on the school. Had some questions to ask the interviewer prepared beforehand"
"Reviewed my AADSAS application; I've also done alot of research and presentations at conventions so I reviewed that as well in case they asked to hear about it."
"Read up on the school"
"Students, faculty, facilities, and building. Very impressed by everyone's kindness, so welcoming"
"How nice the faculty were"
"The dean of admissions is super nice"
"The research, nice faculty members."
"Seeing all their clinics and their sim lab"
"The interview was slightly conversational and relaxed."
"The school and research."
"The facilities were extremely nice"
"Really enjoyed learning about research opportunities within the school."
"Very welcoming, not a large group of applicants at once."
"How relaxed the school atmosphere was and how nice and helpful everyone is."
"I thought the whole day was great, there are opportunities to interact with students, faculty and administration in a very friendly and relaxed manner. Though most of us didn't want to eat, a light breakfast was provided and lunch was provided as well (with current dental students and your fellow interviewees!). The interviewees also impressed me positively, I had great respect for all of my peers when we were applying and they were all worthwhile and fantastic candidates."
"the positivity of the staff and students"
"The facilities, location, faculty, students, everything basically."
"Group was relatively laid back, just be yourself."
"interviewers are friendly"
"Everyone is really nice and friendly, and our tour guide as well as the other dental student there were Hilarious&Weird. LOL"
"Nice people"
"Friendliness of the staff, interviewers and upper year students."
"They've got an impressive collection of state of the art technology for us to learn with! The building was nice, campus is amazing, and Minneapolis is awesome."
"Lot of positive feedback from the interviewers"
"They were pretty nice people who interviewed me."
"The fact that the students were so happy they were there."
"3M Advanced simulation clinic, the number of scholarships available, the emphasis on community dentistry, opportunities for diverse clinical experiences and interprofessional development, very organized interview day, nice dental building and resources"
"Not much, I guess we got free food. The tour guide was really good, and did give us some advice for interviewing in general, which is good, because I want to get into other schools that are not this one."
"the organization of the interview, few people during the interview and how lucky they make you feel if you are invited for the interview"
"The friendliness of the admissions committee."
"Really liked the school. Felt like the administration was very friendly."
"Got to try out the advanced sim lab"
"The details given during the day and the IV process itself."
"School is real nice. Facilities are nice. "
"The interviewers, tour guide, students, faculty, dean, sim clinic, clinics, etc..."
"Small group, tour, very personal."
"The atmosphere and the "
"All faculty and students I met were exceptionally friendly and helpful--pretty much the stereotypical Minnesotans. All students seemed very happy to be at the U of MN. New sim clinic, beautiful campus, application and interview processes are very well organized."
"New admissions staff are awesome. Great changes at the school thanks to Lloyd the new dean."
"facilities"
"facilities, interviewer rapport"
"First class facility, $10 million sim lab. They find your patients for you."
"The preclinical lab."
"The facilities, students, and faculty with whom I interacted."
"Everyone at UM was extremely nice! From the admissions personnel to the students, everyone had an upbeat attitude. The new sim clinic is outstanding!!"
"Sim-labs. Minnesota Nice. Cool D4 students."
"Everything, the pre-clinic"
"New Stim Center, technology, happy students"
"The new sim labs. The location of the school. Pretty much everything."
"the facilities"
"The new pre-clinical facilities being built for the start of the 2007 academic year."
"simulation lab, students, quality of life"
"new sim clinic sounds great"
"The new simulation lab for 2007 entering class. How nice the student tour guide was. "
"New clinics for 2007 entering class."
"Tour guide was really knowledgable and really liked the school. Facilities seem good, renovations in progress. Faculty seem very nice and supportive. I enjoyed assisting the 4th yr student."
"Technology (everything will be state-of-the-art for my class) Staff (WOW!! what a great bunch of Profs) "
"city is VERY nice and affordable. lots to do. clinics getting redone. You go through some Y1 classes with med students. Rotations through most specialties a requirement. Students were generally happy and easy-going, NOT beaten down and sullen."
"nothing"
"School is improving, both facilities and program, new sim clinic will be top of the line"
"The amount of clinical experience the students seem to get, their research clout, research opportunity (they make it very easy to get involved), Minneapolis is a cooler city than I thought prior to visiting, and optional study-abroad program during clinical years. "
"The new facilities seem like they will be amazing, the "best in the big 10). The clinic supervisors (dentists) were very friendly and helpful and the 4th year student I worked with had nothing but good things to say about the new dean and the school. She readily answered any questions I had. The lunch was great."
