I'm an incoming D1. Do you have questions? I can (try to) help

[Lane138]

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Hi there!

In two weeks I'm starting my first class at Harvard dental school (called Introduction to the Profession). I used to be a pretty avid SDN user, and from what I remember, sometimes specific answers to questions is very helpful and (more importantly) reassuring. Now that August is here, I'm guessing the dental school application stress is at peak levels. Questions like "why hasn't the school portal updated yet?," "Is it too late to still apply, and where?" "Why are other people on SDN getting interviews already and I haven't?" "How on earth do I prepare for interviews anyway?" or "Should I call up the school and ask?" may be preventing you from enjoying summer.

Since dental school apps is a process to which I've once devoted so much thought, I want to help, possibly relieve some stress around here. So, ask away!

I applied to Harvard, Michigan, Penn, UCSF, and Columbia as my reaches, so if you're applying there too, I can answer more specific questions about them.

(Disclaimer: I'm no admissions officer; take everything I write and SDN forums with a grain of salt.)

ADDED: If you prefer someone who doesn't know you to read your PS and give you comments, I'd be happy to give it a quick read through and tell you what sort of person you've described. PM me.

 

[dentstudent2017]

Thanks so much for doing this, Lane138! I actually applied to Harvard, Michigan, Columbia, UPenn, and UCSF as well! I was just curious when you started hearing back from these schools about interviews? I keep telling myself that Aug. 7 is still really early and that not hearing back from schools yet isn't a sign of anything bad!

 

[Lane138]

Thanks so much for doing this, Lane138! I actually applied to Harvard, Michigan, Columbia, UPenn, and UCSF as well! I was just curious when you started hearing back from these schools about interviews? I keep telling myself that Aug. 7 is still really early and that not hearing back from schools yet isn't a sign of anything bad!

Lol this sort of question is exactly where I think I can help.

You're not behind schedule at all! Basically, more competitive private schools get tons of applications and aren't in a rush to send out interview invites as early as other schools. On SDN last year, Case Western and some state schools were among the first schools to send them out.

Checking my email record, my earliest two interview requests came in late-August from Columbia and UNC. UCSF came in mid-September. Michigan, Harvard, and Penn's requests didn't roll in until mid-October (let me tell you, I almost died from the wait)

 

[rchunyin]

At interviews for the school you interviewed, did they ever asked you questions about your personal statement, or maybe secondary app response if the school had any?

 

[VDR]

What vibe did you get from UCSF? It's my top choice.

 

[cluckyducky]

Thanks for doing this! Very kind of you. I'll let you know if I have any questions.

 

[SweetTea25]

Do you think we should be concerned if schools have already been giving invites and we haven't heard back?
I feel like I have solid stats, but I still haven't heard from Case or NYU.. and I'm in the second batch :/

 

[duke2121]

When was your aadsas mailing date, specifically for Penn?

 

[Lane138]

In order of the questions:

At interviews for the school you interviewed, did they ever asked you questions about your personal statement, or maybe secondary app response if the school had any?

Of all my interviewers, less than half read my application at all, so almost no one asked about anything in my application. This is because usually interviews are conducted once by a faculty and once by a student (sometimes together). None of my student interviewers were given my file in the first place, and not every faculty has time to peruse your application. Only one old professor from UNC (who was probably tenured and had nothing better to do with his time) read my application carefully way ahead of time and prepared questions about my extracurriculars.

Thus, it's important for you to figure out ahead of time which aspects of your application (aka your life) that you want to bring up and highlight during the interview.



What vibe did you get from UCSF? It's my top choice.
I liked it quite a lot. The Pernassus neighborhood is hip, friendly, hilly, and nice-weathered. The school's buildings are quite nice; they definitely highlighted the gym and the simulations room during the tour. The people I encountered (except my student interviewer) were very friendly, looked happy and tanned. I was impressed with their specialty rate-- quite high for a state school.


