University of Florida Interview

[dmonee6]

What's up fellow wannabe dentists... just seeing if anyone else has an interview date for UF yet. I received an email today... i have my interview on Sept. 8th. I'm psyched, first interview ever... 2nd time applying, haha. I'm also excited because i'm a UF alum. Good luck and hope to meet some of you in G'ville

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[flajeepgal]

hello dmonee6
so you applied last year also, were you waitlisted ( I was ) and what did you do to increase your chances this year? I retook the DAT and did much better.

 

[dmonee6]

I applied in the '05 cycle... so 2 years ago. And i actually did not apply to UF lasttime... i knew with my GPA i wouldn't have had a chance. I graduated from UF in april '05 and then moved on to a Masters in Biomedical Science program at Barry University. I have finished the majority of my credits... all i have left for this next year is Gross Anatomy lecture and lab, and i'll be taking a few other elective science courses (epidemiology, genetics, pathophysiology, embryology). And as of right now, i'm studying to take my DAT again... haven't taken it since Oct. '03... i forgot how fun chem and orgo are! Good luck!

P.S. If anyone has an idea of how long UF's secondary app. essay should be, hit me up... i don't feel like writing another long personal statement, but i feel it's what they want

 

[dmonee6]

Did anyone else even apply to UF?

 

[olygt]

I'm planning on applying to UF, but I'm taking the DAT at the end of August '06. How was your GPA when you applied and how well did you score on your DAT. I'm really nervous about the test and I need all the help I can get. I haven't been able to really study hard for the DAT due to summer classes. I'm having trouble with the PAT part. Also, did any of you who were accepted do a lot of volunteer work or work in a dental office to better your chances of getting in.

 

[dmonee6]

Well my undergrad gpa was complete crap... but I have a 3.85 in my masters program. And my DAT isn't that good either... i'm surprised i got an interview because of how competitive UF is. I will be retaking the DAT the week after my interview, a little late... but lets hope it doesnt matter haha. I worked in a dental office for 4 years in highschool, volunteered at some hospitals and nursing homes in high school, at UF's dental clinic when i was an undergrad, and the palm beach health department dental clinic last year. I'm using TopScore and a my old Kaplan stuff to study again. I heard that DAT Achiever cd is good for the PAT section... maybe check that out

 

[ltd3972]

I applied to UF this year and last year. However I'm an out-of-state applicant and I dont think I'm that competitive. My personal statement last year for the supplementary was only a page long, double spaced. My theory was that they want something short and to the point because you dont want to lose their attention. However, who knows how they rate the statement in the application process. Either way, the standard length for a secondary statement, I have been told, is a page max. Good luck!

 

[FLINT1242]

just got the invite today via e-mail! I'm a second-time applicant too, I received one interview last year and this is the first invite this year!

 

[dmonee6]

just got the invite today via e-mail! I'm a second-time applicant too, I received one interview last year and this is the first invite this year!

Congrats... are you going to be there on the 8th too?

 

[jackbauer!]

i'm applying to UF also. stats are in my predents profile listed below. i just took my DATs on monday, but i think i may retake them since i only got about 2 weeks of studying in this time. i hope i get an interview invite soon, as i know UF fills their class EARLY. however, only two of my LORs have been sent into AADSAS (slacker profs and dentists!)....hopefully they review my file anyways.

just an FYI, the AA for the class entering this fall was only a 19....it appears they pay more attention to GPA, dental experience, and the interview. good luck to all those applying-- i hope we are all apart of UFCODs 2011 class.

jb!

btw, how long did it take for you all to get an interview invite?

 

[dmonee6]

Submitted AADSAS on June 8th, mailed out July 21st, interview invite August 9th

 

[appleonius]

Submitted AADSAS on June 8th, mailed out July 21st, interview invite August 9th

arrg. wtf! i submitted on June 1st & they mailed it out July 24th. AADSAS sucks. I had all of my stuff in as well.

 

[futurdent]

My interview for UF is scheduled for 9/22. Does anyone know if they expect for us to submit the secondary application before the interview?