"The twin cities are great, and the actual campus is nice."
"They were very professional in the manner in which the interview and tours were conducted."
"How friendly everyone was. "
"The city is very nice, the school is all in one building, faculty was nice, and they mentioned the possibility of state residency after one year. (I am a non-resident)"
"people were sooooooooo nice"
"The students were all happy with their education and their school, that Minnesota has every specialty so there is the potential to see experts in every subfield, the city is very fun"
"The people and the schedule of events they had set up for us. Everyone there, including the faculty and administrators, were SO nice! The morning was actually really fun, my nerves were definitely calmer then, but I especially enjoyed watching the 4th year dental student, I think I got a rush when they sat us down in the clinics!"
"Campus is nice"
"the clinics were remodeled in the past few years, students were friendly as well as the dentists "monitoring" the clinical floor, food at lunch was supah dupah."
"The honesty of some of the students. "
"Large program. This school recieved to most in research funding dollars last year of all dental schools. Friendly admissions staff."
"Not a whole lot..."
"The intimate setting and low stress level. Also, the fact that only 8 or so other students were there interviewing. Each student was assigned to a senior dental student that we observed and talked to while they performed clinical work. This was AWESOME!"
"the program seemed very stong, and all of the students I talked to were very happy with thier decision to attend"
"Everyone was really friendly-staff, secretaries, admissions counselor. Talked with professors and students over lunch, along with hearing the "reality" from students when we observed them working in the clinic. Also, talking with the oral surgeons was a bonus."
"Facilties, friendliness of staff, getting to observe clinic for about and hour."
"Tuition, some students expressed they wished they got more experience in a certain thing"
"facilities were subpar and outdated"
"One interviewer had very bad energy and did not smile the entire time....."
"Old building, lack of technology"
"the discussion of costs"
"The interviewers were only allowed to ask their preselected questions, meaning you're not invited to elaborate on something they may not have understood."
"Nothing!"
"Patient transfer between students does not seem formal. From what I was told at the interview, it is a "hey we're friends, have my good patients" type thing."
"A lot of down time in the interview. They seemed somewhat disorganized. This is my experiences both times having interviewed there."
"It's not totally negative, I had the early interview slot which was very nice, but I did feel a little bit bad for the interviewees that had to wait an hour for their interview time. A nervous hour is a very lonnnng hour."
"Orientation was a bit too long"
"I am instate and the tution is still pretty expensive"
"I am not much of a city dweller, so I am not excited at the prospect of commuting by bus, or paying huge sums of money for apartments close to the school."
"none"
"The weather, it can get pretty cold up here in Minnesota."
"The interview was not as conversational as i would have liked it to be but i tried to make it conversational. You can break off the tense question/answer interview by showing enthusiasm and talking about your life story."
"I asked the interviewers what the best and worst things about the school were, and they never gave me an answer for the worst thing!"
"Not a very personal interview..... it was a closed file interview where I was explaining myself the entire time without them getting to know me, and vice versa."
"The lack of interest in the applicants that were present for interviews."
"The breakfast and lunch was kinda ghetto."
"The interview, I thought, was very impersonal and allowed no room for casual conversation. The questions, for me at least, got me talking about all of the uncomfortable and painful situations in my life that were perhaps a little to personal to share with two people who just sat there and scored my answers."
"sometimes they don;t answer your emails on time."
"Seems like you don't get to do much clinical work until the third year."
"Tution price tag:-("
"It was quite stressful... It was a closed-file interview and they asked me ~8-10 questions during the 45 minutes of the interview. I tried to tell them everything about my app in such a short period of time. "
"Unorganized since it was the first group in the cycle."
"The interview was strictly question/answer snd basically lacked any real conversation. I would have liked questions to be unique to what was on my application. Not sure if my interviewer had even read my essay. I guess it made me feel just like a number."
"Nothing. I almost have a hard time believing the negative posts below mine. I know several people who have interviewed at and attended the U of MN SOD and have never heard anything but positives!"
"Still located in a very old Moos Tower even if many of the dental school labs are updated now."
"my interviewer"
"tuition"
"Nothing except the price for out of staters."
"The tour guide wasn't very informative. She had never given a tour before."
"Not much"
"Our tour guide seemed stressed out. The dental student I "shadowed" seemed stressed."
"Nothing"
"Parking costs- down town"
"Nothing."
