Menu Icon Search
Close Search

Interview Feedback

All Questions & Responses

  • Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry
  • Dental School
  • Philadelphia, PA
Individual Feedback 2 23 Responses
Overall Experience

How did the interview impress you?

Response # Responders
Positively 22
Negatively 0
No change 1

What was the stress level of the interview?

Response Avg # Responders
2.74 23

0 = low, 10 = high

How you think you did?

Response Avg # Responders
8.17 23

0 = low, 10 = high

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

Response Avg # Responders
8.26 23

0 = low, 10 = high

Was this interview in-person or virtual?

Response # Responders
In Person 0
Virtual 4

Questions

How long was the interview?

Response # Responders
5 minutes 10
10 minutes 5
15 minutes 5
20 minutes 0
25 minutes 1
30 minutes 1
35 minutes 0
40 minutes 0
45 minutes 0
50 minutes 0
55 minutes 0
60+ minutes 0

Where did the interview take place?

Response # Responders
At the school 18
At a regional location 0
At another location 4

What was the style of the interview?

Response # Responders
One-on-one 19
In a group 1

What type of interview was it?

Response # Responders
Open file 15
Closed file 3

How many people interviewed you?

Response Average # Responders
0.77 22

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?

"Tell me about a conflict with an authority figure." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Name a time you had a conflict with an authority figure." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"what did you do to confirm your motivation in pursuing dentistry" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"If you could describe Temple in 5 words or less which words would you use?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why dentistry" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Referenced my shadowing hours and asked what I learned from it" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Aside from Temple’s clinical strength, what makes you want to come to this dental school?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why dental" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why dentistry?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why Temple" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why Temple University?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why dentistry, why Temple. Show your personality!" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"If you could change anything in the admissions process, what would you do?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"It's not an interview, they ask you to sit in front of the camera and tell them what ever you think they should know about you." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"You get recorded for 3-5 min about why dentistry, why temple, why you." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Interviewed there on 9/22/11 and Brian is the man. He knows a ton about the school and gives it to you as it is and you can take it or leave it. Going into the interview I was juggling between Tufts (still haven't began interviews) and Temple. Afterwards, I don't think Tufts stands a chance. Temple is very clinically oriented, students get to do research and work with very diverse patient pool where they get to see a wealth of procedures that many students will not get elsewhere. The students I met there too where really chill and I think thats because Temple knows exactly what kind of students they want and will work together well. Overall Brian is kind of nuts but you will love him and If I hear something positive from them come December, please believe I will be there with you in the fall ppl. Good luck and be yourself!" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"The whole interview was very relaxed. Brian is the one gives the presentation and gives the tour. During the presentation he does ask each applicant to say who they are, where they're coming from, and what some of their hobbies are. He will ask you question on your responses, but again, its all informal and very lax. The day finishes with a written question and an interview video. while you are answering the question, you will be going into a separate room where the video camera is set up. Just make sure you say why you chose dentistry, temple, and to get your personality across. Good luck to all!!" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"So the interview at Temple was in video format. You have 5 minutes to say what ever you want. Its at the end of the day so you are more relax when its time to film. That's how I felt anyways. They are just looking for personality. Be yourself and show that you are sociable. They do ask that you mention why you want to be a dentist, why temple, and what sets you apart." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"The entire process consists of: Introduction, tour, lunch, writing sample, and video interview. Writing sample question is a very basic topic. For video interview, just state the reason why you chose dentistry, what makes you a good dentist, why Temple, what can you contribute to the dental field and Temple dental school, etc... The recording session is 5 min. max. Instead of memorizing the whole speech, I jot down a few key points I want to convey to the entire admission boards and brought it with me in front of the video recorder. Remember, this video will be shown to the entire admission boards, so choose your ideas wisely. I did a few mock "interview" in front of my webcam and see how I look. One last thing, just relax and enjoy the experience." