How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.32 | 22 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 22 |
| Negatively | 0 |
| No change | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.24 | 21 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.50 | 12 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.55 | 11 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 6 |
| 25 minutes | 2 |
| 30 minutes | 4 |
| 35 minutes | 0 |
| 40 minutes | 0 |
| 45 minutes | 0 |
| 50 minutes | 0 |
| 55 minutes | 1 |
| 60+ minutes | 10 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 18 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 10 |
| In a group | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 18 |
| Closed file | 2 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.32 | 22 |
"The total time for interview was 8 hours including the chalk carving. There was both styles. A one-on-one and a three on one. On the one on one I was asked at least 30 questions. These question were given to me before the interview. Ex. If employee came in late how would you address him/her?"
"See comments"
"Can you handle the same career for 30 years?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist? Expect this to be the first question of the 1-on-1 and maybe the 3-on-1."
"Are you mechanically inclined?"
"Do you like to be alone?"
"How would you treat other co-workers?"
"Hypothetical situations: If an employee calls in sick, what do you do?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist? (Without a doubt will be asked this question)"
"If we voted for you to retake the DAT would you?"
"What was your last idea"
"Why do you think that you will be a dentist?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist?, Are you a good teacher?"
"Why dentistry?"
"What is my purpose in life?"
"How have you shown your commitment to dentistry?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist? What got you interested in wanting to become a dentist?"
"Describe something that you advocated recently that met opposition and you subsequently debated?"
"whay do ou want to become a dentist?"
"Do you want people to like you?"
"If a child hit his hand with a hammer what would you do?"
"What are you looking for in a dental school?"
"What was your last idea?"
"Why LSU? Look up statistics about the preparedness of students for the boards and the focus of the school on clinical dentistry, although they love their money making research too."
"Would you give a patient what he needed, or what he requested?"
"Do you enjoy changing other people's opnions?"
"If your boss uses a program that you created and gave you no credit...what would you do? (not like a computer program) "
"Is oral health care important?"
"When did someone last show opposition to your advice and what did you do?"
"What do you like to do with your hands?"
"Are you humble? Give an example"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"If Mrs. Brown’s husband called Sunday night and said his wife couldn’t come in to work, what would you do and say? "
"Tell me about yourself?"
"What would i do in a certain situation?"
"What's your purpose in life?"
"What do you like to do in your spare time? "
"Do you ever feel guilty?"
"what have you done to show that you really like dentistry?"
"What is the most important thing to make patients feel more relaxed and comfortable?"
"What makes you mad/upset?"
"how much did you practice carving?"
"Is it important to instruct the patient? This question slowed me down, because it was so vague. I gave him my best answer, and he seemed satisfied..."
"What are you weaknesses? This is asked in a boom, boom, boom fashion. All of these types of questions are to be answered and then you move on to the next question. It's very rapid and you need not dwell on questions that make you uncomfortable. It's okay to have notes written down to help you answer the questions more effectively."
"Would you mind if another dentist reviewed your work?"
"Do you like to be first in everything that you do?"
"What do you like to do for fun? This was asked during the 3-on-1"
"What are your strengths? Weaknesses?"
"If Mrs. Brown's husband called Sunday night and said his wife couldn't come into work, what would you do and say?"
"Are you ready for the stress involved with dental school?"
"What was the last thing you made with your hands?"
"What do you think you did with the chalk carving?"
"What do you do if one of your employees is 10 minutes late? Are you a good loser? Do you get stressed out? Do you get angry and what do you do when you get angry? Do people know when you are mad? Are you empathetic? What got you interested in dentistry? What have you done to prepare yourself for dentistry? Are you humble? What books have you read? What do you do in your spare time? Do you get depressed? Are you mechanically inclined? What was the last thing you made with your hands? Why is dentistry important? Would you recommend a patient to another dentist for further treatment? What do you do if someone is misbehaving? Give two or three ethics that you live by. When was the last time you showed opposition (support) to a cause of a majority (minority)? Critique your chalk carving. What is wrong with it? Grade it? How did you prepare for the DAT? Do you have any questions for us? **these were all asked either during my personality profile interview(1 on 1), or the actual interview (3 on 1)."
