How many people interviewed you?
Response Average | # Responders |
---|---|
1.04 | 91 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
Positively | 81 |
Negatively | 9 |
No change | 2 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
2.74 | 91 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
8.46 | 67 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
7.92 | 66 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
In Person | 3 |
Virtual | 0 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
5 minutes | 0 |
10 minutes | 4 |
15 minutes | 9 |
20 minutes | 15 |
25 minutes | 14 |
30 minutes | 16 |
35 minutes | 9 |
40 minutes | 7 |
45 minutes | 4 |
50 minutes | 9 |
55 minutes | 2 |
60+ minutes | 3 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
At the school | 89 |
At a regional location | 0 |
At another location | 2 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
One-on-one | 89 |
In a group | 1 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
Open file | 87 |
Closed file | 1 |
Response Average | # Responders |
---|---|
1.04 | 91 |
"3 Important qualities of a dentist and how they apply to me"
"Asked about my art portfolio and my website. (I provided the link on my AADSAS application)"
"Why Rutgers?"
"Why Rutgers"
"Tell me about your research."
"Why Rutgers Dental?"
"Tell me about yourself and why you are here today/"
"Tell me what you're going to be doing tomorrow, what's a typical day like for you?"
"Why did you decide to take french? (Since I'm a french minor)"
"How do you handle academic stress?"
"Why UMDNJ?"
"Tell me about gateway to dentistry program"
"What qualities make a good dentist?"
"Why dentistry/ what got you interested in dentistry?"
"How serious are you about going to UMDNJ?"
"When did you become interested in dentistry?"
"How many dental schools did you apply to?"
"Tell me about your shadowing experience"
"What are your study habits? "
"What other schools did you apply to?"
"About one of my DAT scores"
"i see your parents went to this school--it's not your 1st choice then, right?"
"Why Dentistry"
"What did you do to improve your DAT score?"
"What did you do after graduating from your college? I took 3 years off."
"What got you interested in dentistry?"
"why umdnj"
"why dentistry?"
"How difficult was the undergrad admissions process?"
"tell me about yourself"
"Why dentistry? "
"Why did you repeat organic chemistry?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"they asked questions like how do you like ur university, why umdnj, why dentistry, where else did u apply, basic stuff. i answered all honestly including where i applied, i think they appreciate that, especially Dr. Wexler...and they knowwhen ur tryin to hide info. saying you interviewed at some other competitive schools shouldnt hurt your chances unless u say u want to go to them over umdnj which wouldn't be the best response."
"How was the Gateway Program?"
"What activities related to dentistry have you participated in?"
"What made you decide to become a dentist?"
"What are your goals after you receive your degree?"
"What part of New Jersey are you from? "
"Why dentistry over medicine?"
"What are your extracurricular activities?"
"How many schools did you apply?"
"Since you were already accepted to ____ (she had asked me since it was post 12/1), what would make you choose UMDNJ over ____?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Tell me about how you grew up."
"Please explain poor performance in these classes...?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist?"
"What made you want to come back to NJ?"
"What happened with organic? (wince)"
"Tell me a little about you"
"Tell me a little bit about yourself."
"Tell me about your shadowing experience."
"How I liked living in California (originally from New York)"
"Explain certain extracurriculars on my resume"
"Why dentistry?"
"How did you come to decide on dentistry?"
"How did you improve your manual dexterity?"
"Tell me about your sister."
"Where did you come from?"
"How does Rutgers compare to the other schools you applied to?"
"What hand skills do you have?"
"What do you like to do?"
"Why dentistry"
"Why do you want to go in dentistry."
"How did you prepare for the DAT the second time around?"
"Dental experiences?"
"If money wasn't an issue, would UMDNJ still be your top choice?"
"Why not medicine?"
"Why did you fail this class?"
"It was so conversational its very hard to look back on exact questions that were asked"
"Are you good with your hands? "
"Manual dexterity?"
"manual dexterity"
"Would you consider UMDNJ if you got into other schools in the tri-state area (including your alma mater)?"
"did you like [undergrad school]"
"What does your husband think about moving to NJ?"
"Why this school"
"How did you get involved in (certain hobby)?"
"What are your chances of coming here if accepted?"
"Do you have any academic awards?"
"Do you have other interviews?"
"What qualities do you look for in a dental school?"
"why umdnj over Columbia"
"why umdnj?"
"Do you feel your GPA fully reflects your skill/knowledge?"
"Talk about athletic experience. "
"what research experience did you have?"
"Why did you transfer?"
"why not medical school?"
"How is research in Columbia?"
"Why not law?"
"What do you do to increase manual dexterity?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"Tell me about your DAT scores. "
"Tell me about yourself? "
"Are you happy with your DAT scores? (I was) So what happened during this particular semester (referring to the one that I totally got owned)?"
"How old were you when you came to this country?"
"What did you do after you graduated from college? "
"I see you have done some biomedical research in highschool, tell me about that."
"Why do you want to come to the east coast?"
"Why do you want to specialise in pediatrics?"
"What type of dentistry do you think you want to ultimately practice?"
"Tell me about your hobbies."
"What brings you here?"
"How did you like going to school at X University?"
"Tell a little about yourself."
"What experience do you have in dentistry?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist?"
"Did you work during school? "
"How did this come about? (my interest in dentistry)"
"Why New Jersey?"
"What stresses you out? How do you handle failure?"
"Asked a lot about extracurriculars. Really casual and flowed more like a conversation"
"Why I am interested in dentistry"
"What would make you come to Rutgers?"
"What kind of research did you do?"
"Tell me about (manual dexterity items in personal statement)."
"What do you do at your job?"
"Where else have you applied? Was this your first interview?"
"Explain this grade."
"Why this school."
"Besides your dental experience, where else do you demonstrate manual dexterity?"
"What procedures did you see while shadowing?"
"Why UMDNJ?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"did you like undergrad?"
"Tell me about how you got interested in dentistry."
"Any questions for me?"
"Anything you would like to ask me."
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Do you have any questions?"
"What kind of music do you like?"
"tell me about your family."
"Would you chose NJ over X?"
"Is there anything you'd like to ask?"
"any interest in the specialties?"
"Tell me about your research."
"Why Jersey?"
"Why do you want to join UMDNJ?"
