Indianapolis, IN
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 34% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.3
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 473 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (71%)
Negatively (7%)
No change (22%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (53%)
Good (28%)
Average (13%)
Poor (5%)
Bad (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview process at Indiana University to be relaxed and conversational, with positive interactions with faculty and staff. Some expressed concerns about the facilities, cost, and location, but overall, many left with a favorable impression of the school's program and atmosphere.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Facilities and location exceeded my expectations. The interview was the most relax I ended up having. Again, students did not seem generally happy.
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I wish there was a better use of time for the interviews, longer discussions and more information presented. I didn't learn much from the website or from the interview day. I understand that there is a huge amount of change going on at the school and this may be a contributor.
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Good program
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Average school
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The school seems fine, even though the facilities aren't the greatest. You will still receive an excellent education at the school.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
31 Minutes Average
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Number:
2.6 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
50% One-on-One
50% Group Interview
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File Type:
89% Open-File
11% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
50% Virtual
50% In-Person
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Interview Location (for In-Person):
100% At the School
0% Other Location
IUSD-COMP interviews are an average of 31 minutes, with an average of 2.6 interviews. 50% of interviews are one-on-one, 50% are in-person, and 11% are closed-file. Of the in-person interviews, 100% are held at the school.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools based on user responses revolve around reasons for choosing dentistry, manual dexterity skills, time management, personal interests, leadership experiences, and potential challenges in dental school. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format with scenarios discussing problem solutions and ethics, indicating a focus on ethical decision-making skills, and some alluded to a nondisclosure agreement, suggesting confidentiality regarding specific interview questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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If you decided dentistry was not for you, what is your plan B?
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There were 2 One on one interviews with a student and professor where you read a scenario and discussed the problem solutions and ethics.
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If you had to change one thing about our healthcare system what would it be
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How do you plan to finance dental school?
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How do you best handle stress?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Indiana University School of Dentistry discussed a scenario about handling a patient with a badly fractured tooth and ethical issues in dentistry. The interview format may have been an MMI, with some respondents mentioning nondisclosure agreements, while other common questions included ethical dilemmas, future goals, and personal interests.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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A 22 year old female comes into your practice with a badly fractured front tooth, she desperately wants to save it. The more you look her over, you realize there is no saving this tooth and it must be extracted. How do you tell her?
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It was pretty straight forward interview
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What do you think is a challenge/issue facing dentistry?
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Pretty straightforward.
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What positives and negatives are present in your application?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN), reading interview feedback, practicing common questions, reviewing their application, and researching the school's website. They also engaged in mock interviews, talked to current students, and focused on being themselves while adequately preparing for possible questions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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SDN
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SDN, previous interviews
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SDN, Current STudents
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SDN. Self-practice
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Looked up interview questions and prepared responses
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Indiana University School of Dentistry discussed various topics including ethics, decision-making scenarios, personal weaknesses, and reasons for choosing the school. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format, nondisclosure agreements, and questions related to PBL learning, leadership, and manual dexterity.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How do you work in a group with d=seniors and w/o seniors
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It was difficult to come up with any questions for the interviewers, because the only presentation on the school followed the interviews.
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Ethics Question
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It was very easy interview
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How are you at making split-second decisions and what is a situation in which you had to do that?
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming nature of the faculty, staff, and students at the dental school, as well as the positive atmosphere and laid-back interview experience. Many also highlighted the strong clinical program, diverse patient pool, and the affordability of living in Indianapolis as key positive aspects of their visit.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Interview had a great flow to it, no insane questions. Interviewers were friendly.
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The interview is two days where the first day is purely informational and a tour so you can focus and not be stressed about the interview. The second day was interview day and they assigned you times to be there so it was efficient and didn’t waste your time waiting around
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Amazing campus
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Amazing facilities and rich history. The city of Indianapolis and the campus of IUPUI is amazing.