"Do you have any question to ask?"
"How i would treat my employees in my office?"
"Have you ever applied to other fields?"
"If you could not be a dentist, what would you do as an occupation?"
"Do you ever get depressed?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Do you give services you think people need, or just what they request?"
"What makes you mad/upset?"
"what was the last idea you had?"
"Can you make it through Dental School with a family?"
"All interviewers seemed very interested that I played the cello. Probably just cuz they were board of the typical interview questions."
"Most of the questions asked are on the LSU pre-dental society website. One of the ones they asked that wasn't is when was the first time you had to take responsibility?"
"If you couldn't choose dentistry as a career, what career would you choose?"
"Why is it important to give instructions to patients?"
"What was your last idea? What was the last thing you made with your hands? Are you empathetic? Are you humble?"
"You design a program and your boss uses it. The program is a huge success but your boss does not give you any credit publically for having put together the program. How would you handle this situation?"
"Do you see yourself as a good teacher"
"Are you a good loser?"
"If you see a kid hit his thumb with a hammer, what would you do?"
"Do you want people to like you? Do you get angry? etc.."
"What was the last thing you made with your hands?"
"If you were babysitting a five year old and you saw the child hit his thumb with a hammer, what would you do?"
"What material item would you like to have that you do not have now?"
"Nothing"
"what is my purpose in life?"
"What do you do when you are upset?"
"what was the last thing you made with your hands?"
"What is your purpose in life?"
"A time that I have shown opposition the the cause of a minority."
"I didn't find anything difficult."
"How would you give recognition to someone who deserved it?"
"None really. Just be prepared."
"What is the purpose of your life?"
"What is your purpose in life. Why be a dentist?"
"Why dentistry?"
"What was your last idea? "
"Give me an example of when you have shown empathy."
"What was your last idea?"
"Are you a good loser?"
"What is the most important thing to make patients feel more relaxed and comfortable?"
"What issues did you support in light of opposition?"
"Answered the questions before hand that was provided to me. The question where slightly altered. The is a chalk carving you must complete during the interview, so I practiced it before hand."
"SDN, practice chalk carving, check out practice inetrview questions on LSU pre-dental website predentlsu.com"
"LSU predental website, SDN interview feedback, LSU SOD chalk carving webpage"
"SDN, LSU Predental Questions, chalk carving diagrams"
"SDN questions. LSU predental society website questions."
"SDN and LSU pre-dent for interview questions, chalk carving, mock interview with a friend "
"SDN, about 10 chalk carvings, mock interview"
"Read over questions and prepare brief answers. I also practiced in the mirror and also did a mock interview with career services at LSU."
"Looked over the student doctor network website, predental society questions, talking myself thru the answers and questions,practice chalk carving a lot"
"I went over some previously asked questions and practiced the chalk carving for about a week. Did about 12-15 chalks in all for practice."
"Practiced chalk carving-about 15 times, went over questions provided by the pre-dental society."
"Read over the feedback on this site, practiced carving, read over some questions, and talked to people who were at the school. Don't stress about the interview, after the chalk carving, it is all down hill- It is a very low stress process."
"Pratice A LOT of chalk carving, LSUSD site, think about the questions."
"Chalk Carving - do it till you get it (about 12 to 20 times, that's it). Practiced interview skills with friends (try recording yourself). Read this site, read the LSUSD website, and have a question or two for them - this is a must."
"SDN, Practice with friends, Read school website"
"got a good nights rest and wake up extra early to make sure you have everything you need pray"
"Read up as much about the school and dentistry as possible; practiced carving chalk."
"I did mock interviews with my friends, practiced chalk carving, and thought a lot about why I wanted to go to dental school."