"The rest of the hour was just back and forth conversation. "
"What leadership positions do you have at your university?"
"What do you think you can offer our school? "
"Why is your science GPA so low?"
"Tell me about your family?"
"The typical one, why dentistry? Why not medicine? "
"Would you mind moving to Jersey?"
"Would you consider dental research as well as practicing? (not exact words, just the gist of it)"
"What factors do you consider when you are deciding which school are you going to accept?"
"What can I tell you about us?"
"Why, other than wanting to help people, do you want to be a dentist?"
"If you were accepted, would you come here?"
"Do you have any academis awards?"
"What happened to your grades?"
"What happen to you in the third quater of the freshmen year?"
"What experiences have you had that make you think you have excellent manual dexterity?"
"Started off with, why don't u ask me something"
"What was your favorite place that you have traveled to? (Noticed this theme from my letter of recommendation)"
"Most of the questions were about specific things on your application"
"Very basic questions"
"Here's a piece of paper, draw me. (Followed up after manual dexterity question)"
"Why did you major in Exercise Science?"
"Tell me about Nelson Mandela. (He died a few days before the interview day.)"
"Do you like to play video games?"
"My interviewer asked me about my job as a lifeguard, since his daughter was taking swimming lessons."
"Do you play any music instrument?"
"Do you sell [objects related to hobby]? ...he seemed surprised when I said 'no' lol."
"We just had a basic conversation on a restaurant that we both went to"
"Why did you choose to go to undergrad where you went?"
"N/A"
"Tell me about _______ (specific country where I spent time as a medical missionary)."
"They only asked like 2 questions. It was more of a conversation."
"How did you get involved in (certain hobby)?"
"None"
"What was it that got you interested in dentistry? (I though this was a much better question then ''why do you want to be a dentist?'')"
"Why would you turn down Columbia (my alma mater) for UMDNJ, if accepted to both? Talk to me about your sibilings "
"nothing to crazy. basic questions... why dentistry? why here?"
"Nothing too interesting."
"About my experience as an immigrant... nothing out of the ordinary."
"nothing"
"What is martial arts do you do?"
"How is research in Columbia Univ? How is that dental school?"
"Why not law? (My mother is a lawyer)"
"Why UMDNJ?"
"I really wasn't asked many questions. We pretty much spent the 10-15 minutes talking about baseball."
"How would you succeed academically?"
"What do you do to increase manual dexterity?"
"How can I convince the rest of the committee to recommend you for acceptance?"
"What made you decide to become a dentist?"
"What would make u a good dentist? What do you do to increase manual dexterity? Why switch from PT? Why dentistry at all?"
"What do you want to do after you receive your degree?"
"Engineering is a very good and promising field, why make the switch to Dentistry?"
"I was asked about my grade in physics, which is definitely not my forte. "
"Why do you want to come to the east coast? Won't you be homesick?"
"The usual question about why dentistry."
"Why dentistry?"
"Why make the switch from business to dentistry? "
"Why pediatrics"
"Would you mind living in Newark?"
"Where do you really want to go?"
"Nothing really interesting."
"Tell me about how you grew up?"
"If you were accepted, would you come here? (They were pretty direct about it)"
"none, all the question were pretty much what I have expected."
"none really all straight forward questions"
"none really, every question was straight fowrward."
"What made you want to come back to NJ?"
"...."
"why do you feel it is necessary to pursue a masters in public health"
"How has your past experience shaped you today?"
"Which class changed my world view"
"Asked me what other schools I interviewed at and how many schools"
"Did not ask any tough questions on the more negative points of my application."
"Nothing. Everything was very basic."
"Nothing difficult at all. We just had a conversation."
"What makes you think you would be a good dentist?"
"Who are you?"
"N/A"
"What was your biggest challenge?"
"What can you offer the school?"
"I see you got an F in chemistry, can you explain why?"
"Why do you have a LOR from 2008?"
"So, what are we going to talk about?"
"Can you explain the low score you got on the PAT section of the DAT?"
"why dentistry and not medicine?"
"None really. Even the questions weren't really "questions"-- the interview just flowed like a regular conversation. In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of specific questions my interviewer asked because I only remember the conversation as a whole, not as discrete time chunks."
"Why not veterinary school? (Many of my EC's are animal related.)"
"What are your chances of coming here if accepted?"
"What qualities are you looking for in a dental school?"
"Why UMDNJ?"
"how can i be sure that you will come here if we accept you?"
"Tell me about yourself. *a few more questions* Tell me more about yourself. I didn't know how personal/detailed he wanted me to get."
"None."
"nothing"
"none"
"Why did you repeat organic chemistry?"
"See above."
"nothing I didn't expect"
"About my transcript at a particular area. "
"Why is your GPA so low?"
"Explain your lowest DAT score. What do you want from a school?"
"Why did you not fare well in one of your semesters? "
"What made you choose dentistry over medicine?"
"I had to explain my gpa vs. my dat scores. I did exceptionally well on the dats, but my gpa was below the average for this school."
"Why didn't you keep involving in more detal related jobs after you graduated from college?"
"Why dentistry?"
"same."
"What would make you choose us over ___, where you're already accepted?"
"no difficult questions"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Nothing difficult."
"If you were accepted, would you come here?"
"Why you didn't apply to the medical school?"
"none really"
"Can you explain what happened to you in school? (low grades..)"
"why the east coast?"
"nothing of that sort- very laid back"
"why do you want to help people who don't want help themselves (my interview was a racist)"
"sdn, Youtube videos, mock interviews"
"SDN, other similar websites"
"SDN and sample questions"
"Read SDN interview feedback"
"SDN, on my own."
"This website, reading these interview answers."
"SDN."
"Reading SDN, talking to a friend who interviewed last cycle, write down key point to address for each question."
"mock interviews."
"SDN, friends, mock interview"
"Read previous interview questions on SDN :P"
"Read SDN, read the school website, etc."
"Prepare for basic questions (why dentistry? why this school? review your file!)"
"read my essay, read the school website"
"looked at the website and just relaxed"
"Nothing.. just speak from the heart. "
"sdn interview fb, mock interview with friends"
"sdn"
"SDN, read my AADSAS file. Came up with a good "why dentistry?" answer. Answered hypothetical questions and talked to myself a lot while driving my car. "
"sdn; website; talked to current students"
"Read my application, made a list of questions to prepare for."
