pointless interviews

[dentalapp]

Question.

For the following schools: Columbia, NYU, USC, Detroit, CWRU, PENN, and Pitt, how long are the interviews? 1 hour? Are they one-on-one?

At this point, will acceptances be based on primarily interview performance?

What do you do after you finish answering the interviewer's questions? Do you absolutely have to take the dental school tour, meet the faculty and students, and have lunch with them? ( I can only see a point in doing this if you are accepted )

Lastly, is it true that dental schools sometimes offer interviews to less qualified applicants only to talk about dentistry prospects and how they could be a better applicant in the future?

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[ItsGavinC]

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of your post. The only pointless interviews are those which you attend despite not wanting to matriculate into the school.

In order to gain admissions, interviews are required! Therefore, if you wish to matriculate to a certain school (or even get acceptances), then you need to attend the interviews!

The majority of schools have 2 interviews, each being 30-45 minutes long. Other schools do group interviews, and some only do one interview, but MOST do 2 interviews at described above.

After the interview (or before in some cases!) you take a tour, eat lunch, etc. It seems like you aren't too fond of this part of the experience (hence your wording: "Do you absolutely have to..."). This part of the interview is often one of the funnest! Seeing the facilities and meeting with students is going to give you an insight into the school. In a way, you are able to get past all of the fluff that the adcoms will blow up your rear. Why anybody would NOT want to have a tour and lunch is beyond me.

If you get acceptances, how are you going to choose between different schools if you can't compare their facilities, their faculty, and demeanor of the students, etc?!?

Dental schools DO NOT offer interviews to candidates only to tell them what they can do to improve their application. If you are offered an interview, then you are SERIOUSLY being considered for admissions. An interview gives the committee the chance to analyze your social skills, personality, etc. However, in an interview you may be given tips on how your application compares to other applicants in the cycle, or past matriculants, although this is probably fairly uncommon.

Once again, interviews can be expensive, but they are loads of fun! All of my interviews have gotten me really excited to learn more about dentistry, and each school has had pros and cons! And in regards to lunch, why deny a free one?

 

[DATMATT]

I have not interviewed yet but I am with Gavin on everything but the free lunch. I see each lunch as costing me $200-500 (ap fees, hotels, cabs, etc.)