"Plenty of sleep the night before. I drive a lot for current job and I reviewed how I would answer sample questions like, "why do you want to be a dentist?" from a variety of DAT related preparation guide books that also had a section on interviewing."
"I did some mock interviews and read over the website."
"Faculty, staff, students, and the school itself."
"The whole interview overall was relaxed."
"The school seems very economically sound due to strong backing by the state. It has a very spacious, state of the art building, yet one of the lowest tuition pricetags out of any school. there are many renovations (and repairs) still going on (new $2mil auditoriums), with talks of a new bldg for research and a faculty practice. it has several branch clinics throughout LA where students rotate through during clinical years. The atmosphere was very laid back, the faculty seemed exceptionally friendly, and they are making a lot of positive changes. the curriculum is being revamped to reflect a more clinically relevant didactic education with a critical thinking focus. in the next few years a grand rounds type event may be implemented, which seems pretty cool. students also get a huge amount of clinical training here, starting in the 2nd year"
"Everyone's enthusiasm and willingness to help. There is an obvious sense of community at this school. Also, the parts of the school that have completed construction look awesome."
"The amount of brand new equipment at the school and the heart of the professors wanting to help their students succeed."
"While I was waiting for my interview, the dental students didn't hesitate to introduce themselves and talk to me. It really helped with my nerves. They even gave tips for the interview :)"
"The 1-on-1 interview was pretty relaxed. "
"The interview committee does a wonderful job keeping the stress level low. The chalk was kind of stressful just because it is the first thing you do-if you mess up on it you have the chance in the one on one and three on one to grade yourself and explain what you did wrong; be prepared to defend yourself in the 3 on 1 with grades, W's, DAT scores.."
"The interviewers were very positive and were encouraging everyone pretty much making the point that if they did not think you could get into the school, they would not have interviewed you."
"How nice everyone is at the school. Everyone seems to really care about everyone else there."
"100% of the seniors passed the boards last year."
"Dr. Weir and all the staffs were really nice to you. Free lunch and free T-Shirt."
"The most obvious thing is that the faculty, staff, even students, and especially the admission committee is so friendly and courteous. They really make you feel comfortable and you spend the day relaxed and wondering what you were nervous about. Graduates have a very low default rate on their loans, i.e. they are successful. LSUSD offers every specialty program. The technology is advanced."
"Modern lab, Friendly faculty members, students, staff. Traffic is not that bad. "
"the facilities and the kindness that was shown to the students"
"The school is fairly up-to-date as far as facilities are concerned. The students seemed generally very happy at LSU and were proud of their school."
"The friendly and comforting attitude put forth by all the people that I delt with throughout the day. I was nervous and stressed going into the interview, but was put at ease by the entire group of interviewers."
"100% of the school's graduates passed the boards last year."
"Friendliness of staff, students. Lunch time served Poboy and visited by some students(d1,d2,d3 and d4)."
"The admission committee was really friendly"
"None"
"Understandably, there is a lot of contruction going on. The 1st floor and basement of the school was flooded from hurricane katrina, so there is still work to be done. The 2nd floor and up is in great shape with renovations underway to some of the classroom auditoriums."
"there is a point system for clinical requirements, but it is equivalent to the market value of the procedure. so in essence, you can't graduate until you earn 30,000 points aka make $30,000 for the school. i find this very strange and exactly opposite of what the educational focus should be for a school. patients should not be viewed as walking dollar signs. students should not be encouraged to recommend more procedures than are necessary in order to get graduation requirements, just as a dentist shouldnt recommend an unnecessary more expensive procedure just for the cash. patients first. also, there didn't seem to be many opportunities for community service, which is surprising given the amount of severe need in the state."
"There are still areas of construction, but this is something they're actively working on."
"Massive reconstruction on nearly every floor. Located in an iffy part of town."
"nothing"
"No financial aid orientation."