Do you think we should be concerned if schools have already been giving invites and we haven't heard back? I feel like I have solid stats, but I still haven't heard from Case or NYU.. and I'm in the second batch :/

Don't worry about that at this point just yet. Schools get a ton of applications, and who knows their systems for sorting through them all. Maybe they read all the in-state people first; or rank by GPA, maybe your reader's computer went down for a week. Some schools like Harvard don't start reading until September. It's too early to be anxious about not getting interviews, even if you are in an early batch. Wait till October to start worrying about that!

In addition, I think it's a good idea starting in September to give the schools' admission office a quick call to confirm that your file is being processed (a polite way of rushing them). True story: I called Michigan in late-September asking if everything was okay, and the lady said I was missing something that I wasn't even aware of! After that was handled, they gave me an interview two weeks later.


When was your aadsas mailing date, specifically for Penn?
I was in the second batch (I think 1st week of July?). Summer laziness rolled in after that, and I didn't finish my Penn secondary until early September.

 

[koalamowgli]

May I ask your stats? and maybe an overview of your strengths in your app?
And.. is it really true that every single student accepted to Harvard have crazy stats like near 4.0 and 23+ DAT with tons of research?

 

[Ari Rezaei]

Thanks for doing this, your answers so far have been great!

What are some tips you wish you would've known during the interview process?

 

[Subcharge]

hey! i had a question:

i wanted to get your opinion on a situation that im in:

i have a year to kill and ive been accepted into USC'S MSGM program. its basically an SMP with no thesis involved and allows you to get your GPA up and look better for adcoms. i have a 3.0 from UCI but a 22TS with 21AA and 19PAT.

im signed up for the SMP but wanted to know if it would look better if i spent that year becoming a dental laboratory technician. with this, ill get a lot more exposure and get my hand eye skills in line for dental school. this program will make dental school a lot easier for me when i get into and allow me to get some solid mentoring time. another big incentive is the price diff and the debt that ill be needing to manage as a dentist. the program for dental lab tech is $9k and the SMP is about $50k.

what would you recomment that i do?

thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[Lane138]

And.. is it really true that every single student accepted to Harvard have crazy stats like near 4.0 and 23+ DAT with tons of research?

I don't know about others, but my grades were not stellar. (but I did have really strong DATs; it's on SDN somewhere). Having good grades shows you're smart, but it's only a small piece of the pie. Research is another, but not necessary, piece.

Harvard loves stories. I think every student there successfully told a story about themselves that shows why they can be valuable to the Harvard community and/or dental profession. To that end, I feel like Harvard really wants you to be ambitious and be involved, so saying that you want to work 30 hour weeks, and golf the rest of your week is not a favorable answer.



What are some tips you wish you would've known during the interview process?

Most important!! Decide what kind of impression you want to leave the interviewer with! The first question is almost always "Tell me about yourself," and this guides the rest of the interview. So, open with a few interesting anecdotes that show that you're an interesting/intelligent/well-bred individual, and elaborate on those anecdotes later on.

I like to end stories with something like "This experience/activity/incident showed me..." so I can help the interview draw (positive) conclusions.

Dress nicely in a suit, but don't fret about what to wear, especially if you're a girl. I remember spending a good deal of thought on buying new suits (what brand? what cut? which color?), but it really doesn't matter in the end.

If you're a girl, bring flats with you in your bag. Some interviews have long tours.

Check the weather report. If it's gonna rain, be prepared.

I think it's important to be relaxed and put your interviewer at ease. You don't have to be hilarious, just treat your interviewer like some guy you meet on the bus, not someone who holds the decision straw. They will appreciate you viewing them as an equal and can have an intelligent conversation.

Figure out how you will respond if they ask a question that throws you off. I like to laugh and say, "hmm that's an interesting question." (to delay answering) Try not to be awkward, or worse, let them feel that you're nervous.




To Subcharge:

I don't have experience with either being a dental technician or attending post-graduate classes, so I can't tell you which one is more fulfilling. Personally? I'd go for the dental technician. Not only is it less expensive, it seems more interesting to me and relevant to your future in training you to be better with patients and familiar with dentists' tools, rather than yet another year of books just to boost the GPA.

Since nobody here is an admissions officer, none of us have concrete answers as to which program will make you a stronger applicant. Did you know you can actually ask that question to admission officers? My advice is, if you live close to a school, schedule a short meeting with one of their adcoms to ask what them what they would prefer. This way, not only are you declaring your interest in their school (which makes a good impression for next year's cycle), you can hear it from their perspectives. If you live really far, ask over the phone. Maybe repeat with your dream school.