 

[dmonee6]

My interview for UF is scheduled for 9/22. Does anyone know if they expect for us to submit the secondary application before the interview?

I'd say yes. I sent it out about 2 days after I received my invite. I immediately downloaded and filled out the app. And it took me another day to write my essay. I happen to like filling out applications. I just wish i could put the same effort into studying, haha.

 

[appleonius]

My interview for UF is scheduled for 9/22. Does anyone know if they expect for us to submit the secondary application before the interview?

definately. i talked to someone in the office & she said they review the secondary ~2 days before the interview. she also said some of the stuff was optional. for ex...it wouldn't hurt to not have in your dental shadowing form but it's a helluva lot more helpful.

 

[appleonius]

I'd say yes. I sent it out about 2 days after I received my invite. I immediately downloaded and filled out the app. And it took me another day to write my essay. I happen to like filling out applications. I just wish i could put the same effort into studying, haha.

how'd you get all that supplemental material in w/in 2 days?!?

 

[dmonee6]

how'd you get all that supplemental material in w/in 2 days?!?

Just downloaded it and filled it out... it was only a couple of pages of stuff. Took me like 20 minutes to fill out the applications. Then took me another day to write a new essay... about 800 words long. Wrote the check, wrote up the envelope, bought a stamp, sent it. I didn't send in the dental shadowing page just because 2 of my LORs are from dentists that I had shadowed. So i figured it wasn't a big deal. I also had an updated transcript sent out the the same day. About 3 days later, I called them up and they said they'd received it all.

 

[FLINT1242]

My interview is set for the 22nd also. I have to say though, I wasn't real thrilled with the idea of writing another essay.... I'm about essayed out.

 

[futurdent]

My interview is set for the 22nd also. I have to say though, I wasn't real thrilled with the idea of writing another essay.... I'm about essayed out.

I feel you

 

[jackbauer!]

could all that received interviews please state your stats?...i want to know if i'm competitive for interview.

my stats:
3.61 cum, 3.57 science, 19/19/17 DAT

 

[jackbauer!]

i got my UF interview invite today!!! i'm STOKED!!!!!!

oct. 3rd, yaaaaaaaa baby!

jb!

 

[dmonee6]

Congratulations JB! Best of Luck. When i get done with mine next weekend, i'll tell ya how it went

 

[jackbauer!]

i heard they interview about 320 for 85 spots.... and according to reliable sources they put a lot of weight on the interview. so our chances are 25% now

good luck everyone, please post interview feedback in this thread afterwards.

jb!

 

[dmonee6]

What up... just got back from my interview weekend at UF. I'll post some stuff in the interview feedback, but i figured I'd just share some stuff here too.

Started off by getting pictures taken by Sam... he's cool. There were 12 people on my interview day. About 6 of the interviews were in the morning... before 1130. We sat in a room while the 2nd Year's Class President told us about the school and being a student. Then we ate some good lunch (chicken stuffed w/ vegetables). Took a cool tour of the school with the Danny (D2 Pres) and David (D3). School looks pretty much like a dental school, haha. I've already been in there since i went to undergrad at UF. Then we got back to the room at around 130 and Dr. Sposetti gave a powerpoint presentation on the admissions process. Then Mr. Kolb gave a presentation on Financial Aid. That ended at about 230ish. Everyone who had already interviewed was allowed to leave. The rest of us went downstairs and waited to interview.

My interview was 3rd to last (3:30). Dr. Sposetti, A student, and another member of the adcom interviewed me. I've been trying to remember all the questions... but when I'm kind of nervous... i tend to forget what they asked me. BUT, 1st question... the standard "why do you want to be a dentist" question. They asked some other pretty standard questions, nothing crazy that threw me off. Another reason I'm having trouble remembering the questions was that, when they asked a question... i answered the question, but also spun my answer in the direction of what I wanted to tell them about me. Thankfully, they didn't ask any negative questions about scores or grades. Overall it went pretty well.