"Knew my application. Reviewed common interview questions."
"SDN, NJDS website, practiced answers to anticipated questions"
"sdn, school website, read through my application"
"Read SDN and go to the UMDNJ website"
"review application"
"SDN website, mock interview, UMDNJ's website"
"SDN, read website, knew my application, wrote down pre-formed answers for common questions and just went in there knowing what I wanted."
"SDN, AADSAS application, friends who were admitted to the school, shcool's website"
"mock interview, school website, interview feedback"
"Mock interview with friend, read AADSAS, SDN, school web site"
"SDN, UMDNJ website, thought about possible questions."
"mock interview, read over AADSAS, SDN"
"researched the school, reviewed my application, reviewed past activities including research, community service, etc."
"SDN, Mock interview, read over my personal statement and application"
"this site and your AADSAS application"
"Read through application, SDN interview feedback."
"SDN, read books on interview from library, observed other interview on TV "
"School's website, SDN, read my application"
"Relaxed...it's a relaxing atmosphere. they dont throw any curve balls at you"
"sdn, friends who were there, website"
"Read SDN. The Gateway to Dentistry Program also helped a LOT."
"read over my AADSAS, SDN"
"Student-doctor.net, Mock interview, read over my application"
"SDN, reviewed my scripts, mock"
"UMDNJ website, SDN, prepared answers to some common questions"
"School's website, this website, mock interviews, ADA website"
"sdn, aadsas application, read articles"
"SDN, Went over my application, Looked up technical details of my reserach experience, Knew my motivation for the profession well."
"SDN and school website"
"Read the feedback on this website, practiced questions and answers with other people, did online research on the school, and reread my application and essay."
"read about NJDS from their website, read interview feedback from student doctor, practice in the mirror"
"Looking through my AADSAS application, and read UMDNJ's site."
"Looked at website."
"Toured the school, talked with an alum, thought seriously about what I need a school to offer in order for me to be successful there."
"Forgot to :rollseyes:"
"website, SDN, read over my application"
"Looked over the website and checked out SDN. It was very low-key."
"Looked at Website. Read over my application. SDN."
"Read my essay and application. I went in knowing why I was there."
"Read SDN forums, school website, etc."
"go to the website."
"SDN*and my personal essay"
"go the website"
"SDN, school website and brochures, friends"
"Went in knowing what my goals were."
"SDN, website"
"Looked at the website, reviewed my application."
"Read over my application and go the site."
"i came prepared knowing who i am and what my goals are"
"Staff, faculty, and students were very nice and friendly. Interview experience was great."
"Inside facilities are very new and up to date"
"My interviewer was very kind and made me feel comfortable. He really just wanted to have a conversation to get to know me as a person. I was extremely impressed that he took the time to go to my website and look at my art portfolio. Very positive impression overall."
"The staff was just so lively and welcoming, they really emphasized how much of a family they are at Rutgers. My interview experience was great. It felt so much like a conversation I would have with one of my friends rather than an intense interview like I had imagined it would be."
"Everyone at the school, from checking in, to the interviewers, were nice and friendly."
"The students were very willing to talk about Rutgers and answer all of our questions"
"Instate tuition after the first year for OOS students, seemed like they encourage research during the summer. Clinics looks very nice with a lot of natural light."
"General positivity from the school."
"The staff was so polite and welcoming."
"How the school looked aesthetically. It's really a gem in the middle of Newark. Beautiful building, nice facilities."
"The friendliness of faculty, the students, the new facilities."
"Lots of research opportunities, especially since the change to Rutgers. Great community outreach. Awesome clinics"
"The students were happy. There is a dorm really close to the school (180 market). How relaxed the interview was..."
"Brand new clinics and fully digital system"
"the statistics of the graduates. New facilities. Friendly students and faculty. Patient pool."
"the light-hearted mood"
"Admissions really wants you to go to this school. Everyone is really friendly and excited about dentistry."
"the extensive amount of clinical experience available for dental students"
"Very friendly staff."
"Very laid back, not trying to put you on the spot. Very enthusiastic!"
"one of faculty members gave the tour. everyone was friendly"
"the school has a very new clinic and some new classrooms which were awesome...the faculty/students that I talked to were super nice and helpful"
"The faculty "
"facilities are top notch, friendliness of faculty and staff"
"facility"
"I love UMDNJ! Because I thought, "ew, Newark," I came into the interview with a very biased opinion- I honestly thought I was going to hate it. But I was so impressed by the school itself, and by the incredibly friendly people there. The environment is not bad at all: yes, it's in Newark, but the campus takes up a good portion of the city and I really liked that as a dental student, I could be part of a huge sector of healthcare. The dorms are right across the stree from the dental school. I liked that the class sizes were moderate (around 90). Dental students also don't have to take classes with med students at all, which means smaller lecture sizes. The entire faculty (or at least, the ones we met) was so funny and warm, and I was so impressed by my interviewer-- he knew my file up and down, and seemed to really want me to come to the school. AND, I love the court yard. There were dental students playing frisbee in the middle of the day too as we were taking our tour (our tour guide joked that the school had paid them to do that at that precise moment). "
"the interview was so chill--it was very conversational and friendly--really put us at ease"
"The day was great, the interview was very relaxed, tour and presentations were nice"
"The students there are super friendly. The staff also seems super helpful. The clinic is beautiful and new. The classrooms are new and technologically advanced. They also have great security."
"The amount of required clinic work - I think it's great to have all of that experience before you graduate. The students said they never have to go looking for patients because the patient pool is so large. Lots of exposure to all areas of dentistry. Always guaranteed to have a chair when you need to work in the clinic. New clinic is beautiful, lots of windows :) Apartments (dorms) right next to the school are nice. The school will offer you tutoring for free if you fail an exam. They seem to really care about each and every one of their students' success. 100% of students who apply to general practice residencies get in. LOW student-faculty ratio, 7-1 (all 4 years), 4-1 during endo (they teach rotary RCT)."
"warmth, student faculty closeness"
"new building"
"The New Dental Building and a close faculty-student relationship. Everyone knows each other and the students help each other on assignments"
"They are building a brand new building. The faculties are very friendly. Dr. Wechler is a very humorous man."
