Scheduling Dental School Interviews

[brephos]

I haven't seen this discussed anywhere? If someone applies to what appears to be an average 8 to 12 dental schools and this fall is their Senior Year and they have an average class load - how can they possibly go to the interviews? Will dental school interviews be on the weekend?
I have a lite load myself - but even with no class on Fridays and a late class on Monday - I'm still in school almost all the time and what if I have 3 or 4 interviews on say a Tuesday - I can't miss that many classes. I rarely miss class period... Now, of course professors will let students miss - but missing two classes or three or heaven forbid four - even if the professors condones my absence - my school work is being compromised. Some interviews would probably require a student to be out of town overnight because of distance which would now be two days of missed classes and on top of all this what if a student had to miss another day of class because of sickness for even one more day? What a mess. How do people do all these interviews without blowing up their current Senior Fall Semesters?
Of course many dental applicants may have only one or two interviews, but looking at the DAT scores and grades posted on this board - many posters are high achievers and 6 to 8 interviews is a real possibility. Some might say - once those interviews are offered - just weed it down and go to the three best, but that would be foolish as an interview is not an admission. So you have to keep going until you get in.
Which takes us back to how does a dental student go to 5 to 8 interviews - during this coming Fall Semester without compromising their course work?

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[Life of Pablo]

Interviews are always on weekdays, not weekends. You just have to make it work. Professors (should) understand if you're interviewing for dental schools, so I would imagine they would be more flexible. Missing class does suck so you just have to do your best to balance it and schedule your interviews when tests aren't coming up.

 

[fit2]

Interviews are always on weekdays, not weekends. You just have to make it work. Professors (should) understand if you're interviewing for dental schools, so I would imagine they would be more flexible. Missing class does suck so you just have to do your best to balance it and schedule your interviews when tests aren't coming up.

There's no way I can know when tests are if I start school on September 5.
I think you'll have to move your tests and due dates a little bit around OP if possible.
I'd personally schedule interviews as soon as possible. School IMO is secondary now. Your GPA ishood enough for interviews, and while it matters in the future is not equally as vital I don't think

 

[Life of Pablo]

There's no way I can know when tests are if I start school on September 5.
I think you'll have to move your tests and due dates a little bit around OP if possible.
I'd personally schedule interviews as soon as possible. School IMO is secondary now. Your GPA ishood enough for interviews, and while it matters in the future is not equally as vital I don't think

Yeah we don't know our exact test schedules but I know at my college I usually have exams every 5-6 weeks (has been this way since freshmen year), so I'm focusing on not scheduling interviews during that time. If I have to change interview times, I will

 

[wengerout]

I won't lie to you it's not easy.

I went to 12 interviews last cycle. Two of these were on the weekend so I lucked out there. For the others I had to do a lot of juggling to make time to travel. I purposely scheduled my classes to not have class on Monday and have one class with no attendance on Friday. I then tried to get as many interviews as I could on these two days. However, some schools only give interviews on specific days, so for those that landed on Tuesday-Thursday I tried to talk to the professors/move the interview to a day where I could afford to miss class.

In hindsight, after the 6th or 7th interview I was probably good, but I also know people who interviewed at five schools and only got into one, so you can never be too careful.

As for school, it only affected my grades minorly but I took a fairly light schedule as well (Physics, Toxicology, and a few cupcakes.) I suggest buying a planner if you don't use one already because with all the traveling you do it becomes much easier to forget when you have homework or a test coming up or when your next flight is.


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[fit2]

Yeah we don't know our exact test schedules but I know at my college I usually have exams every 5-6 weeks (has been this way since freshmen year), so I'm focusing on not scheduling interviews during that time. If I have to change interview times, I will

Oh wow they kinda have exams in waves? That nice! At my school there is so organization in any way that interesting

 

[brephos]

fit2 I understand what you mean when you say, "School IMO is secondary now. Your GPA is good enough for interviews, and while it matters in the future is not equally as vital I don't think".
Nevertheless, speaking only for myself, my grades were never just for dental school. They are a reflection of my personal best. In truth, our GPA's are in some some measure a reflection of our own grit and acumen. They are a reflection of our own personal determination and ability. I always knew I needed a strong GPA to get into dental school ... but I didn't make good grades just for dental school. I have some deep and personal motivations - and my grades reflect who I am.
Letting up now with a big lead would be like telling an athlete to ease up in the 4th quarter. The great one's never do. It's not who they are. I like knowing that I can let up - I like knowing that I have some margin for error - but I never let up. Every poster on this board intends to graduate with a GPA that is as high or higher than the one they have now. Interviews or not - nobody intends for their GPA to go down now. They have worked to hard and come to far to let up now - interviews or not.
So how do we maintain our academic excellence? How do we go from barely taking time off at Thanksgiving to taking off 8 to 10 times and traveling to 8 to 10 different cities perhaps 2 or 3 thousand miles away and missing many class days without putting our grades at risk.
Wengerout - I'm taking your words to heart .... "I won't lie to you it's not easy."
I suppose it will work out for us as it has countless others ... but at the moment it seems a bit daunting. Thinking I may miss 8 to 10 class days this semester and that it won't impact my grades seems border line ridiculous.