"Since the dental school in New Orleans still isnt open, we didnt get to do the tour and talk with students as previous years have done"
"Nothing really negatively impressed me. Although, due to the hurricane, we were not on the school site and did not meet any students."
"The fact that the projects are on the other side of the interstate. "
"The sandwiches were kinda cold... Haha juz kidding."
"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (well, maybe that the location is not in the best area. But the school itself is neat)."
"The school itself is located inbetween a good part of New Orleans (by City Park) and a BAD part of town (about half-a-mile from a project). Tread softly grasshopper."
"I had to wait about 3 hours to get into the 3 0n 1 interview because I was randomly chosen to go 7th out of 8 interviewees."
"8 interviewees are brought in for the day, several of the other applicants in my group seemed questionable as future dentists."
"I was well prepared."
"Nothing that hasn't been mentioned already on SDN, or the LSU pre-dental website."
"just more in general. there isn't much information about the school online"
"Just how intense the 3 on 1 is! They aren't out to get you, but don't think for one second that they're not trying to see how you handle stressful situations!"
"I wish I had known that every single question (~90) would be asked. There's a 1-on-1 interview where a random faculty member goes down the list of questions one after the other for about an hour. Every question I had found on SDN in regards to LSU was asked."
"nothing"
"Try to research on the potential people that will be conducting the interview. Dr. Weir was really good at giving a brief history and intro about each person though. "
"Nothing-if you review your questions and chalk carving you will be prepared"
"I was well prepared for the interview receiving many of the same questions I had studied. Make sure to have questions to ask them at the end of the 3 on 1."
"The personality interview lasted for the WHOLE one hour, and 40+ questions were asked. I was not really expecting that they were asking all those questions one by one."
"I was pretty prepared by my pre-dental society. Just know what questions will be asked, master the chalk, and don't be too nervous. I felt like they pretty have their minds made up based on your application, so if you are not feeling confident, just let them know how badly you want it and how much you want to be a dentist. "
"It's not as hard as you think it's going to be. The interviewers were all pleasant people. "
"I felt I was pretty well prepared going into the interview and really didn't experience any big surprizes."
"Questions for the personality test. I later discovered that at least one other person had the personality questions before their interview---that would seem to be a significant competitive advantage, but then I'm not sure they don't change the questions each year so if you apply multiple years it would be difficult to not be able to gain that advantage for yourself if you had to apply again."
"a lengthy personality profile interview"
"Very good school"
"I arrived about 20 minutes early and waited in the administration lobby along with the other 5 interviewers. Dr. Weir came down to greet us and brought us up to our home base for the day. It is a medium sized conference room with a table that seats about 12. Dr. Weir spend about 20 minutes reviewing the different events that will take place throughout the day and goes over some financial aid information. He then briefly explain the chalk carving test, and then you begin carving chalk. Note: make sure you are well prepared for this, and be ready to overcome any discrepancies. For instance, I found that the chalk I practiced with was much easier to work with. Maybe it was older or stored in a area of high humidity. I don’t know but the chalk used during the interview was much harder and more brittle than the stuff used to practice with. When marking with the pencil on the practice chalk, a small indentation was formed from drawing my lines. Not so on the real stuff, the chalk had no give when drawing my lines. Also, the week leading up to the interview I practiced carving two pieces of chalk per day with no problem. After carving the one piece during the interview, I felt like my thumbs wanted to fall off. Next, I went on my 1-on-1 interview. This was a structured interview with 40-50 questions asked directly from a list. 90% of the questions are listed on the LSU pre-dental society website (predentlsu.com). Other questions asked included; have you ever felt guilty? Are you a perfectionist? Next, I was taken on a tour of the dental school. The faculty member giving the tour guide was very friendly and down to earth. We got to see floors 2-8, because the 1st floor and basement are under construction. don’t be afraid to ask questions. Then we had lunch with students at the dental school, one from each class level. Again, it was a relaxed atmosphere and the students were there to answer any questions. Finally, one by one we had our 3-on-1 interviews with the committee. This interview was less structured and more personalized, but still it felt relaxed. Be prepared to answer why you want to be a dentist. They may also also ask you to explain bad grades, what exposure you have had to dentistry (shadowing, working), and how you think you did on your chalk carving. Once you are done the 3-on-1 you are free to go. The main things are to stay relaxed, be honest, and practice your chalk carving. "
"LSU is a great school that not many people know about. it has top notch facilities for a very low price. it is located in a great city with great culture and everyone is amazingly friendly. geaux tigers!"