"ALL the faculty is super super nice. There seems to be great student-faculty relationships. All the student seem very happy but admit that the first 2 years are a nightmare no matter where you go. The also are extremely focused on clinics. There motto is that they want you to be able to go and practice as soon as you graduate. They are a ''hold you hands to the end'' type of school and want you to do well."
"the energy of my interviewer, and the amount of excitement they showed in me. They made it very clear that i would be a valued asset to their program"
"the relaationship between the students and the faculty... how nice the students were to each other... the amount of patients in the clinic... the strong clinical focus."
"The super friendly faculty and the great student-faculty relationship everyone seems to have. The apartment dorm is right across the quad and pretty nice. Strong emphasis on clinical education and how almost everyone passes the NERB and gets into post-grad (mostly GPR) programs."
"The sincerity and enthusiasm of talented and dedicated faculty. It was so inspiring to see."
"Everyone's so approachable. Very friendly.; They're building more parking spaces for commuters - should be ready by fall 2006; Campus dorms should (hopefully) be ready for fall of 2006; new facility. "
"new section of the building! brank spankin' new very friendly faculties and students"
"School was amazing!!!"
"The atmosphere in the school is amazing, the staff are very aproachable and laid back. And they are building new dorms for the upcoming year"
"The facilities were great. the faculty were super friendly. the Dean was really cool and down to earth. "
"The cost of education is much lower than other schools, esp. if you're a NJ resident. "
"Dr. Chaviano really knows how to sell the school, the students seem happy, the new clinics are nice, it's easy to get state residency, "
"new facilities, the enthusiasm of students and faculty"
"School is almost brand new. Students very happy. Faculty nice and friendly. Students get amazing training and financial aid really wants to help."
"The new clinics and the new apartments. Also everyone there was really nice and welcoming. Breakfast and lunch were provided."
"school facilities, very friendly faculties and students"
"I say the clinics and the very close by apartment"
"The facilities are nice and state of the art, the faculty members are extremely laid back and full of jokes, the students are friendly"
"New clinics."
"The faculty was very enthusiastic, the brand new clinic, the small class size, the price"
"Practically everything is new. Faculty is very friendly."
"The staff was very friendly and funny and made me feel welcomed. They act like they really want you to attend their school. Also, my interviewer introduced me to some dental students and she treated them like colleagues not students."
"The faculty was very fun-loving, and an approachable bunch. We were asked to interview as we stepped into the Dental School so that we could get the most anticipated part over with (Which I thought was very considerate, as the info sessions were that much more enjoyable afterwards). My interviewer was very kind and courteous and did not ask any questions in a condescending tone at all (unlike the ones from other schools). The tour was nice, they have a brand new wing recently added, and the facilities are VERY NICE! Great school for clinical. They also prepare you for your boards by giving you "decks" that you have to memorize for the exams. Students were enthusiastic to be there and were very helpful. Very nice school overall. "
"The faculty members are really friendly. My interviewer was extremely nice and really helped me to feel comfortable during the interview."
"The faculty, administration, and students seemed genuinely happy, and the faculty seemed to have a sincere interest in the performance and welfare of the students."
"the doctors were very nice, new dental building was built a couple of years ago"
"Brand new clinic, very nice staffs and students."
"New facilities--admin & professors are reasonably nice. Interview was extremely relaxed--a nice conversation with a professor of prosthodontics about my record."
"Third year students who were warm, friendly, and lots of fun to be around."
"Admissions staff sincere interest in me as a dental applicant, not simply me as a UMDNJ dental applicant."
"The humour of the staff, the new wing and clinics"
"All the faculty was very friendly. They were helpful and very laid back"
"Almost everything...very strong and solid clincal training, very warm and supportive community of students and faculty, gorgeous brand-new clinical building, and the current dental students were really enthusiastic and proud to be there."
"The new clinic was awesome."
"The faculty was really nice and helpfull. Good food at lunch too."
"Clinics are so brand spankin' new they even smell new! Students were quite confident in their clinical skills. Faculty appeared to take a interest in the students' success. Easy to establish NJ residency. Lunch was quite tasty."
"UMDNJ has a high placement rate in speciaties after graduation and a very strong clinical program. The new dental building is absolutely gorgeous."
"The faculty is greatly. everyone knows each-other"
"The NEW building that will be open this summer will facilitate the increase number of patient pool in the area. Facilities are modern and clean. The atmosphere is very relax and students jokes with each other. "
"The clinics, new building, very friendly atmosphere, and seemed like a comfortable environment for students"
"the new building for first year students (2004 entering class)"
"DVD curriculum, NEW CLINICS next year - very good looking, own operatory, friendly environment, awesome fin.aid, advisor"
"The whole day was very organized and structured. The admissions staff was very friendly. The new building is going to be fantastic. The students were very happy."
"The students seemed generally enthusiastic and everyone was really helpful. "
"The overall environment was relaxing and everyone were very nice to us."
"NOTHING"
"The surrounding area is not the safest place."
"In Newark"
"N/A"
"The pre-clinic lab is a little dated, but still gives you all the tools necessary to succeed."
"The surrounding area is a mess"
"Surrounding area, 8:1 ratio in clinic."
"Location, not the safest place. But they do have good security system in the school."
"The area."
"How it was an open secret that we were in a rough neighborhood. Even our tourguide was open about how unsafe Newark was."
"Location."
"The surrounding area (Newark) is really intimidating."
"The area is not so good."
"The facility is pretty ugly-also, it's in Newark."
"terrible neighborhood"
"The location. Financial Aid."
"Area immediately around school is not very good...would have to commute."
"None that I can think of."
"the current students a bit cocky"
"location (newark)"
"The students.. very arrogant (at least the ones that came in to have lunch with us).. and most of them are older? like in the 30s.. which i thought was odd. "
"lunch was blah"
"area"
"The food! Not good. In actuality, it wasn't that bad. Just bland. If you keep kosher, you may want to bring your own lunch, because they provide you with a mystery sandwich that doesn't look too appetizing."
"it's in newark so you're going to be commuting"
"Nothing, it was excellent. I didn't think the area was as bad as everyone says."
"The location sucks. Its a terrible neighborhood."
