"Your are definitely my first choice!"

[STACM]

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If everyone says that at every interview they go to, what validity does that really have saying that in your own interviews? Do interviewers really care if you profess your love to their school, or do they just kind of take it with a grain of salt?

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

It's better to avoid praising the school, imho.

 

[DrReo]

If you attend the interview, you must have some interest in the school. If you have no acceptances, every school is your first choice, right?

 

[youngmc27]

If you attend the interview, you must have some interest in the school. If you have no acceptances, every school is your first choice, right?

Amen

 

[STACM]

If you attend the interview, you must have some interest in the school. If you have no acceptances, every school is your first choice, right?

yea but the school doesn't want to think that they are your last option if all else fails, they want to think you actually want to be there over all other schools

 

[peterngu]

yea but the school doesn't want to think that they are your last option if all else fails, they want to think you actually want to be there over all other schools

I tried that at NOVA on Dec. 3rd, telling the dean of admissions that I was "very happy I came to this interview" to hint that it was my "first choice," just to increase my chances of getting in. I haven't heard back yet. There's a chance it might have been the fact that I talked about participating in a hotdog-eating contest with my friends during the interview.

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

I tried that at NOVA on Dec. 3rd, telling the dean of admissions that I was "very happy I came to this interview" to hint that it was my "first choice," just to increase my chances of getting in. I haven't heard back yet. There's a chance it might have been the fact that I talked about participating in a hotdog-eating contest with my friends during the interview.

Did hotdog eating increase your manual dexterity skills or your knowledge of oral health?.. I cannot decide..

 

[dentalmagnet]

I think at the time of your interview you can really see yourself going to that school. You see the pride in the students and you want to be one of them. if they ask you if it is your first choice, you can talk about why you would want to attend this school over other without saying those words exactly.

 

[peterngu]

Did hotdog eating increase your manual dexterity skills or your knowledge of oral health?.. I cannot decide..

Funny. I get your point though. I can't remember how the conversation got there, but it wasn't in the context of dentistry. I think we were talking about my personality or something and it got to hotdog-eating. The dean asked me things like "how did you handle all that bread?" and "did you do the water-dipping thing like Kobayashi?" The two interviewers seemed to get a laugh out of it so I didn't immediately regret that decision.
Also, awesome stats. Like, damn.

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

Funny. I get your point though. I can't remember how the conversation got there, but it wasn't in the context of dentistry. I think we were talking about my personality or something and it got to hotdog-eating. The dean asked me things like "how did you handle all that bread?" and "did you do the water-dipping thing like Kobayashi?" The two interviewers seemed to get a laugh out of it so I didn't immediately regret that decision.

I was joking . I think if it made them smile, it is not a bad thing. I would think of it that way: if I was an interviewer, I would have enjoyed seeing a person in my school who, besides achievements in academia and community, is an outgoing and life-loving person that is interesting to talk to - also an important communication skill for future conversations with patients

 

[daviddav]

I am sorry for this but I had to write this.

"Your are definitely my first choice!" does not make sense.

Try YOU'RE. You know? You are definitely my first choice!

 

[peterngu]

I was joking . I think if it made them smile, it is not a bad thing. I would think of it that way: if I was an interviewer, I would have enjoyed seeing a person in my school who, besides achievements in academia and community, is an outgoing and life-loving person that is interesting to talk to - also an important communication skill for future conversations with patients

Cool! I hope I came off that way! Well, when you go to interviews, don't talk about hotdog-eating and don't call any of the interviewers a "son-of-a-bitch" (happened at a different interview for reasons I won't get into, none bad). For someone with my stats, those might have been missteps.

 

[cybermech]

If you give them solid reasons for the school being your top choice, there's no reason why you shouldn't say it.

 

[Plopper]

i never said to ANY school that they're my #1, but i did talk about how i felt i would fit in/what aspects of a dental education i was looking for and they had.

i wouldn't tell a school they're your number one, unless it is absolutely true.

Every school that i interviewed i absolutely loved, honestly, they were all magnificent and i feel that i would have excelled at each one of them.

 

[dentstd]

I am sorry for this but I had to write this.

"Your are definitely my first choice!" does not make sense.

Try YOU'RE. You know? You are definitely my first choice!

Sucks that they're still struggling with basic English, doesn't it? Dentistry's so ESL, sadly.

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

Sucks that they're still struggling with basic English, doesn't it? Dentistry's so ESL, sadly.

it's just that people whose native language is not English are more competitive (I'll generalize too). =)

 

[dentstd]

it's just that people whose native language is not English are more competitive (I'll generalize too). =)

Yup. It's the 22TS/13RC phenomenon.

It's less an issue of ESL, because minorities dominate many fields. It's more ESL students who still haven't learned basic English (and white folks who don't know their own language, frankly). Dentistry has a good number of those.

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

Yup. It's the 22TS/13RC phenomenon.