"I arrived at the school about 25 minutes early, which gave me time to introduce myself to two students who arrived before me. As the 25 minutes passed, the other 4 students arrived (7 total). Dr. Weir came out and introduced himself and started telling us all about the progress the school has made (which is evident while walking around). It didn't seem like two minutes had passed by the time we walked into the room where our chalk-carvings would take place. Dr. Weir briefly went over loan information, gave instructions on the chalk carving, and we began. I had practiced plenty of times before, which made this part a lot less stressful. Immediately following, 3 of us went on a tour while the 4 others were individually interviewed (1 on 1, structured interview). We came back from the tour and the other group left. The 1 on 1 was very structured - the professor read his questions right off the sheet he was given. There wasn't much communication between us other than his brief responses to my answers. I'm glad I prepared, though, because he asked me at least 50 questions, the vast majority of which are on the LSU Predental Society website. We returned for lunch, where 1 student from each class (D1 - D4) came and spoke with us. They answered our questions, but for the most part, they just hung out with us and told us to ''relax and be yourself.'' Once this hour was up, it was around 1:00 p.m. At this time, Dr. Weir walks in and lets us know the order in which the 3 on 1s will take place. Luckily, I was 2nd! I'd have volunteered to go first, though, because I HATE WAITING. There were only 7 of us, but I still felt bad for the last one! In no time, it was my turn and I walked into the room with the 3 interviewers. It was very businesslike, while not too stressful. This was unstructured; they asked me a couple of questions, most of which were personalized (DAT score, what I do with my free time, etc.) I expanded upon my answers and tried to bring a little bit of humor. Within no time, I was done! "
"LSU interview 3 of every 4 Fridays starting in November, until the 60 spots are filled. Up to (and usually) 8 at a time. Dr. Weir sits everyone in a room and explains how the day will go. First a 20 minute talk about how you'll pay for dental school. They've never had a student drop out due to financial need. LSU is one of the most affordable schools in the country even for out of staters. Average graduating debt is high 70s - low 80s and gets paid off within the first couple years out of school even though they are low interest loans. 35 minute chalk carving. Practice at home for this with a thin pocket knife and triple sized chalk (available from OfficeDepot.com) - picture of carving on LSU predental society is a little deceiving. Google ''LSU chalk carving'' for a better picture of the shape to carve. Took about 10 minutes just to calm down during the carving test. Students split to tour the school (all 8 spacious stories of it) and do the 1-on-1 interview before lunch. 1-on-1 interview is with a professor and as mentioned, they grill you on every question found on SDN and LSU predentals website. Lunch lasts an hour and D3s and D4s come and hang out to eat with you and answer questions. This was very valuable, interesting, and encouraging. All that remains after lunch is the 3-on-1 interview, where Dr. Weir and 2 others sit on three chairs perched around a low lying couch and talk with each person for ~20 minutes. Every else just waits in the conference room and it sucks to go last. I got the feeling that the decision had already been made in my instance, cuz my 3-on-1 was hardly 10 minutes and they didn't ask me about the weaknesses in my application like I was expecting. The 3-on-1 is open forum and they ask whatever they want unlike the 1-on-1. My 3-on-1 felt like Dr. Weir was just bragging to the other 2 guys about me, which was great except that I didn't feel as in control of the room as I had syked myself up to be. Dr. Weir is one of the best things going for the school. You really get a feeling that the professors are not there to run a dental factory, but to help the students along. No hospitality like the south."