"Newark is scary/dangerous at night, but I was already aware of that. Older clinics need to be refurbished, but were still adequate and functional. Not a lot to do in the immediate area, but at least it's close to NYC."
"No performing arts groups"
"ghetto area"
"none really"
"The interviewer seemed in a hurry. He even answered his cell during the interview. Maybe he was late for his class."
"Area is not so fantastic, Newark is a bit unsafe, but because you are in such a large city you get a HUGE diversity a patients."
"Newark!"
"newark"
"The students don't seem to do anything cultural with their time... When I asked them if there were things to do in Newark, they started talking about the bars in Morristown. They also have a dress code where each class is color coded. Not such a huge deal, but still kind of weird. There is no library dedicated to just dental books; it's all in a huge biomedical library."
"Expensive housing for newark."
"location: Slightly uninviting but bearable. "
"my interview was too short to sell myself"
"surrounding neighborhood isn't lovely... it's not that bad as people say, but still somewhat dangerous"
"The location"
"the location sucked...the scandals..."
"The area, but I am used to it. I went to undergrad in Rutgers-Newark."
"The location, BUT it means that the clinical training is going to be VERY good becuase you'll see a wide variety of cases. "
"its newark, but atleast u can hop on a train to nyc nearby"
"Crossed the street after interview to go to ATM and was instantly in a worse neighborhood."
"Being a NJ resident I must say Newark but there are places around it to live safely."
"none"
"the dental students in UMDNJ"
"The area around the school. "
"My interviewer made me uneasy although I was initially relaxed. He wasn't enthusiastic about interviewing me. The interview was very short and I had little time to sell myself. A highly political school with state concerns of funding. The student body was a composition of a certain background that did not seem inclined to cultural diversity although the school initially gave me that impression."
"The area stinks, i've seen nicer pre-clinics...."
"Parking and the Newark area"
"The location of the school. Newark is kind of a bad area, but I don't think that would stop me from attending this school. I also visited other parts of NJ and they were beautiful, I wouldn't mind living there."
"The location (as you might have guessed). According to current students, the surrounding area, Parking lots , etc. can get very unsafe at nights, meaning anytime after 6:00 PM, which I am definitely not used to, coming from an undergraduate school where most ppl study in public libraries till 2 or 3 in the morn and then leave to go home. Quite unsafe for women especially. "
"I did NOT like the neighborhood at all... especially downtown Newark. I realized that driving will be an absolute necessity if I do attend this school."
"The school was located in what you'd call a "ghetto." But I guess it's there for a reason."
"probably the location"
"The weather is still so damn cold!!!!"
"First, the school was suprised that so many applicants showed up to their interview (17), so they had to double up on the interviewers. I was among the last to be interviewed, so my interview time was limited to 15 min to sell myself. Next, negative, whining, bitchy, lecturing dental students (2nd, 3rd & 4th years) during lunch. Became apparent that they didn't quite know what they were getting themselves before they got into the program regarding the dental business. I thought it might have been just one or two students, but when the whole group was either griping or being useless gossiping in a corner while blowing up balloons to prep for the dental prom, it really turned me off. I know that dental school can be an intense & stressful experience at some points, but I don't want to associate with a group of people cannot be positive nor handle stress professionally. Also, when asked direct questions regarding # of patients seen per year in the clinics & the active number of patient files, Dr.Weschler & Dr. Conte were not forthwright with the numbers, which leads me to believe that they had something to hide."
"This guy named Tal - he took his job way too seriously."
"3rd year students who accompanied us at lunch came solely for the free meal, not to be of any constructive service. The only exception was a guy named Tal. He took the opportunity seriously and fielded our questions. The others were distraction and embarrassed themselves."
"The old clinics, the location"
"taxi ride from JFK to Newark was 150.oo"
"Just the fact that the school is located in Newark; but at the same time its kind of a double-edged sword, because this location provides the students with such an abundance of patients and they are exposed to some amazing clinical cases."
"Where will I live?"
"Newark is a dump."
"Newark. Older portions of the school are ugly and old, some students didn't seem to be really happy there (the school, and Newark)."
"none really...except no on campus housing."
"the surrounding area. Its ghetto"
"none really."
"neighborhood"
"interviewer kept saying bad things about the school!! "i wouldn't choose this school over....""
"area - but i am used to this, no place to study late expect you house (library open til 12), wear scrubs every day"
"The streets in Newark are like spaghetti! As far as the school though, I was impressed by pretty much everything, although still not looking forward to gross anatomy."
"THE NERVE THEY HAD TO ACT SUPERIOR"
"Do not stress about the interview. Be yourself and don't be nervous!"
"Everything was pretty straightforward"
"very relaxed"
"That the interview would have literally been the most relaxed experience"
"Not to stress about the interview, it's very relaxed and stress-free"
"The interviews truly are easy going."
"It would be so easy."
"That you would only be given to speak with the D1/2/3 students if you showed up early. I came in ~15 minutes before the time I was supposed to (9:00am). Not only was I called for my interview at around 8:56, but there weren't any seats available at the main table when I got there."
"Parking! Had some trouble finding where to park."
"To just relax and breath."
"How rude people in NJ are."
"N/A"
"Show up earlier than 8:30am."
"that the interview was going to be very relaxed and chill"
"It was going to be this laid back. Wow"
"how low stress it would be!"
"That it'd take me 20 minutes to figure out where the dental building actually was, and then another 20 minutes to figure out where the parking lot was. Oy vey."
"That it would have been so easy."
"That it was going to take me 20 minutes to travel 3 miles on I280..."
"that I could sit in the student lounge afterwards to observe the student vibes. "
"I wish I knew that the interview would be so laid back."
"Students get great clinical experience. You start the basic clinic in the middle of the second year. Students are very confident of their skills. There is a evening practice in which dental students can get their dental treatments for FREE (from cleaning to ortho)."
"How their clinic requirements are 4 times that of any other school. Example is they require 20 or so crowns when most school just need 5."
"not to have stressed out as much as i did prior to my interview, however this was my first one"
"nothing"
"I should have had coffee mid-way through the day because I was burnt out around 11am (I got up at 5:15am to get there on time)... there was so much to take in at once!"
"It was really laid back, but preparing to present the best possible parts of yourself can't hurt."