13RC is not competitive nor it is a generalization.

 

[Epictetus21]

Cool! I hope I came off that way! Well, when you go to interviews, don't talk about hotdog-eating and don't call any of the interviewers a "son-of-a-bitch" (happened at a different interview for reasons I won't get into, none bad). For someone with my stats, those might have been missteps.

Story! Story! Story! Story!

anonymize the school name and tell us what happened. That's gotta go down in the SDN hall of fame for interview stories.

 

[dentstd]

13RC is not competitive nor it is a generalization.

Oh, the irony.

 

[AlwaysImproving]

Oh, the irony.

Hahaha I got that one

I don't think the OP is an ESL. He uses words such as "profess" and idioms such as "grain of salt." That means he definitely knows easier things such as your vs you're. As an ESL myself, idioms are so much harder to learn that easy things such as you/you're. I think he was typing fast and made a typo.

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

Yup. It's the 22TS/13RC phenomenon.

It's less an issue of ESL, because minorities dominate many fields. It's more ESL students who still haven't learned basic English (and white folks who don't know their own language, frankly). Dentistry has a good number of those.

Oh, the irony.

I will not comment about "white folks who don't know their own language" and how this phrase is not "politically correct." I do want to say though that people from different parts of the world are not called "minorities" only because there are less of them in a given population. They are also minorities, because it takes them extra work to, in some cases, merge with the majority and, in other cases, to "deal" with the majority. With that in mind, those people, in general, have many more things to worry about besides language. Although, one might argue that it was their choice to come to the US (not always true) and they must learn proper language skills if they want to go to a professional school, such people bring in a lot into the school and it overwhelms their "mediocre" language knowledge.

 

[STACM]

lol, some of you guys are really ridiculous, obviously I was typing fast and misspelled it. this is a forum...not a personal statement essay

 

[bigstix808]

I am sorry for this but I had to write this.

"Your are definitely my first choice!" does not make sense.

Try YOU'RE. You know? You are definitely my first choice!

who cares!

 

[jmick101]

If asked during an interview your opinion of the school, or would you accept if you were admitted into a program, I think this is a great answer:

"I did not apply to any school that I could not see myself going to." And then leave it at that. If pressed, say you like what you see and that you are gathering more information. Its honest and non-committal.

 

[Plopper]

If asked during an interview your opinion of the school, or would you accept if you were admitted into a program, I think this is a great answer:

"I did not apply to any school that I could not see myself going to." And then leave it at that. If pressed, say you like what you see and that you are gathering more information. Its honest and non-committal.

i was asked something similar and that is almost word for word the response i gave, and i was accepted. So i think as long as you're honest you'll be fine

 

[DrReo]

I will not comment about "white folks who don't know their own language" and how this phrase is not "politically correct." I do want to say though that people from different parts of the world are not called "minorities" only because there are less of them in a given population. They are also minorities, because it takes them extra work to, in some cases, merge with the majority and, in other cases, to "deal" with the majority. With that in mind, those people, in general, have many more things to worry about besides language. Although, one might argue that it was their choice to come to the US (not always true) and they must learn proper language skills if they want to go to a professional school, such people bring in a lot into the school and it overwhelms their "mediocre" language knowledge.

So, since president Obama is half of an URM, it still takes him extra time to work and merge and deal with the majority?

Your statement is like walking through a field of mines.

 

[DrReo]

who cares!

I do.

 

[somethinpositiv]

yea but the school doesn't want to think that they are your last option if all else fails, they want to think you actually want to be there over all other schools

At the Tufts interview, they asked us how many interviews we've had, and most of us had 4+ interviews. They said that was also the case with the previous interview cohort. It seems they like seeing that those candidates are desired, and want them more, because if every school wants those candidates, than there must be something special about them

Also, my guess would be that some schools would prefer that you are their only candidate. I'm going to go out on a limb and offend some people and say USC, Indiana, NYU, and the less established schools Western & Midwestern.

 

[doc toothache]

If adcoms had a dollar for every applicant who professed "definitely my first choice" they would be able to retire a lot earlier in life.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Why do you feel the need to tell every school they're your first choice?? If they asked, I told them that they are one of my top choices (if they weren't, than I wouldn't have applied there). Tufts asked, and I told them that I would likely come there if accepted, but I was wasn't completely sure. I was 5/5 interview/accepted, so I think it's really unnessesary, not to mention unethical, to tell every school that they are "definitely my first choice!"

Oh, actually I did say "you are definitely my first choice!" to one school, UoP. And I didn't get in. HA

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

So, since president Obama is half of an URM, it still takes him extra time to work and merge and deal with the majority?

Your statement is like walking through a field of mines.

Unfortunately, I am not personally acquainted with the president, but I would think that, yes, it does take him extra effort.

I think, my statement, although generalized, is a close representation of the truth. I am talking from personal experience and from experiences of people with various backgrounds that I know.