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The new building, the staff were friendly, students involved
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about the outdated facilities, disorganization during the interview day, lack of enthusiasm from students, and the overall unimpressive impression of the school's environment and culture. Suggestions included updating facilities, improving organization during interviews, enhancing student engagement and enthusiasm, and creating a more positive and welcoming atmosphere for prospective students.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Sadly, the interview was over Kira, I think the schools put themselves at a disadvantage when they aren't able to tour / meet with prospective students. There was also no information session of any kind to learn more about the school.
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Honestly the student ambassadors did not seem happy to be there. When asked "why did you attend IU" they all replied "in state tuition"
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The whole day was very unorganized. Instead of splitting the interviews up into AM/PM we had to go through the entire schedule together. This made the tour very tight and everything overall cramped. The interviews were scheduled at the end of the day and in alphabetical order so I ended up going last. By that time, I had already been waiting for my interview (which lasted barely 10 minutes) for 2.5 hours. The room they put you in is outdated and doesn’t have central air either. We were all sweating in our suits and they had cleared away everything from lunch including the water. By the time my interview came I didn’t even care anymore I just wanted to get out of there. I was not greeted courteously by my interviewees either and they seemed to already ha s preconceived notions of me prior to me walking in the room as it is open file. At the end of the interview they shuttled what was the remainder of us into the admission deans office for “questions and feedback” which was her private office with ethnic trinkets all over... it was a very strange experience. Overall I would say that the school curriculum may be considered “strong” to some.. but they are incredibl set back on everything else. I threw my information packet in the trash as soon as I got home I was so disinterested in their program. All in all it at least gave me practice of perseverance and made my decision of which school to accept easier by one.
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The interview day itself seemed unorganized. The interviewers had access to my file (minus GPA/DAT info) but had clearly not read any of it. There were no ethical questions, no specific questions about my experiences, and the only presentation given was 20 minutes long. I left not knowing much more than I went into the interview knowing.
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Nothing much- Old buildings may be.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the shared campus with IUPUI, the importance of wearing good shoes, and the relaxed nature of the interview process. Suggestions included being prepared for a 3-on-1 interview, asking questions, and being aware of the school's teaching methods and facilities.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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That the school shares a campus with IUPUI, so they dont really get the benefits of having their own campus. For instance, there is no IU dental school gym...you have to pay to use IUPUI's gym.
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Morning interviews will have the presentation following the interview.
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WEAR GOOD SHOES! DONT BE TOO LAID-BACK (POSTURE!!)
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Your bench test is more important than your interview
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What to expect on interview day: Arrive between 8:45-9:00 Pictures taken downstairs Tour of dental school Presentations in the student center Lunch with three dental students in the student center Assigned interview times between 1:00-4:00pm Brief meeting with admissions office discussing your day
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office provide more information about the schedule, curriculum, and structure of the program, improve organization during interview days, and enhance communication with prospective students. They also appreciated the friendliness and accommodating nature of the admissions staff.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The "debriefing" of group interview session with the assistant dean didnt seem necessary. It would have been better if she just came and addressed the whole interview group in a more casual setting.
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Organize the interview groups more efficiently. Provide water.
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Please give us more information! I don't know anything about the schedule, the curriculum, the classes or the D1/2/3/4 years. I'd love to know more but I feel like I'm on my own learning about this school.
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Good work
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None. They are very friendly and will try and accommodate any requests you may have.
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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IND
57% interviewees used IND (IND), with 18% using Indianapolis (Indianapolis) and 7% using Indianapolis airport (Indianapolis airport) and 4% using ind (ind) and 4% using indianapolis international airport (indianapolis international airport) and 4% using Indiana international airport (Indiana international airport) and 4% using Indianapolis Intl (Indianapolis Intl) and 4% using Indianapolis International (Indianapolis International).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
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58% Airplane
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40% Automobile
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1% Train or Subway
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1% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Radisson (average ranking 9/10), with some staying at University Place (average rating 8.7/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Radisson
9/10
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University Place
8.7/10
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Holiday Inn Express
7/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (2%)
Faculty member (5%)
Other (1%)
Student (92%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (7%)
Enthusiastic (71%)
Neutral (22%)
All Responses
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