 

[toothdds]

I won't lie to you it's not easy.

I went to 12 interviews last cycle. Two of these were on the weekend so I lucked out there. For the others I had to do a lot of juggling to make time to travel. I purposely scheduled my classes to not have class on Monday and have one class with no attendance on Friday. I then tried to get as many interviews as I could on these two days. However, some schools only give interviews on specific days, so for those that landed on Tuesday-Thursday I tried to talk to the professors/move the interview to a day where I could afford to miss class.

In hindsight, after the 6th or 7th interview I was probably good, but I also know people who interviewed at five schools and only got into one, so you can never be too careful.

As for school, it only affected my grades minorly but I took a fairly light schedule as well (Physics, Toxicology, and a few cupcakes.) I suggest buying a planner if you don't use one already because with all the traveling you do it becomes much easier to forget when you have homework or a test coming up or when your next flight is.


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If you don't mind me asking how many schools did you get into? Would you suggest going to 12?

 

[O Gaúcho]

Your professor will most likely understand and work with you. I had a professor let me take an exam a week later since I was going to be gone so long.

 

[wengerout]

If you don't mind me asking how many schools did you get into? Would you suggest going to 12?

I got into all 12, and no I think at the max 9-10 is good. Those last two interviews were a drag, was just ready for December 1st to come.


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[deleted696582]

See if you can take some online classes. Just not any prerequisites if your applied-to schools don't accept them. I took three including online cell biology, so I did a lot of studying in airports and planes.

Otherwise schedule Monday and Friday light if you can, but professors are understanding. If not go to department heads, since professional school interviews are reasonable excuses for missing class.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I made my schedule where I had class on Tuesdays and Thursdays during my fall semester. Looking back I could've just skipped class anyways but why pass up an opportunity to go to school for 3 hours a week for an entire semester

 

[fit2]

I made my schedule where I had class on Tuesdays and Thursdays during my fall semester. Looking back I could've just skipped class anyways but why pass up an opportunity to go to school for 3 hours a week for an entire semester

That's amazing. I'm looking forward to my second semester senior year 14 credit load (+3 credits online possibly)

 

[Alpha Centauri]

That's amazing. I'm looking forward to my second semester senior year 14 credit load (+3 credits online possibly)

Yeah my senior year I was in class 2x a week and 3x a week respectively per semester. Online classes played a huge part in that. I basically had 2-3 electives and 2 core science courses per semester

 

[fit2]

Yeah my senior year I was in class 2x a week and 3x a week respectively per semester. Online classes played a huge part in that. I basically had 2-3 electives and 2 core science courses per semester

That's awesome. I'm only finishing up my business major and neuroscience concentration. It'll be very nice and different from the first 3 years

 

[Alpha Centauri]

That's awesome. I'm only finishing up my business major and neuroscience concentration. It'll be very nice and different from the first 3 years

Interview season was fun even though I only got to leave town for two of them. If I had others where I needed to fly out across the country and travel to a bunch of places it would've been a boatload of fun

 

[averageasian]

Im looking forward to this fall and interviews (hopefully). I'm taking 16ish credits including a TA position for credit, I'm graduating fall 2017!

I only have class m-thurs so hopefully I'll be able to schedule as many interviews as I can for fridays. We've all gotten this far! Just a little further guys

 

[Roy Williams]

Interviews are always on weekdays, not weekends. You just have to make it work. Professors (should) understand if you're interviewing for dental schools, so I would imagine they would be more flexible. Missing class does suck so you just have to do your best to balance it and schedule your interviews when tests aren't coming up.

One of mine was on a Saturday

 

[deleted678432]

IMO, you go to school to get a job, not to get grades. If you can perform well enough to get an interview to get one step closer job of your dreams, then nothing else should matter! If you have an interview in New York on a thursday, who cares if you have to watch an online lecture or spend an extra 3 hours on making up for it? Your professors will understand obviously and make arrangements, but you shouldn't stress at all! This is like calling in sick for your job at McDonalds to have an interview on Wall Street. If your GPA drops from a 3.7 to a 3.65 in one semester because you got a couple B's, who cares as long as you have an acceptance to dental school! Now make your late nights studying and your grueling DAT study schedule worth it and go rock those interviews!

 

[fit2]

IMO, you go to school to get a job, not to get grades. If you can perform well enough to get an interview to get one step closer job of your dreams, then nothing else should matter! If you have an interview in New York on a thursday, who cares if you have to watch an online lecture or spend an extra 3 hours on making up for it? Your professors will understand obviously and make arrangements, but you shouldn't stress at all! This is like calling in sick for your job at McDonalds to have an interview on Wall Street. If your GPA drops from a 3.7 to a 3.65 in one semester because you got a couple B's, who cares as long as you have an acceptance to dental school! Now make your late nights studying and your grueling DAT study schedule worth it and go rock those interviews!

that's exactly what I meant @brephos i didn't mean shoot for a 3.0 but meant to say interview is definitely a priority. worry about that first and then about getting all your notes. of course prior arrangements would be wise. staying on top of things basically...