"nothing really"
"I can't really think of anything that was discouraging. "
"size and appearance of school (ugly)"
"The 4th year dental clinic's equipment looked old and run down; the treatment of the patients by 4th year students was less than professional. Also the time it took for the attending professors in the clinic to inspect the students work before they could go on with the procedure. "
"Moos Tower is ugly and not in tune with aesthetics."
"Nothing really."
"Tour guide was NOT into the tour. Kept looking at his watch."
"interviewer had not read a line of my file. Every student I talked to was an in-stater so it was difficult to gauge the happiness of out-of-staters. Gale Shea left the admissions team and now works for the school of nursing. Seems like the admissions office was pretty slammed (IE not completely ready for Gales departure.) Not a single window in Y3/Y4 clinics."
"Not too friendly"
"The 4th year I observed - he was brutally honest with all my questions, which I appreciated, but he didn't seem to have any interest in being a dentist anymore. Watching him do his work and extracting personality from him were as awful as having teeth pulled. Also, it seems like almost all of the students were from Minnesota or midwest and were all married by 4th year. There was no diversity anywhere. It didn't seem like U of M is the school to go to if you want to specialize - apparently, only 2 of the most recent graduating class made it into an Ortho program. Facilities are SO clinical it hurts - bad fluorescent lighting, only a couple really modern chairs with all the digital tech (though the rest of the chairs are new, just not as impressive as this one section they have that is too hard to schedule any time in)..."
"The building itself is ugly and intimidating."
"The dental school is extremely outdated and book/lecture based. Clinics are no good...didn't see one computer. NO technology."
"The pre-clinic labs are old but they are suppose to be remodeled"
"-"
"I shadowed a dental student who said the school was okay. He had a patient so I could tell he couldn't tell me all the negatives about the school. He wanted to though, to the point where he was almost squirming. :)"
"just the cold and maybe i never lived in a city before"
"It wasn't a huge deal, but they couldn't open the door to the room where the virtual mouth was. I had seen it before, but it would have been neat to see it again."
"I did not feel welcomed at school. When I asked director of admission about in state tuition, since I'm out of state ...she replied that I probably will not get it anyway. Compare to other schools that at least it was said that you can apply for in state tuition and if you are rejected you can replay and appeal for in state tuition and probably you will get it. I do not think she was a good director of admission at all....They have mention that there is so little minority students enrolled at their program, but at the same time they have asked me to take TOEFL, when I have already done so and will be getting B.S. this December. It is like I am getting less efficient in my English. Even if I get accepted there I would not go there, other school that I have interview at made me feel welcome ....was like a day and night compare to UMN....Plus tuition is ridiculously expensive...let me ask for what???....no stimulation lab, facility is old.....If you look at good school apply to Marquette University, and Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. "
"1960's pre-clinics (but the students didn't mind working on typodonts); interview was standard"
"The interviewer. The person had made rash opinions about my resume of which the person had no idea what was being spoken from their mouth."
"The labs were kind of old but other areas are quite nice. "
"Faculty was uninviting, particularly the interviewer. She said she "had a long day" and "was rather tired". She hardly looked at me during the interview because she was so busy writing my responses. Also, thought the simlab was poor."
"No simulation lab. I get the impression that I would recieve quality instruction in pre-clinic, but In other interviews I have seen some impressive pre-clinical simulation labs. "
"Minneapolis is a huge town, parking is a nighmare and the dental school is in a high-rise. Ok if your from the city, but a culture shock if you're not used to an urban area. They've also had double digit percentage tuition increases that lase two years in a row."
"Nothing really..."
"Minesotta is cold!"
"Low stress day!"
"the tour wasn't as in-depth as I would have liked it to be"
"The questions, lol."
"That the school is this great. This wasn’t one of my top options but after attending the interview I’m really considering it."
"The interview questions!"
"It would have been nice to have known that it was a closed file interview."
"I just needed a reminder that traffic is quite hectic in the morning hours!"
"That the afternoon group gets breakfast and lunch as well!"
"I did my research for this interview so I was very prepared but as always, I wish I had known the questions that would be asked ahead of time :) Surprisingly I was NOT asked "Why dental school/why UofM", those questions I really prepared for and expected to be asked at the beginning of the interview."
"A lot of construction around the campus"
"none"
"That's it was 2 on one, they try to do the good cop & bad cop thing!"
"Situational interview"
"There's no reason to show up too early- no essays or anything to complete."
"That it would be closed file and that there was construction on the way to the dental school."