Hope that helps

 

[cluckyducky]

And.. is it really true that every single student accepted to Harvard have crazy stats like near 4.0 and 23+ DAT with tons of research?

I don't know about others, but my grades were not stellar. (but I did have really strong DATs; it's on SDN somewhere). Having good grades shows you're smart, but it's only a small piece of the pie. Research is another, but not necessary, piece.

27AA?!?!

 

[lutopie0730]

Wow this thead really helps 🙂 thank you so much! I truly appreciate it

 

[Vsno123]

holy cow, your DAT scores are amazing!

Did you bring a suitcase/purse with you to your interview? Is that common? I want to be able to switch shoes for the tour.

Also, did you have to bring your luggage with you to any of the schools b/c of a flight right after?

 

[Lane138]

holy cow, your DAT scores are amazing!

Did you bring a suitcase/purse with you to your interview? Is that common? I want to be able to switch shoes for the tour.

Also, did you have to bring your luggage with you to any of the schools b/c of a flight right after?

Yes, and yes. I didn't see suitcases, but a lot of girls had decent-looking tote bags with them.

And yes. Schools don't mind you bringing a suitcase at all; they will try to find a place for you to hide it.

 

[diene]

Yes, and yes. I didn't see suitcases, but a lot of girls had decent-looking tote bags with them.

And yes. Schools don't mind you bringing a suitcase at all; they will try to find a place for you to hide it.

Can girls carry their purses around with them or do those have to be put away as well?
When they ask, "tell me about yourself?" Are they just looking for you to talk about academic related things or could you start off talking about family etc?

 

[Lane138]

Can girls carry their purses around with them or do those have to be put away as well?
When they ask, "tell me about yourself?" Are they just looking for you to talk about academic related things or could you start off talking about family etc?

It's totally okay to carry you purse/bag with you into the interview. It's really not a big deal. Usually there is a conference room where all the interviewees eat breakfast/wait around, so some people leave it there too.

That's the trickiness of the question: there are no hard or fast rules as to what you can or should talk about. In my experience, since this IS the question that guides the rest of your interview, I would focus about stuff that is important to you that makes you a good applicant and a memorable person, not superficial stuff that lead nowhere. So, if you want to talk about academics cuz you're good at school, that's a good bet. Or any special interests, or you can talk about some uncle and lead into how he influenced you to go into dentistry. Get what I mean?

 

[wcombs]

I'm going to start preparing for interviews very soon. I've never been a GREAT interviewer, but I'm not horrible either. One thing about me is I've never been that great at thinking on my toes, so I'm very intimidated by questions that are meant to throw me off. I can research questions to death and prepare the best I can, but what do you do in situations where you feel like can't formulate an answer?

For example I was looking at sample questions and trying to think quickly about them on the spot as I read them, deciding what I would say if I was in an interview right then. I came across one that seems so simple but I honestly was clueless. It was "what defines a professional to you?"

Something like that seems so easy, and I can formulate an answer for that question now and have one prepared in case it comes up. But I feel like a question like that would catch me off guard in the heat of the moment and that I would panic and not have anything to say. Any advice?

 

[Dainotda]

so I'm very intimidated by questions that are meant to throw me off.

I really dislike questions like "If you could be any kitchen utensil, what would you be?" or "How would you go about weighing an airplane" D:

 

[wcombs]

I really dislike questions like "If you could be any kitchen utensil, what would you be?" or "How would you go about weighing an airplane" D:

Hah, those are... different ? Those are at least (seemingly) lighthearted questions though and maybe I wouldn't feel as much pressure regarding my response. I screw up when I'm expected to give an intellectual and well-expressed answer with only a few seconds to mull it over .

 

[mustardseed5]

Hold up, us girls can carry larger totes now? :forehead smack:

Thanks so much, Lane. You've provided some wonderful insight.

 

[xximjohnxx]

I'm curious. What's your opinion on the best way to prepare and succeed the first year of dental school?