"that there are 2 entrances to the Dental school and you can only get to the Admissions office from one of them"
"The traffic in Newark is really bad. Give yourself an extra 1/2 hour at least so you don't come late"
"the interview was way to chill. i shouldnt have even stressed."
"They didn't ask about my research. "
"Nothing."
"none"
"You are being taped and observed in the conference room even when they leave you alone!"
"Nothing really. "
"Nothing worth mentioning"
"NJ is full of expressways. I drove to the hotel I stayed at and was lost for about 30 min. There's a lot of traffic in Newark and I wish I would have allowed myself more time to reach the school."
"Nothing. That the interview was very relaxed and went very well was a pleasant surprise to me, for I had prepared for the interview as if I was going to cross-examined. So for those reading this, sorry to ruin the surprise but it is going to be quite chilled out. (Not to say you shouldnt do all the prep work you think u need to)"
"That it would be sort of tough finding an apartment (since I'm one of the carless people) that was reasonable (rent, safety, proximity to the school)"
"The interview was so lay back, and I should have enough sleep the night before. I definitely did not realize that I might be competing for the backup list until that day."
"Several buildings are being built on campus (ie. a dorm with a parking garage below it) so plan your time accordingly to navigate the campus. Parking is difficult due to the lack of spaces, but a new garage is currently being built"
"How warm and inviting the school atmosphere would be. And, I prepared for every interview question under the sun only to face none of them. It was very informal and, consequently, honest."
"Don't talk to your fellow interviewees during the tour, it gets them upset"
"I wish I knew that the interview was so laid back"
"That there would be absolutely nothing to stress over."
"The interview was very laid back."
"That there was absolutely NO pressure during the whole interview day."
"That it would be a very low stress experience!"
"The school has a solid dental reputation across the country. "
"That the interview is so relaxed. No stress"
"Don't be nervous."
"That the individual interviews were done first before the information sessions. They were still just pulling some people out for their interviews when I arrived, so I shouldn't have stressed after getting lost and being 15 minutes late."
"That the school is actually MUCH MUCH BETTER than I thought. I really like NJ Dental."
"that umdnj is very politicized"
"Bad area but great school"
"The interview occurs first so it makes the rest of the day a lot easier to pay attention for the presentations."
"It was my first interview, so I was so nervous. No need! Everyone was super nice."
"The whole interview was more of a conversation."
"I get really bad stomach pains when I'm nervous, and BOY was I nervous. There is no need to be nervous. When I got there, it was all the interviewees sitting in a conference room eating breakfast and talking with 4th year dental students. It was incredibly relaxed, and everyone was so nice and eager to help you out. Around 9am, the interviewers (usually professors) come and call your name while everyone talks and waits to be called. I went with the professor to a large room with some tables, and we just sat down and talked for around 30 mins. He even let me keep drinking my tea since I had just gotten it when he called me. Basically, just relax, it's not bad at all. There was no set list of questions he was reading from, he apparently wrote some comments from my application and used them as talking points. Make sure to address any strong points of yours if they don't ask you directly. There were a lot of opportunities where we could have ended the interview if I didn't start talking about something else. Chiiiiill, you're going to do great!"
"I was pretty impressed by UMDNJ. Great people, great place."
"do "gateway to dentistry" and you will probably get accepted"
"Make sure to come to the interview 30 min before the interview letter tells you so that you can talk to current student (who get a vote on the adcom)."
"They really go out of their way to make you feel welcomed. By far the best interview process I've had (in comparison to Stony Brook, UCONN, Nova)."
"Great school! "
"Interview was more conversational than anything else...just relax and be yourself"
"AMAZING school, interview was really laid back and very low-stress. Do not worry about it. Just know some basic answers and try to connect with your interviewer. Facilities are awesome-brand new classrooms and clinics...they still use some old classrooms in the medical school building and the old clinics-but they didn't seem "old" to me. First 2 years are very tough-no free time but thats at any dental school, years 3 and 4 more time and laid back. Research, community service opportunities available-awesome school"
"It was pure conversational. From the beginning I asked him many questions about his life as a dentist and about UMDNJ. He ended up only asking me one question about my DAT score."
"there really weren't many questions he asked of me--other than if i had any--so come with a couple prepared"
"Loved the school, staff and interview."
"Like others here have said, I stressed out more than I ought to have. 16 interviewees total there the day I went. Each had their own interviewer (no doubling up). I felt the interview at NJDS was a very enjoyable experience. They taught us a lot about the school and gave us a short tour. I am very impressed with the school as a whole. We had lunch with the students, and they overall seemed pleased with their education and stressed that they feel the necessary clinical requirements for graduation are an excellent way to prepare you for the real world. They said the first two years are hell but that goes for any school. My one-on-one was relatively laid back, and was mostly a conversation about NJDS and the perks of dentistry. The interviewer gave me a lot of information about what makes NJDS different from other d-schools. Some interviews lasted 15 minutes, others like mine lasted 50. I was totally sold on the school :)"
"If you want to gain a solid clinical skill, UMDNJ is the place to go. Students are very happy about their choice and everyone feels confortable working with patients. You'll have your own unit and your own patients in junior and senior year. I heared from a second year student that the school is also going to build a resident hall in the near future (2005-2006). Anyway, great school to learn about dentistry."
"short to the point! "
"The school was just like what I had expected. What I heard and what I read from were all true. The interviewer didn't ask me many questions. I ended up asking him a lot of questions and that's how I got him to talk."
"It was really fantastic. My interview was extremely relaxed like a back and forth conversation. Asked me basic questions and then he just talked to me for the rest of it trying to sell the school and talk about how great his band was (I play bass guitar and he wanted me to join the faculty student band). All in all, very chill. I stressed out way more that I needed to."
"Excellent, they really make you feel wanted and appreciated. A lot of talking, ladies wear low heeled shoes if possible"
"actually enjoyed the day, even though i was nervous because it was my first interview. good facilities. bad area; however, the bad area brings in a ton of patients. the people at the school were very nice. overall, very good experience and could see myself attending if given the opportunity. "
"The admissions committee kept emphasizing the fact that the interview was for finding a good reciprocal fit, and not to trick us or anything. They were really honest and open about their school. The theme of the day was "ask us questions; be an informed consumer." I really enjoyed my time taking to my interviewer because he was incredibly enthusiastic. He showed me around after talking in his office for about 30 mins, which helped me come up with questions about the school. I also tried to interject things about my character/values after he described parts of the school to convince him I would be a good fit for them. "
"Awesome school, clinic, faculty, and students. These people love what they do and it makes you want to be a part of the experience of learning from them. Answered all my questions sincerely and informatively. Really perfect experience."