"Construction going on on campus - so plan ahead in terms of getting there"
"To apply to more private schools. Public schools don't offer the biggest bang for my buck as an out-of-state student. This was clear to me when they said that about 65% of faculty time was devoted to research, with only 45% devoted to teaching me how to practice general dentistry because they need the grant money."
"laid back nature of the interview, just be yourself"
"The new format of the interview."
"None."
"How laid back the interview would be"
"Closed file interview."
"You spend 5-6 hours at the school and do a lot of walking. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes! "
"How awesome the new admissions staff is- I would have worried less."
"that gale shea had left the DDS school and as far as i could tell, it was something the school was unprepared for and it showed."
"Nothing"
"That I would have to wait over an hour to interview."
"No realy need to bring along a briefcase"
"There is a lot of walking on interview day. Wish I'd have worn more comfortable shoes."
"My interviewer wasn't part of the admissions committee. I feel I could have done the interview over the phone. He just wrote down answers to my questions."
"It really was relaxed like everyone had said it would be"
"How laid back it was- everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic."
"How laidback everything would be."
"nothing."
"I could have asked who my interviewer would be ahead of time."
"Moos tower is confusing to navigate."
"All the stuff that positively impressed me."
"The amount of walking, I shouldn't have worn such uncomfortable heels!"
"How outdated this school truly is, cost."
"They do have combined classes with the med students in the first year"
"zilch!"
"how big the school is "
"I really can't think of anything! Maybe just more aware of the answer to the most difficult question they asked me?? :)"
"That it would be not that friendly, would not spend my time and money..."
"less than 10% of students specialize"
"That their have been a number of Dean changes over the years."
"There is very limited parking."
"nothing really..."
"Nothing, I was pretty well informed before the interview. "
"Great school! Wish the COA wasn't so high"
"it seems like a good school but what it lacks in luster is made up with the curriculum and faculty."
"Great experience, great food, nice faculty members. Then interview itself is structured and not conversational but they manage to make it chill"
"I really enjoyed my interview day, I really like the school and the public transportation in the area is magnificent!"
"A relatively comfortable day with a great informational session."
"Amazing school!"
"Interviewers were very friendly, all the students were very willing to help answer any questions I had."
"Good school. Memorable time. Good luck to future interviewees! Hope this helps y'all."
"I would be happy here."
"I love this school and everyone is so friendly! Beautiful city also and a lot to do around here. I also have friend as dental students and they are all so nice and helpful. I get a very good vibe every time I interact with someone there."
"Overall I have to say that the University of Minnesota is a great school. The faculty and administration really care about their students. The school has fantastic facilities, incredible technology, and a good focus on research."
"UMN is a very good school and your impression of the school will only get better once you visit the school yourself in person. Other than the horrible weather in winter, UMN is the way to go."
"I am not much of a city dweller, so I am not excited at the prospect of commuting by bus, or paying huge sums of money for apartments close to the school."
"Be confident and God spede !!"
"Go prepared. I met many students who were reapplying for the same school. Expose yourself to many situational questions. Show enthusiasm and be true to yourself and you should be fine."
"Looks like a great school, in a great location."
"Its a great school"
"Seems like a nice school with plenty of resources but the area makes me feel a bit claustrophobic!"
"Do not get me wrong. This is an excellent school. I am just slightly frustrated with the admissions planning and execution of the interview day. Still my number one choice."
"Definitely surpassed my expectations. Didn't think i'd like it as much as I did. I would now rank this school above Harvard and Columbia as my top choices (in terms of cost/facilities)"
"Not impressed. Their interview made me feel uncomfortable, not welcome. Their financial situation makes me feel uneasy. I about large tuition increases and faculty salary cuts when I would be handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars. When I am paying that much, I really should only have to worry about my next exam."
"great school, clinical exposure and only 10 students in your class , which makes more emphasis on the students. by the way i got acceptance from this school too."
"Be prepared to have at least 10+ life experiences to draw from to answer the questions in the interview. They ask almost all situational questions. Its two on one as well as closed file so they (the interviewers) don't know anything about you. They are looking for people who are mature, have life experiences and lots of experience working in a team and with people."
"The IV process is smooth but the day is longgg indeed. There is nothing to be apprehensive about three interviewers! Just be yourself and earnest."
"Great interview, really loved the school!"
"They are also letting applicants test out the sim clinic on interview day. For our group, the study coordinator was absent to we get to schedule a later day to do this."
"Very short interview, took a tour of the school, watched a student work on patients, then had a lunch."