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"I interviewed at Temple early january, and received an acceptance recently. I will share with you my experience there and what to expect. I made this very long and detailed cause i know there are people out there ( like myself) that want to know EVERY DETAIL so that nothing would be surprise. Part 1. INTRODUCTION It took some time to find the office, the building was somewhat confusing to myself and the other applicants( 2 of them) I met on the elevator on the way up. So make sure you get there 30 min early, min(IMO). You walk into the room, there are seats where about 10 of us were going to wait. The room was silent when I walked in, and Jeremy ( one of the ppl that works there) just kept saying oh guys dont be so quite. I just started up a convo with everyone, saying " so where is everyone from", just to try to break the silence. ADVICE: don't just sit there and not talk, Temple knows you look good on paper, what they are trying to assess is your personality. IF you just remain silent throughout the day, you prob dont look like a person that could interact with patients successfully. also, DONT BE LATE!!!.some student came in about 30 min late, it looked really bad. he said he got lost, well thats the reason why you leave your house ALOT EARLIER than the interview time. Part 2. PPT and CONFERENCE ROOM Brian comes out, and takes us to a smaller room where you sit in a ovale desk( conference room), and stare at the projector screen where he reads of his Power Points and explains the school and what it has to offer. Let me just say, Brian is awesome, he is a very down to earth guy, and very honest. Once you sit down, he will go around, and ask you to say your name, where your from, your school, and your hobbies. ADVICE: be prepared to answer questions based off your description about yourself. Some examples of questions Brian asked: Why Temple?......What is your first choice school?.....What is the craziest thing you have seen( this is one of the toughest questions i have heard.haha). so, when you describe yourself, be prepared to answer a question based off of what you had described ( example: i love watching basketball- if this is what you said during your tell me about your self portion, he might ask: who will win the championship this year?) - Also, after everyone introduces themself, if you have a question, ASK IT. dont hold back, I asked plenty of questions, but dont ask questions just to seem like you want to get your foot through the door dont try to BS him.haha. I just asked questions pertaining to the info he provided on the slides, just normal questions, such as oh where do students usually live, etc etc. -This is ENTIRELY MY OPINION: I truly believe Brian DOES have influence of the admissions committee( i may be wrong.haha). I dont know how much, but it seems to be silly to have him ask questions, and interact with the applicants all day and not have any influence on the admissions committee. so try to be REAL with Brian. I have heard he appreciates honesty ( obviously) and can read through those being fake( he seems like an intelligent man). so that is what I tried to do, i didnt put on a show or anything, i just acted like myself. Part 3: LUNCH you eat with the current temple dental students( I had a few 4th year students) I also acted like myself, just ask them whatever your concerned about). During the lunch, I just asked, hows dental school, do you have time to yourself( how much, what do you do on your free time)? What do you want to do post graduation? etc etc. ADVICE: DO NOT let down your guard completely during lunch. you will not be with Brian or any admissions people, just students. Although I dont feel that they influence your admission chances ( maybe they do, you never know), its safe to stay away from sensitive topics ( money, do you drink, how are the girls man? etc etc). Part 4: WRITING AND VIDEO After all this, the HARD PART COMES.haha. the writing sample and the VIDEO( 3-5 min long). So, we all sat back in the waiting room that we originally were in. He gave everyone a clipboard with one piece of paper on it with one short question on the top of it. I will not tell you the question, but the question is not the same everyday so it wont matter. It was very basic, and I just wrote 3 paragraphs and filled about 60 percent of the page. let me just say, i am a HORRIBLE writer and Speller. so please dont stress over this. I guarantee most of you are better than me at writing and spelling. While people are writing , Brian just asks people to go into the room to do their video, he didnt care what particular order it was. You walk into the room and its another ovale desk. you sit on one end, and an undergrad student( at my interview) sat on the other side with a basic video camera on the table. the camera is about 5-7 feet away from you. you sit in your chair, and you can ask her ( Brian said its ok) if you dont want her to look at you. I personally asked her if she can not look at me, cause I would be too nervous to have someone look at me. MY HEART WAS BEATING SOO FAST FOR THE FULL 4 min that i did it for. IT did not slow down., its the most nervous I have ever been...ever.haha. I personally memorized and recited over and over about 15 times exactly what i was going to say ( prior to the interview). The girl sitting on the opposite side of the table tells you: we will start whenever you are ready". I just began saying my name, what my major was, and some of my hobbies. I said why i wanted to do dentistry, and mentioned some extracurricular actives I had did and related it to how it would make me a good dentist. IT SAYS YOU CAN DO WHATEVER, I AM NOT SAYING YOU MUST COPY WHAT I SAID.haha. everyone does something different. you dont have to memorize what you will say, some people i spoke to just had certain topics they were going to mention, and kind of winged it. I DID stutter a few times, i stuttered one time for about 3 seconds.haha. it is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, i still got in. even though i memorized it, i put passion in my words, and smiled. DO not just recite something as if you memorized it in a monotone voice." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What types of leadership experience have you had? (tutoring, mentoring, president of clubs, etc.)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 2)?

"What is your favorite dental instrument?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Name four dental specialities." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How have you prepared to be a good dentist?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is your biggest strength" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is a common misconception about you?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Tell me about your shadowing experiences. Was there anything you experienced/noticed during your experiences that was surprising or that you didn’t like?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why temple" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What would you do if you weren't accepted to a dental school this cycle?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Anything else you want me to know?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why Dentistry?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"How many schools I applied to, how many interviews did I receive" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What types of volunteer endeavors have you been involved in?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 3)?