"I arrived at the dental school for 8:30. There was only two applicants including myself, and Dr. Weir gave an orientation in the dean's conference room. Then he gave us a tour of the LSU South Campus and brought us back for the chalk carving. We were given one piece of chalk, flimsy ruler, pencil, buffalo knife and a sheet with the measurements on how to carve the chalk. A digital clock was set at 1:00 and we had 35 min to carve (the measurements are on the LSU pre-dent website). We were allowed to cleanup in the bathroom then our interviews started. I waited an hour for the first applicant to finish the interview. My interview lasted about 30 minutes. I was free to go :) The whole interview was shortened due to the hurricane...usually there's a 1-on-1 interview where they ask 50 predetermined questions (again, on the pre-dent website) then the 3-on-1 afterward. Dr. Weir and two other admissions officers were my interviewers. They asked me all the 50 "personality questions" in the 3-on-1. Be prepared to also defend your weaknesses afterward like your DAT scores, gpa, dropped classes, etc. The interview was very relaxed. Just be yourself and honest. You will be prepared if you know those questions on the website."
"The interview took place on the South Campus on GSRI road. Started at 10:30 and lasted till about 1:30. Started with the chalk carving. Then everybody went to do their 1-on-1 interviews which lasted for about 1 hour. After that, we took turns with the 3-on-1 interview. This lasted about 15-25 minutes depending on how many questions you had. Each of them asks one or two questions and then they turn it to you to ask questions. It felt a little intimidating because there are three of them just staring you down, but of course Dr. Weir tries to make it fun and relaxing. "
"The interview process in Baton Rouge was really short compared to if it had been in New Orleans. It started at 9, Dr Weir came to get the 4 of us and we went to the chalk carving room. There he went over school info, the committee members interviewing us on the one on one and then about the chalk. Chalk carving lasted 35 min. You have a about a 5 min break and then the one on ones start. They are very relaxing and you end up talking more than doing the questions. Then for the 3 on 1, whoever got out of their 1 on 1 first gets to do the 3 on 1 first and so on. I was last but I only had to wait about an hour, so it was about 1 when I left the interview."
"Basically, know that the interview is not very stressful, so go in there confident and have fun with it. You will have a chalk carving to start, 1 on 1 interview, and then a 3 on 1 interview to finish. The 1 on 1 is a series of questions which serves almost more as a conversation starter and you converse for about 40 minutes. The 3 on 1 is with the Dean of admissions and two other respected faculty. They will each ask about 1 question to you and only lasts 15 minutes. It was an easy day and was enjoyable to be there."
"I got there around 8 (I think) and waited for everyone in my group to show up. Dr. Weir comes in, we do the chalk carving. No one talked to us about finanical aid- she was out of town that day. That's the one thing that I wish we would have gone into more detail about. Then half of us went on the tour and half went to the 1-on-1. I went on the tour. We got back and then went on our 1-on-1s. The lady who did mine was super nice. My 1-on-1 lasted only about 25 minutes-partly because I already knew the questions and partly because we got along so well. Then I got to go back to the room to wait for everyone else. We ate lunch and talked to current students. Then we had our 3-on-1. I went 3rd and had to wait about 30 minutes. Not bad. The 3-on-1 was the most nerve racking just because you don't know what they are going to ask. It lasted about 10 minutes and then I was free to go. "
"Make sure you ask questions and seem interested throughout the process. You are constantly being evaluated except when the students come in for lunch- they're really only there to eat ( most of them anyway). The one-on-one interview carres a lot of weight so have an idea what you are going to say. Be yourself, Dr. Wier and his staff can def smell B.S."