"Very friendly and relaxed. Definitely a ''get to know you'' (as opposed to interrogation) style interview. "
"Arrived at the school. Went to a room for interviewees. Sat there waiting to be called by my interviewer. My interviewer came and we went to her office to interview. Came back to room, went to lunch, went on tour, dismissed for the day."
"my interviewer sat at his desk with his back/side to me. i was put in a chair in the ''corner''. the questions were highly redundant it was obvious that my file had never been read (although most other interviewers at the U of MN pre-read the students' files). at one point, my interviewer made (not took) a personal call - which took 10 minutes of our time. by the end of the interview, i didn't know if the U of MN was the place for me and i couldn't think of any convincing reasons why i wanted to go there"
"one on one; my interviewer had my file handy and referred to specifics several times; questions focuesd heavily on public health issues/empathy"
"Interview was a little tough, the rest of the day was great."
"Awesome. Loved the school. Interviewer was great."
"The interview itself was quite straightforward and had a very relaxed feel to it. The tour guides were very helpful and the school did a very good job at selling itself. Definitely my #1 choice, should I be accepted."
"The day was well planned by the admissions staff. Although they asked some pretty difficult questions, the overall experience was very laid back. I got the feeling students are genuinely happy here and the profs really want students to succeed."
"Overall it was positive. I really liked the school and met some really cool people (mostly other interviewees.) The sim-clinic is brand new and looks awesome. No one said anything negative about the school, they all said it was great. There was ample chairs for everyone. Great school."
"The guy interview me, Dr. Raj, was very laid back and I was comfortable talking to him so that helped a lot. "
"The visted lasted an entire day. After the interview, I went to lunch with the other students and faculty, asked many questions, and then went on a tour of the Dental School."
"great school, everyone seems very glad to be there, everyone was extremely friendly and willing to answer any questions"
"I had a great time and met a lot of cool people. Basically, I listened to the faculty and staff in regard to the school and asked a few questions. "
"My interview was a bit different than other people, it did not seem like a conversation no matter how hard I tried, the interviewer was set on the question and answer system. She read off a list and whenever I answered the question she moved on."
"it was must less intimidating than I prepared myself for....just remember,don't crack bad jokes"
"The interview was not intimidating. The lunch they give is good and all of the people you come in contact with are very nice. "
"Overall I thought the interview was great, very laid back, I was nervous when I first got the invite but was quite calm when in the interview."
"Postive. What a great university. The d4 I assisted with was very enthusiastic and pleasant. All the students were very upbeat and glad to be there."
"Overall the experience was positive, I was just a bit rattled that the interviewer hadn't read my application. Had I clarified that early in the interview, I probably would have answered questions differently. I felt they could have gotten MUCH more out of the interview and a much better comprehension of me as a person had we NOT spent 15 of the 30 min interview rephrasing rote answers that my application paperwork addressed. Minn Supplemental is LONG. My advice for interviewers: Read the kids file. My advice for interviewees: Don't worry about the pace with which you answer questions. Some will be slow, some will be fast. What's important is to be considerate, thoughtful, and measured. Minn/StPaul is a beautiful part of the country if you like msquitos and snowballs. "
"Interview was laid back and generally easy, trying to find out who you are as a person"
"This was my first interview; so I didn't really know what to expect. I also didn't know what to expect about Minnesota in general - it wasn't one of my first choices before I visited. I stressed out about the interview way more than was necessary. The interviewer basically only asked me one question, and then we just BSed the rest of the time. The students who were involved with the tour were all ridiculously friendly, and I suspect honest - with the exception of the student I observed in the clinic who, although honest, seemed to hate his life. One thing that really pleased me was that they gave us the tour before we had to interview. Though not getting the interview over with early was stressful, it gave me the chance to really see what I liked about the school before I had to go in and talk about why I would want to go there. Also, it seemed like the students really had a sense of community - everyone knew everyone else by their final year. I didn't really meet any faculty, but the one research professor I met was amazing - I imagine she teaches too."
"The interview itself was not as intimidating as I had worked it up to be in my head, but I had an afternoon interview and I was nervous for the entire morning and afternoon. The tour guide and admissions office staff were very friendly and the interviewer was friendly as well. It was a conversational style interview and slightly awkward at times so I don't know if that's bad or normal. "
"Laid back, friendly interviewer"
"I felt that the interview went well. Minnesota does have more prerequisites than any other school I am applying to, which means a few classes next spring which I am not excited about (namely psychology!)"
"It was good; it was a very casual conversation between the interviewer and myself."
"It was my first one, so it went well, but there was room for improvement. The lady after the interview said, quote, "Well, keep shopping!" Gee, thanks."