One thing to be aware of which was kind of unnerving... after I would finish answering some of the questions.... they would kind of just stare at me or look at their clipboard without saying anything for like 30 seconds. Kinda weird. Wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, but i just sat their smiling, haha.

Anyway, good luck to everyone that will be heading to G'ville. If you have any other questions... hit me up

 

[beastly115]

What up... just got back from my interview weekend at UF. I'll post some stuff in the interview feedback, but i figured I'd just share some stuff here too.

Started off by getting pictures taken by Sam... he's cool. There were 12 people on my interview day. About 6 of the interviews were in the morning... before 1130. We sat in a room while the 2nd Year's Class President told us about the school and being a student. Then we ate some good lunch (chicken stuffed w/ vegetables). Took a cool tour of the school with the Danny (D2 Pres) and David (D3). School looks pretty much like a dental school, haha. I've already been in there since i went to undergrad at UF. Then we got back to the room at around 130 and Dr. Sposetti gave a powerpoint presentation on the admissions process. Then Mr. Kolb gave a presentation on Financial Aid. That ended at about 230ish. Everyone who had already interviewed was allowed to leave. The rest of us went downstairs and waited to interview.

My interview was 3rd to last (3:30). Dr. Sposetti, A student, and another member of the adcom interviewed me. I've been trying to remember all the questions... but when I'm kind of nervous... i tend to forget what they asked me. BUT, 1st question... the standard "why do you want to be a dentist" question. They asked some other pretty standard questions, nothing crazy that threw me off. Another reason I'm having trouble remembering the questions was that, when they asked a question... i answered the question, but also spun my answer in the direction of what I wanted to tell them about me. Thankfully, they didn't ask any negative questions about scores or grades. Overall it went pretty well.

One thing to be aware of which was kind of unnerving... after I would finish answering some of the questions.... they would kind of just stare at me or look at their clipboard without saying anything for like 30 seconds. Kinda weird. Wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, but i just sat their smiling, haha.

Anyway, good luck to everyone that will be heading to G'ville. If you have any other questions... hit me up

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[jackbauer!]

yep--thanks for the feedback!

i heard the interview at UF is stressful for the exact reason you listed: there is an awkard silence after you answer each question as if they aren't sure what they're going to ask next. it would be nice if the interview was a more informal conversation.....i'm going to try to make it more like that to lessen the awkwardness.

keep 'em coming!

jb!

 

[ChronarchB]

I got an email invite today. Wasn't really expecting on getting any interviews this year, but hopefully everything goes well. My stats are low but I'm not really worried because whatever happens happens and all I can do is try to make a good impression on my interview.

 

[dmonee6]

Exactly... you got an interview, that's a great sign. It's much better than not getting one. Just prepare yourself for the interview and do the best you can. If you have any questions, hit me up. Congrats

 

[Mackchops]

Just received one of those simply amazing interview invite emails! Couldn't be more stoked. I'm scheduled for Oct 26th... Anyone else going to be in G-ville that thursday?

 

[maksidaa]

i'm an out-of-state applicant to UF but i have an interview oct 5. i know they don't take many out of state students, but how many interviews do you think they give to out of staters? just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the matter. thanks

 

[Mackchops]

I don't know for dental school, but my girlfriend is at the vet school and I remember that they accepted all but one of the out-of-state students who were interviewed last year... Don't want to give you false hope, but my impression is that the dental school is equally selective in just INTERVIEWING out-of-staters. You must have one sick application.

 

[dmonee6]

Since there are only 5 out-of-staters in the '06 class... i'd imagine that only about 10-20 of the interviews out of the total 320 are from out of state (coming from the thinking that they interview about 4 kids for every spot as stated previously by JB). Therefore, damn good job on your part Maksidaa. Dr. Sposetti said in the interview that they usually leave their out of state interviews til later due to the fact that since not a lot of them are accepted, they don't want to make those students spend so much money coming to the interview.

 

[jackbauer!]

any people joining me to interview on oct 3rd??

jb!