"The interview was not bad at all. I think everyone who is going should definitely pratice a lot of chalk carving. You will find it extremely helpful during the actual carving. Be humble at all times. I was also asked what are some of the specializing fields there are for dentistry? Hehe you can find those answers on the LSUSD site. So prepare to ask questions during the tour, during the interviews, and during lunch with the current students. After all, the experience was pretty nice for me. So good luck you guys. "
"I arrived a few minutes early (8:15 am) and waited at the couches in front of the admissions office. This gave me a chance to meet the other 7 candidates and allowed me time to relax. Everyone is a little nervous at first, naturally. However, it quickly dissipates. At 8:30, Dr. Weir strolls in with a big smile and is pretty cheery for the morning. First, he takes all of you to a medium sized room with a table for 8 and gives a 20 minute introduction to what you will be doing that day, and then someone discusses professional student loan information. Then, you dive right into the chalk carving. Hopefully, you have practiced and can do it fast, because you take much more time when you are nervous. You have 35 minutes - I used 34.5 minutes. Dr. Weir periodically pops in the room to check on you and remind you how much time is left (although you have a big clock). Everyone is give a sheet to collect chalk, a pencil, ruler, chalk, knife (sharpened), a previous chalk carve to compare yours to (rated 8 or better). That's the hardest part of the interview. Then, you write your name on the bottom and they are collected. Next, 4 of you will go with a random faculty member for your personality profile. It's a 1 on 1 interview using pre-selected, structured questions that may seem wierd. They are to see if you are being honest and how you think on your feet. Most of them are below. Also, you may be asked about anything in your application. So defend your grade(s), but be honest. If you messed up, you messed up. Just let them know you learned from it, and took school more seriously after that, or whatever the case. Meanwhile, the other 4 candidates are on a tour of the school. It's fun, but you're thinking about your previous interview or your next interview to really enjoy the tour. Then, you all are given lunch back in the room. The room is sort of your base. They serve yummy fried shrimp, roast beef, and ham po-boys with chips and soft drinks. Also, great cookies. If you're a vegetarian, it's chips and cookies for you. The lunch is about an hour, but what's neat is that the faculty and staff are not present. A freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior dental student come in and talk to you about the school, and this is a good chance to ask questions that you may have been to nervous to ask Dr. Weir about. The dental students like to joke around with the potential fresh meat, so don't believe all their jokes. For example, they told us "if you get a t-shirt and are told 'good luck', then that's a bad sign." However, Dr. Weir hands everyone a t-shirt and says good luck at the end of the day. But they know you know they're joking, it's all good fun. Some other students may sneak in and steal food, but there is sooo much, no one can possibly go hungry. After lunch, the 2 groups switch. The group that had the tour, does their 1 on 1 personality profile, while the other group goes on the tour. Then everyone meets back in the room. Finally, you are taken one at a time into a room for your 3 on 1 interview with the admission committee. I think this is the most important part of the interview, but it's still a relaxed setting (despite that you are on a low couch and the "big 3" are high above). If you are last of the group, you will be waiting an hour or two (Just think of some definite points you want to make). They will ask you 3-6 questions that really just get you to talk and tell them more about yourself. I think they are pretty much decided on your chances of getting in, so if you don't feel too confident, be adamant about why you want to be a dentist . But mostly, relax and be yourself. That's the best advice. They know you are smart, so let them know that dentistry is important to you and you have no hesitations about it. Tell them how much you enjoyed working for, or observing, your dentist. You have a good shot if you have an interview anyway. Good luck."
"Interview wasn't stressful at all. Don't be nervous. Just be yourself. The school begins interview in mid november, so if you get an interview in nov, or dec you'll most likely to get in. I had 4 interviews beside LSU and I got accepted to 3 schools including LSU. And, I decided to go to LSU cuz this was my first choice.. GOOD LUCK!!"
"It went well. At first everyone is very nervous. The chalk carving was first and that is the most nerve racking part. After that the interviews weren't bad at all. Just be yourself."