"It was good, but I really overprepared. They only asked me one question then the rest of the time was alloted to me asking them questions."
"My interview experience was in between "no change" and "positive." I had been told that the interview was very conversational, but sitting in there I wouldn't say it was easy by any means! The interviewer basically just went down a list of questions, each one being a pretty in depth question. It wasn't grueling, but just not as easy as I'd heard. Just being honest...don't worry if you know yourself and prepare for the interview on this website you'll do fine!"
"See above"
"all interviewees shadowed a 4th year as he/she worked on a patient. this was a great and informative. i had an opportunity to chat with one of the dentists who was helping students out and he seemed really, really caring, patient, and helpful. it would be great to be surrounded by faculty like him, and according to students, 90% of the faculty is fab. the interview was stressful in the sense it wasn't conversational. it was question then answer. new question then answer. new question then answer. not really my cup of tea, but i imagine some students prefer such a format."
"I think that I observed a bad apple in the program during the observation part of the tour. The student did not have anything good to say about the program or the school. But he also didn't seem very intelligent. This could have lead to the negative experience. I do know that they produce very excellent dental professionals"
"I did the Early Admissions Program. I think they will only let you into it if you are a resident or from a neighboring state with a contract. Do EAP if you can, it will really help your chances at getting in. During the interview they just asked a list a general questions, nothing to personal."
"Overall, not very impressed with the school."
"I had a really wonderful time. The faculty and students were all very nice. We started with a comprehensive tour (with clinical observation), followed by an information session about financing dental school. We had lunch and then had the formal interview. "
"Overall, it was positive. The interviewer was an older professor that makes you think of one's grandfather. The interview was relatively laid back...not as formal as I'd anticipated. At times, he'd say "I see you've done alot of research..." and then he'd pause and not say something like, "So tell me about that" or "What did you do" so I just would start talking about it even though he didn't necessarily ask...I assumed that was what he wanted with the pauses???"
"ok, nothing impressive, in one of te administrators office around a table. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 66 |
| Faculty member | 2 |
| Admissions staff | 5 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 47 |
| Neutral | 12 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.91 | 58 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 20 |
| Out of state | 40 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 17 |
| 2-3 hours | 12 |
| 4-6 hours | 16 |
| 7+ hours | 13 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 30 |
| Automobile | 26 |
| Train or subway | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 12 |
| $101-$200 | 6 |
| $201-$300 | 3 |
| $301-$400 | 6 |
| $401-$500 | 2 |
| $501+ | 17 |
St. Paul
DTW/MSP
American airlines
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
MSP - there is free shuttle service to Airport Hotels
Minneapolis-St. Paul
st paul international airport
Minneapolis
Minneapolis/St. paul
Minneapolis Airport
MSP
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 15 |
| Hotel | 23 |
| Home | 7 |
| Other | 1 |
Days Hotel
Days inn
Graduate (def recommend it, its only 3 min away from the dental school, great hotel, very cool )
Graduate Minneapolis
Yes
Days Hotel
Days inn
Graduate (def recommend it, its only 3 min away from the dental school, great hotel, very cool )
Graduate Minneapolis
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.82 | 60 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.20 | 61 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.25 | 61 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.09 | 34 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.32 | 34 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.12 | 34 |
"Everything was great! Maybe have someone from the admissions office also join in during lunch."
"None really."
"None! Wonderful experience."
"Keep up the great work!"
"Keeping being friendly and awesome! :)"
"Great job! No suggestions"
"I felt like I was second fiddle, until I was invited for an interview."
"none"
"nothing, everyone was very nice and friendly, they treat u like you're already a student there."
"Seem a little more interested in the questions that students have when calling you."
"Make us feel like we are important. The schedule for the day looked impressive, but I felt like it was executed poorly. The fact that I never even got to talk to a professor the five hours I was there was kind of sad. I know this is a great school, and it is still my first choice, but I wish they would have cared more."
"Do not use snail mail for December 1st decisions!"
"Change the interview process. Convince me your school is worth the over-expensive out of state tuition."
"nothing they are very organized , interviewed only 4 students in one day , devoting time and judging every student very nicely and answer your all queries and also explain everything about the school ,the program, just prepare yourself to answer some questions regarding school and the location, this will impress them positively."
"Nothing, they are very organized and really try to sell their school to you and not gun you down or intimidate you."
"Keep up the good work!"
"Nothing, very well constructed interview day, wayyyyyyyyyy better then other interviews, not a ton o"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?