"I had a very positive experience. My interviewer asked basic questions about my research, why i chose dentistry as opposed to medical school, where i was from etc. to spark up conversations. She shared alot about the school and also answered questions i had for her. We even talked about spa places... haha. Just be honest and don't be nervous!!! "
"I had two of my friends already in UMDNJ so I expected the whole turn out on the interview day. Getting to the school wasn't that bad... I had about 5 minute traffic jam on route 280. Campus is clean and impressive. I got accepted to buffalo, stonybrook, NYU, and Temple.... but by far, this is my first choice!!! Newark is very close to NYC, Trenton, Philly, and Atlantic City... I would consider this school is located very nicely to big cities."
"i thought it was too short, but the interview day (tour, lunch with the students) was very helpful and well done"
"Very stress free, we walked around the building talking and her giving a mini tour of the building and introducing me to staff/students. Then we went to her office for 10-15 min. "
"Very basic interview format. We came in, first thing we did was break out into our individual interviews. interviews went very well, my professor even went so far as to give me a one on one brief tour the the facilities. we came back, and spoke to the dean and vice dean...all great and fun people. we had our tour...our FA orientation..and then lunch with the students. "
"The interview was light-hearted. I knew the interviewer indirectly. We belong to the same syndicate of dentists/dental asst. of Hudson County, NJ. There is no stress during interview even if you don't know anyone in the school. They are very friendly with students and try to ease their nervousness. A lot of time spent in talking and discussing different options as a dental student, than asking-answering questions."
"The clinical training at New Jersey seems to be very good. Not sure about their research though. They seem to emphasize the clinics alot more. "
"The experience was phenomenal, i'm in state and kind of overlooked umdnj at first. i'm so glad i applied as i really found out how amazing of a school it is. Dr. Wexler ran the show and interviewed me and was absolutely hilarious and so welcoming of questions. "
"him: i have your file, so no questions that i can get answer from there me: great him: q about general stuff, life, etc, school me: answers to q;s him: any q for me me: q's"
"Very relaxed, friendly, welcoming. Had a great time. No stress at all."
"The interviewer was very nice and the interview was more like an interesting converstaion. Nothing stressful and he gave me a lot of positive comments after he read over my file. I guess overall it went so well. "
"Overall the faculty and facility were great. I can see the school is a "we hold your hand until the end" school. Everything was great until the last event, lunch with dental students. I felt they were arrogant (one said he never heard of dentsim and that it's completely unneccesary, he said all you need is hand skills...) and one actually made fun of an interviewee. I felt i was talking to a bunch of elementary school kids. "
"Positive experience, wonderful facilities, very laid back and upfront, gave us advice about what to ask when we visit other schools!"
"Intro, interview, tour, lunch, gone. At lunch got to meet with some dental students that seemed a bit introverted and inconsiderate to say the least. "
"Easy. Just prepare yourself properly and channel your nervous energy."
"My interviewer was very nice. She made me feel very comfortable from the moment we met and this put an ease to my stress. She really cared about my goals and provided me with a lot of information about the school and what they can offer. Also, I could tell she paid a lot of attention to my application because she mentioned many little details about me and she didn't have my file in front of her."
"I got there at 8:45 am and was directed to the conference room where all the candidates had gathered. Breakfast was served, but given that we were to interview soon, no one ate too much lol. They also let you bring along either a family member or a close friend, whoever you feel might want to come to this sesison with you, so I thought that it was very nice of them to extend this offer. Once I got to the conference room, I chatted a bit with the other candidates and took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs they had there. At the stroke of 9, one by one, the interviewers came in and started taking ppl for their interviews. Mine was one of the first ones, so I was a bit nervous. NO NEED TO BE. The faculty were chilled out to the max, and do not usually put ppl on the spot. After the interview, there was a presentation by the Director of Admissions (Great guy, we talked about golf during our snack break), an endodontist, and another Faculty Member. This was followed by a tour by the faculty member from the Presentation. It was a nice informative tour which lasted about an hour or so. Then it was Lunch/schmooze with current dental students WITHOUT any faculty members present in the room. Then, we were given a tour by the students, (just as a side-note, warn your parents before you are lead into the room with the dead bodies by the Students! yipes was that crazy!) After this, a short tour of the library and thats it, you exit!"
"I would say that compared to the other interviews, it was definitely the most positive experience I've had. "
"I applied to the 7 year accelerated dental program in affliation with Fairleigh Dickinson University. The doctors were really nice because they knew that it would be stressful for a 17 year old to have a dental school interview."
"I had a very relaxing time there, and all the staffs were really trying to impress you. I did not feel stressed the whole day, and the interview was so lay back. Juz be yourself and have a good time. GOOD LUCK!!!"
"6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Was emphasized that students take 40 credits/semester--so do not work during school. Tiered group practice of 30 students in your 3rd & 4th year. Patients are sorted so the more difficult/ medically-compromised patients are seen by the residents. Average 12 patients per student. Top 5 dental school in NERB, top 25% National boards. Mock boards & Kaplan prep available. 80% apply to residencies--100% get in, 90% get first choice--noted students said that they did not get enough experience during clinicals, so needed to beef up during the residency. Residency programs at UMDNJ are competitive--avg. 4/125 applicants--UMDNJ dental students do not have any priority nor advantage in entering the residency programs--must compete with top 10 students from other schools. Tutoring is only available for free if ID'd as having difficulty & need remediation. No shared classes with med students. No dentsims."
"Light breakfast, interview, financial aid, lunch, tour, adios. Out by 2:00pm."
"Nice, easy interview. The questions weren't difficult and the staff bent over backwards to be nice and funny. Overall, I was very impressed with the people (students and faculty) but less so with the facilities."
"I had an enjoyable experience and would love to attend this school."