 

[hienchan]

mine is sept 29! one week from today!!

 

[jackbauer!]

mine is sept 29! one week from today!!

good luck! fill us in on how it went!

jB!

 

[jackbauer!]

Q: What were a majority of the interviewees wearing? I was planning on wearing my suit, but then noticed that the e-mail states that the interview is an "informal discussion"....now I'm a bit confused. Someone that has already interviewed, please fill me in.

jb!

 

[futurdent]

What were a majority of the interviewees wearing? I was planning on wearing my suit, but then noticed that the e-mail states that the interview is an "informal discussion"....now I'm a bit confused. Someone that has already interviewed, please fill me in.

When I interviewed everyone wore suits.

 

[jackbauer!]

When I interviewed everyone wore suits.

how did your interview go?

jb!

 

[dmonee6]

Definitely wear a suit... everyone including the girls were wearing business suits

 

[Mackchops]

I think what they mean by an "informal discussion" is that the interview will be more of a conversation and less of a grilling session, so don't be stressed about it. Wear a suit.

 

[jackbauer!]

I think what they mean by an "informal discussion" is that the interview will be more of a conversation and less of a grilling session, so don't be stressed about it. Wear a suit.

i've heard the interview is more like a grilling session, and less like a conversation. this coming from more than 1 person. i'm going to try my best to turn it into a conversation, however.

jb!

 

[dmonee6]

I wouldn't say my interview was a grilling session... at times it was a little awkward when they were writing and looking at their clipboard for a minute. There was some conversation amongst the 4 of us during a few questions... some other questions were more just them asking me and me answering. The 30 minutes go by really fast. It's really not that bad.

 

[dmonee6]

Just wanted to see how Futurdent, Flint1242, and Hienchan's interviews went. Nobody's posted any feedback or comments... hope all went well.

 

[jackbauer!]

Just wanted to see how Futurdent, Flint1242, and Hienchan's interviews went. Nobody's posted any feedback or comments... hope all went well.

mine is tuesday! i'm going to gainesville tomorrow & i'm STOKED!!

wish me luck,
jb!

 

[catytweety]

Best of luck jbauer!

Let us know how it goes

 

[jackbauer!]

Just got back from my UF interview!

Ok, my interview was right before lunch (1130am), so i showed up to the dental school at 11am to get situated. had my picture taken by a nice guy and then made my way back to the admissions office. i was super, super nervous b/c it seemed like the rest of the interview group had been hanging out all day, talking to students, etc...and i kinda felt left out. anyhow, my nervousness carried over to my interview for the first question: why do you want to be a dentist? i kinda fumbled over my reply, and the committee knew i was nervous...so i took a deep breath and answered the question. however, after that i was very relaxed and believe i did very well for the rest of the interview. the interview was more or less a conversation between dr. sposetti and i. there were 2 other profs in the room that were very quiet and didn't seem to interested in being there which was a huge turn-off. other interviewees confirmed that the other profs acted in the same manner during their interviews. many interviewees told me that they were stumped at some point in the interview or that they felt as if they were being interrogated...this made me feel better about my interview b/c it felt like only 5 minutes. it went by so fast...and dr. sposetti was really interested in my research, my teaching, and my goals.

bottom line: TRY not to be nervous...it will only have a negative effect on your perfomance. however, staying calm is almost impossible if UF is your first choice and this is your first interview, like me. UF was and still is my top choice..so if you're not nervous there is something wrong with ya

i will post more in the interview feedback. i'd be happy to answer any questions.

jb!

 

[Uracil]

Just got back from my UF interview!