"Well, this interview experience is pretty dated (five years ago). But judging from the previous interviewees' recent experiences it hasn't changed much. Dr. Weir is still the king of admissions and his word has the most weight. You impress him, you impress the committee, bottom-line. However, don't BS anybody...they are well-versed in being able to weed out the truly interested vs. the "I just want to be a doctor" applicant. Chalk-carving is important, but even if you break the chalk or just get a 6/10, that's really a minor component. Some people didn't who interviewed and got in never touched a 7-buffalo knife or a triple-sized chalk in their life before that day. Be sure you are able to get your message across as to your sincerity and passion for dentistry...that will carry you further than any perfect chalk carving. The personal profile interview where they ask you pre-determined questions (that they ask of everyone) isn't a test of how fast you can answer a question...rather they want to see how you think on your feet. These questions aren't your everyday interview questions, and they do allow you to answer the question at a later time after you have some time to think it over. This isn't Final Jeopardy! The three-on-one interview is just you, Dr. Weir and two other admissions committee people in his office. It's really not intimidating...be prepared to defend grades if you think you need to, but always be honest. Hey, if you F'ed up, you F'ed up; say so, let them know it won't happen again (and give them an example) and move on. If you are fortunate enough to get an interview, seize the moment. This is your opportunity to shine. They feel you are qualified academically to handle dental school...now you've got to show them you are a quality person that they want in their program and in the profession. "
"Overall I was pleased with the experience. I suggest you go into the interview aware of any weaknesses in your application and be able to express how you will improve on them."
"format: Start with brief introductory from Dean of Admissions Next is chalk-carving test---no rubbing, wetting, etc. must use blade of provided knife to make defined object. 30-60 minutes one-on-one interview with a faculty member who will also ask you predefined personality questions. The test is riddled with ethics questions and questions specifically designed to tell if you are answering honestly or telling them what you think they want to hear so go with honest answers (example: "Do you ever get angry?" everyone gets angry at some time or another, to give a completely negative answer is to fail in their measurement of giving honest answers). Four people do the interviews at a time while the alternative four are given a tour of the facility. Next you get to have lunch with some of the current students at the university. You are free to ask them any questions, no faculty are present. In my opinion, the interview begins the instant you walk through the door, assume everything you say and do will impact their impression of you so be conservatively out-going even with the student population. Last, one by one each applicant is interviewed by a panel of three faculty members. Some say one is positive to you, one is negative to you, and one is neutral. In my experience all three were neutral more or less. You will be asked things like, "how do you think you did on your chalk carving?"---again sincere answers are most valuable for your impression. The applicant that sees no flaws in his work is probably not the perfectionist oriented individual they are probably looking for. You will be hit with questions about any weakness in your application like your lowest score(s) on the DAT, GPA, etc. How well you maintain your composure under stressful situations/questions is as important as your answer itself---keep your cool and give as positive a reply as is possible and truthful."
"LSU was my 1st choice.It was a whole day of interview/touring the school.They just want to get to know you better, and not necessarily grill you about your credentials. I was accepted a week after interview.Prepare for chalk carving because it was a short time.I was very nervous even though this was my second time.Personality profile interview took 1 hour,and it was all about you and dentistry."
"I had a great interview. I was very nervous going into the interview, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Be prepared to carve some chalk."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 2 |
| Faculty member | 14 |
| Admissions staff | 3 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 8 |
| Neutral | 0 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.70 | 10 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 9 |
| Out of state | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 7 |
| 2-3 hours | 0 |
| 4-6 hours | 1 |
| 7+ hours | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 3 |
| Automobile | 6 |
| Train or subway | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
MSY
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 1 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 2 |
| Hotel | 2 |
| Home | 1 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 2 |
| $101-$200 | 0 |
| $201-$300 | 0 |
| $301-$400 | 1 |
| $401-$500 | 0 |
| $501+ | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.64 | 11 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.67 | 12 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.58 | 12 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 10.00 | 5 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.60 | 5 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.67 | 3 |
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?