"I really liked the fact that we got the interviews overwith at the very beginning of the day. My interviewer was such a nice guy and made me feel completely relaxed. He pretty much just let me ask questions the whole time. The powerpoint presentation given about the school was really thorough, as was the financial aid presentation. We had two tours...one buy a faculty member, and then the students showed took us on another tour. All the students were really helpful and honest. Everyone did a great job of making us (the interviewees) feel extremely welcome."
"The whole day was great. I ended up recieving three tours, I by my interviewer, I by another faculty and one by a student. Everyone was very nice. They wanted my to feel comfortable and ask questions. "
"The first thing you do is get interviewed once you get there. I think that helped put me to ease. Once the interviews were over, we all started going over to the table with breakfast on it:) The admissions faculty members wre very friendly, and stressed that we they wanted us to interview them to make sure we really would like the school. They make a solid case why I should want to go there."
"Great school..I would definitely come. Faculty and students are very helpful. Student acutally work together on assignments and problems. You will get to expose on a wide spectrum of dental cases during your junior and senior year. So the graduate are well prepared to serve their patients (That's why UMDNJ has a high placement rate in speciaties). In addition, student start clinical program at an early year. Newark area is really changing in effort to support the campus expansion. Beside the new dental building, UMDNJ is adding a huge state-art biomedical research facility and an emergency building on the campus. Security is very tight and students do feel safe about the school and the area. Students are very please with the school and all the graduates are doing well. I highly recommend UMDNJ for students who are looking for a strong clinical program and a earn solid foundation to be a successful dentist. "
"No stress relaxed interview. They rank you after the interview the same day and send out the acceptance notices that same day."
"UMDNJ is one of the best school in the country if you want to gian a strong clinical experience. There is no worry about the patient pool. In fact, the school will provide them to you. UMDNJ has an impressive 4 to 1 ratio of students to faculty during your clinical curriculum. Every students were very nice to us. The school is very student oriented. I found out that students can voice out their concern and the school actually tried to resolve them. Anyway, during the tour students and faculties greeded us. The new building will comprise state-of-art simulation stations, new lecture halls and one huge student lounge. If you want to gain lots of hands on experience, this is the place to be. "
"The interview was very informal and I was put right at ease by the interviewer. Overall, a positive experience. I think as long as you come prepared to answer some basic questions based on your application, you will be ok. The interview is just a way for them to get a feel for you and they don't try to put you on the spot with difficult questions."
"I love NJ dental school. It was a very large, beautiful and advanced school. The students were very nice to all of us and willing to share their experiences openly. Plus, lunch was very very nice...and that never hurts, right?..^^"
"This interview was stressful no doubt about it. I was prepaired because of what I had heard though so it was not too too bad. To prepare I looked over my application and thought of every possible bad thing they could say about me or ask me about and I tried to think of how I would handle it. Since I had thought of the absolute worst possible things they could say already,it seemed what they actually asked me about was cake. Also it would be a good idea to ask about how they handle patients. UMDNJ takes pride in the fact that they provide you with patients (all 4 years) and even schedule them for you (first 3 years). Also think of other insightly questions and dont be afraid to be honest. "
"very organized"
"my opinion was changed positively upon meeting Dr. McDermott, who I met in the parking lot, and actually who interviewed me later. I was taken on a mini tour by her, and shown everything, which was good, since some of the things students did not talk about she explained well. Everybody is friendly and polite - seems like a good dental community environment, warm interactions."
"Having the interview when you first arrive was great! I was a little nervous, but they make you feel so comfortable that the interview felt more like a casual conversation."
"I was pleasantly surprised by the school on the whole, and left with the impression that it could be more than just my safety school. However, I was kind of nervous since my interviewer barely said ANYTHING besides exactly what I wrote for the Interview Questions and let me just ramble on for each question without interjecting or actually turning the interview into a conversation."
"I am suprise by the quality and the caliber of students that UMDNJ produces. Students were sharp and to the point. One of the student told us the NJ Dental school recruites top faculties from throughout the country and abroad. The e-curriculum is definitely a plus. My interviewer told me that UMDNJ is trying to open its admission process a diverse applicant from different part of the country. During the visit at NJ Dental, there were students from Maryland, Pennsylvania, California and Florida. I guess the school is trying to get its name out. There is no doudbt that UMDNJ is on TOP of my list. In fact, I am very please with the school and its quality in pre-doctoral training. In addition, student graduate from the school got really nice residency. 90% of the student got their first choice. After spending a day at NJ dental school, I know this is definitely the school for me. "
"if you have other options, don't go to umdnj"
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
Student | 14 |
Faculty member | 47 |
Admissions staff | 22 |
Other | 1 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
Enthusiastic | 53 |
Neutral | 4 |
Discouraging | 0 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
8.23 | 61 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
In state | 28 |
Out of state | 32 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
0-1 hour | 34 |
2-3 hours | 11 |
4-6 hours | 5 |
7+ hours | 7 |
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
Airplane | 6 |
Automobile | 43 |
Train or subway | 9 |
Other | 1 |
EWR
LAX and LGA
Newark
PHL
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
At school facility | 0 |
With students at the school | 1 |
Friends or family | 6 |
Hotel | 11 |
Home | 7 |
Other | 0 |
Element
Yes
Red Carpet Inn
Courtyard Marriot
Courtyard by Marriott
Element
Yes
Red Carpet Inn
Courtyard Marriot
Courtyard by Marriott
Response | # Responders |
---|---|
< $100 | 23 |
$101-$200 | 5 |
$201-$300 | 2 |
$301-$400 | 3 |
$401-$500 | 2 |
$501+ | 1 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
7.61 | 64 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
4.13 | 64 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
5.15 | 62 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
7.55 | 38 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
8.16 | 38 |
Response Avg | # Responders |
---|---|
6.43 | 35 |
"Offer scholarships"
"End of the tour left us all like "Wait so do we get to leave now?""
"Great job so far, keep up the great work."
"You are doing great! Thank you for putting the interview first and including a detailed financial aid session in the tour."
"Instead of breakfast provide lunch."
"The interviewer was extremely unorganized, her office was extremely dirty and full of clutter. She was unfamiliar with my file and didn't ask me any questions."
"Serve water at lunch :)"
"they spelt my name wrong on my name tag :("
"Id love to have the tour before the interview. That way we have a little more information to ask our"
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?