 

[Lane138]

To wcombs, the great thing is, you will most likely never get a question that meant to trick you, but are open-ended to see how you think. The interviewers are looking forward to a good discussion; very very few sadistic ones want to grill you with tough questions with no good answer. My opinion is that it's not what you actually say, but how you say it. (with confidence and minimal nervous tics)

One potential exception to the rule is Michigan, which does MMIs. Those have its own class of trickiness.

I'm curious. What's your opinion on the best way to prepare and succeed the first year of dental school?

I'll let you know in a year!

 

[mustardseed5]

One potential exception to the rule is Michigan, which does MMIs. Those have its own class of trickiness.

What is MMI?

 

[duke2121]

..

 

[deleted487471]

What is MMI?

Multiple mini interview. It's a format used by some schools. The version I've seen is where you get a question or scenario beforehand, and then go into the room and give your answer/explanation in a time frame. This is done a number of times. Really annoying IMO.

 

[Lane138]

Multiple mini interview. It's a format used by some schools. The version I've seen is where you get a question or scenario beforehand, and then go into the room and give your answer/explanation in a time frame. This is done a number of times. Really annoying IMO.

Yup. It's like speed-dating, except you're always the dude so you're the one shuffling around the room every ten minutes. The questions range from the open-ended personality questions, to specific issues in dentistry. At Michigan, the interviewers ranged from students, to Deans, to people not really affiliated with the dental school, to people who will be sitting on the selection committee.

The format might be annoying, but just think! you get a lot of chances to redeem yourself if you mess up one or two.

 

[saintssoccer]

You said that you also got an interview with Columbia, what was that interview like?

 

[chippy]

Hey there! I am a current D1 at the University of Minnesota and would also be happy to answer questions if anyone wants to PM me. I applied to Minnesota, Marquette, Creighton, and Michigan last summer and got interviews at all but Creighton. I only went to the Minnesota and Marquette interviews though. I was in the first batch and had a 21AA/20TS.

Happy application season 🙂

 

[Lane138]

You said that you also got an interview with Columbia, what was that interview like?

Columbia interview was very chill. About a dozen of you interviewees get ushered into their faculty lounge (the fanciest dining room), and there's about an hour of introduction to the school by a dean or someone equally important. (take notes and ask questions about it later!)

Then, there is one alum interview. Maybe my experience is out of the ordinary (go check on the Interview feedbacks) but I only got one alum interviewer. Not a faculty or a student, but someone who graduated from Columbia what seemed like 40 years ago. She was very nice, barely read or referred to my file, and half an hour later the interview ended.

Then, we were treated to a nice catered lunch, and led around the (big) facilities on a student-led tour.

 

[nguyenq09]

What vibe did you get from UCSF? It's my top choice.
I liked it quite a lot. The Pernassus neighborhood is hip, friendly, hilly, and nice-weathered. The school's buildings are quite nice; they definitely highlighted the gym and the simulations room during the tour. The people I encountered (except my student interviewer) were very friendly, looked happy and tanned. I was impressed with their specialty rate-- quite high for a state school.

Hey this is in my top 5 reacher schools!

More importantly how did you truly prepare for interviews?

Currently i have interviews lined up at UNC, MWU, and NSU. Ive been looking up interview questions and drafting answers and trying to do specific school research (trying to answer the "why this school" question) : /

I am not very informed with current dental issues, is that a big thing?
Im trying to fix this by reading more medscape articles.

Also can i PM you my draft for the "tell me about yourself" question. Questions about me are what trip me up

 

[Lane138]

What vibe did you get from UCSF? It's my top choice.
Hey this is in my top 5 reacher schools!

More importantly how did you truly prepare for interviews?

Currently i have interviews lined up at UNC, MWU, and NSU. Ive been looking up interview questions and drafting answers and trying to do specific school research (trying to answer the "why this school" question) : /

I am not very informed with current dental issues, is that a big thing?
Im trying to fix this by reading more medscape articles.

Also can i PM you my draft for the "tell me about yourself" question. Questions about me are what trip me up

Other than my Michigan MMI, none of the other interviewers ever asked about dental issues. However, I had done a lot of research on my own and brought some issues up of my own accord (but I am interested in public health so maybe it's just me), and I definitely think it made me come across as more knowledgeable and mature. So, it's nice but not a must-do.