Ok, my interview was right before lunch (1130am), so i showed up to the dental school at 11am to get situated. had my picture taken by a nice guy and then made my way back to the admissions office. i was super, super nervous b/c it seemed like the rest of the interview group had been hanging out all day, talking to students, etc...and i kinda felt left out. anyhow, my nervousness carried over to my interview for the first question: why do you want to be a dentist? i kinda fumbled over my reply, and the committee knew i was nervous...so i took a deep breath and answered the question. however, after that i was very relaxed and believe i did very well for the rest of the interview. the interview was more or less a conversation between dr. sposetti and i. there were 2 other profs in the room that were very quiet and didn't seem to interested in being there which was a huge turn-off. other interviewees confirmed that the other profs acted in the same manner during their interviews. many interviewees told me that they were stumped at some point in the interview or that they felt as if they were being interrogated...this made me feel better about my interview b/c it felt like only 5 minutes. it went by so fast...and dr. sposetti was really interested in my research, my teaching, and my goals.

bottom line: TRY not to be nervous...it will only have a negative effect on your perfomance. however, staying calm is almost impossible if UF is your first choice and this is your first interview, like me. UF was and still is my top choice..so if you're not nervous there is something wrong with ya

i will post more in the interview feedback. i'd be happy to answer any questions.

jb!

Nice response. Glad to hear everything went well, how was the atmosphere? like students, professors? I know it's your top choice, but like the environment in general? Thank you.

 

[jackbauer!]

Nice response. Glad to hear everything went well, how was the atmosphere? like students, professors? I know it's your top choice, but like the environment in general? Thank you.

i didn't get a chance to meet or really see any profs besides my interview so i can't comment much there. the students all seemed friendly. the overall environment is very hospital-like...which gave off a very competitive feel. whether or not this is conducive to learning is anyone's guess...however, their scores and specialty rates are VERY high, leading me to believe they are doing something right.

jb!

 

[IzzyMarieDMD]

Just got back from my UF interview!

Ok, my interview was right before lunch (1130am), so i showed up to the dental school at 11am to get situated. had my picture taken by a nice guy and then made my way back to the admissions office. i was super, super nervous b/c it seemed like the rest of the interview group had been hanging out all day, talking to students, etc...and i kinda felt left out. anyhow, my nervousness carried over to my interview for the first question: why do you want to be a dentist? i kinda fumbled over my reply, and the committee knew i was nervous...so i took a deep breath and answered the question. however, after that i was very relaxed and believe i did very well for the rest of the interview. the interview was more or less a conversation between dr. sposetti and i. there were 2 other profs in the room that were very quiet and didn't seem to interested in being there which was a huge turn-off. other interviewees confirmed that the other profs acted in the same manner during their interviews. many interviewees told me that they were stumped at some point in the interview or that they felt as if they were being interrogated...this made me feel better about my interview b/c it felt like only 5 minutes. it went by so fast...and dr. sposetti was really interested in my research, my teaching, and my goals.

bottom line: TRY not to be nervous...it will only have a negative effect on your perfomance. however, staying calm is almost impossible if UF is your first choice and this is your first interview, like me. UF was and still is my top choice..so if you're not nervous there is something wrong with ya

i will post more in the interview feedback. i'd be happy to answer any questions.

jb!

JB
So did u get the feeling that the students there were happy or really competitive with each other? Also, this is probably a stupid question, but I thought they made all the interviewees get there at the same time so they could tour u around or whatever. Did u have to stay there for the rest of the day when you were done?
Congrats on finishing your interview

 

[jackbauer!]

JB
So did u get the feeling that the students there were happy or really competitive with each other? Also, this is probably a stupid question, but I thought they made all the interviewees get there at the same time so they could tour u around or whatever. Did u have to stay there for the rest of the day when you were done?
Congrats on finishing your interview

Izzy, yes--generally students seemed very happy and relaxed. i still got the feeling that they were all very competitive....lots of gunners, and lots of ppl looking to match for a residency afterwards. others are just looking to graduate and take over their fathers practice.

as for the presentations..they took place in the middle of the day. lunch began an noon, then we went on a tour followed by dr. sposetti's admission presentation and finally a financial aid discussion...which ended by 2:30pm. interviews were one-on-one with Dr. sposetti and 2 profs, 30 min in length. mine was at 11:30 so luckily i only had to be around from then till 2:30 pm. others were there earlier or later depending on when their interview was. hope this clears things up.

jb!