I think there are two really helpful must-dos when it comes to preparing for interviews:

1. Peruse the school's website. Prepare questions to ask from that (i.e. points or programs that interest you) Try to find at least one thing that appeals to you about the school to answer the "Why us" question.
2. Prepare (not memorize) a 2 minute answer to the Tell me about yourself question. The night before my first interview, I locked myself in my room, opened Photobooth, and videotaped myself speaking into the camera a few times, and paid attention to my inflections, speed of talking, and facial expressions, until I was happy with my answer.

And nguyenq09, go ahead and PM me whatever you'd like. (lol not literally)

 

[Toothman23]

Where did you end up going Lane?

 

[DoeAdeer]

Where did you end up going Lane?

bolded and enlarged for emphasis

Hi there!

In two weeks I'm starting my first class at Harvard dental school (called Introduction to the Profession). I used to be a pretty avid SDN user, and from what I remember, sometimes specific answers to questions is very helpful and (more importantly) reassuring. Now that August is here, I'm guessing the dental school application stress is at peak levels. Questions like "why hasn't the school portal updated yet?," "Is it too late to still apply, and where?" "Why are other people on SDN getting interviews already and I haven't?" "How on earth do I prepare for interviews anyway?" or "Should I call up the school and ask?" may be preventing you from enjoying summer.

Since dental school apps is a process to which I've once devoted so much thought, I want to help, possibly relieve some stress around here. So, ask away!

I applied to Harvard, Michigan, Penn, UCSF, and Columbia as my reaches, so if you're applying there too, I can answer more specific questions about them.

(Disclaimer: I'm no admissions officer; take everything I write and SDN forums with a grain of salt.)

ADDED: If you prefer someone who doesn't know you to read your PS and give you comments, I'd be happy to give it a quick read through and tell you what sort of person you've described. PM me.

 

[Toothman23]

Tough guy huh? I skipped to the questions people were asking.

 

[Lane138]

Just had my white coat ceremony yesterday. it's been very exciting. Just wanted to apologize to people who I said I'd try to respond with personal statement comments by Wednesday-- this first week has truly been insanely scheduled. Will get to them soon as I can!

 

[SweetTea25]

edit

 

[WastedTime]

does michigan ask you to prove you have 100 shadowing hours before they offer an interview?

 

[bluesprite13]

Hi! When you went for your UCSF interview was there an essay, was it random, and was it a difficult question? Thanks! 😀

 

[rebmem eman]

Hey! Is it true that HSDM not only has financial aid, but has very generous financial aid at that?

 

[Aestheticbrah]

Hey there! I am a current D1 at the University of Minnesota and would also be happy to answer questions if anyone wants to PM me. I applied to Minnesota, Marquette, Creighton, and Michigan last summer and got interviews at all but Creighton. I only went to the Minnesota and Marquette interviews though. I was in the first batch and had a 21AA/20TS.

Happy application season 🙂

OMG Minnesota is my dream school! I am Canadian.

My application was fully completed by August 10th because thats when my DAT was mailed out. But I think Minnesota looks at your unofficial DAT scores to judge your application correct? So that means my app would have been completed on 26th July since thats when I took my DAT. Is it worrying that I have not heard back from them?


Also how long breaks do you get after D1 and D2? Because spending time with my family back home is important to me.

 

[Lane138]

does michigan ask you to prove you have 100 shadowing hours before they offer an interview?

Nope.

Hi! When you went for your UCSF interview was there an essay, was it random, and was it a difficult question? Thanks! 😀

The essay wasn't hard at all. If you've written an SAT essay before and didn't struggle with it, you should be fine. Basically it's an open-ended question, not even necessarily health related, and you have to write like four paragraphs about it. Some people only wrote half a page, but I wrote a whole page. There will be no right or wrong answers, but they want to see how you can write and reason through your argument.

Hey! Is it true that HSDM not only has financial aid, but has very generous financial aid at that?

Not at all, unfortunately. Like most dental schools out there, financial aid consists of loans.