"An obstacle you had to face to continue your journey to dentistry. It could be personal or academic." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is your application's biggest shortcoming?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"when you were in a group project with unfavorable outcome how would you deal with it" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is something you saw when you shadowed that stuck out to you, positively?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why dentistry (obviously)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is one thing people assume about you that you don’t like?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What should we know that isn't on your app" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What would make you a good fit for Temple?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why should we pick you over the other 3,000 applicants?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Do you have any questions for me?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"What procedures have you observed or assisted with?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Name your favorite dental instruments." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What do people get wrong about you?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"The ethical question that was presented" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is a misconception about you" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Please describe your personality to me." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What makes you different from the rest of the applicants?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What dental instrument was my favorite? one girl said tooth pick?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"N/A" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What is the craziest thing you've ever seen?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"None" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most difficult question?

"Pick one procedure that you saw and what you learned/ didn't expect from it?" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Name a time you had a conflict with an authority figure." More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"what do you think is the most shortcoming in your application" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"The ethical question" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"What are you working on to better yourself" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Is there anything that is not in your application that we should know about you? (I thought this was difficult because I didn't prepare for that specific question)" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"Why should we choose you over the other applicants? I hate that question" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"N/A" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

"None" More from this Member | Report Response | I was asked this question too

How did you prepare for the interview?

"SND questions" More from this Member | Report Response

"SDN, youtube videos, reddit" More from this Member | Report Response

"SDN, reddit, school website, reread my application, mock interview" More from this Member | Report Response

"I practiced answering questions I thought they might ask." More from this Member | Report Response

"SDN" More from this Member | Report Response

"SDN, Temple Website, spoke with current students that I know at Temple" More from this Member | Report Response

"school's website" More from this Member | Report Response

"I didn't. You can't really prepare for the video interview. Just show up and know why you want to go in to dentistry." More from this Member | Report Response

"Show your personality" More from this Member | Report Response

"Look at app again. SDN." More from this Member | Report Response

"SDN!" More from this Member | Report Response

"SDN website, undergraduate mock interviews" More from this Member | Report Response

What impressed you positively?

"It was casual." More from this Member | Report Response

"friendly alumni interviewer" More from this Member | Report Response

"it was very relaxed, open, and fun. Very conversational we were even joking around and laughing regarding some things we agreed on. I felt very comfortable." More from this Member | Report Response

"It felt more like a conversation rather than an interview, considering it was held on zoom due to COVID" More from this Member | Report Response

"The environment at the dental school is amazing, the students and professors walking around are all so nice, the admissions directors are so welcoming and approachable, and the dental school is very modern and nice." More from this Member | Report Response

"Faculty and students seem to really love their school, I like that its connected with the health campus" More from this Member | Report Response

"The amount of clinical exposure is unmatched" More from this Member | Report Response

"Philadelphia is amazing... The school is in a rough neighborhood, but that is by design. They targeted the kind of patients that will come to get work done by dental students. The amount of patients was impressive, and the clinical strength of the school was appealing." More from this Member | Report Response

"Students seemed down to earth, glad to be at the school" More from this Member | Report Response

"The people and the school are just great." More from this Member | Report Response

"They are undergoing renovations so its going to be brand new." More from this Member | Report Response

"The high clinical experience and low cost." More from this Member | Report Response

"I really liked how temple is the 2nd most busiest dental school in the country. NYU is #1. That means that the requirements in the clinic is a lot higher than most schools." More from this Member | Report Response

"The strong dental program Temple has to offer." More from this Member | Report Response

What impressed you negatively?

"Not enough time to ask all the questions. They also did not ask the basic tell me about yourself and why dentistry question." More from this Member | Report Response

"The interviewer didn't seem enthusiastic." More from this Member | Report Response

"Nothing other than I do wish the interview was longer because he couldn't allow questions because they wanted to discuss the open house which is fine but I wish I could have asked some questions." More from this Member | Report Response

"none" More from this Member | Report Response

"Honestly nothing really. Maybe that the older part of the school is under construction, but that's only temporary obviously." More from this Member | Report Response

"The sim clinic was old-- It was undergoing renovations.. I hope it's done by the time I get there." More from this Member | Report Response

"Nothing" More from this Member | Report Response

"The neighborhood is flat out terrifying." More from this Member | Report Response

"Area and east coast weather." More from this Member | Report Response

"The appearance of the facility. Although, they are remodeling and renovating." More from this Member | Report Response

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

"It was an alumni interview, rather than someone from admissions. I asked about the program and they didn't have much to say about it because they graduated 20+ years ago." More from this Member | Report Response

"nothing" More from this Member | Report Response

"They will give every interviewee a “quiz” with two ethical multiple choice questions at the beginning of the day." More from this Member | Report Response

"That the interviewers (two of them total but you only interviewed with one or the other) would be in the room at lunch with you. You had the opportunity to speak with them before the actual one-on-one interview." More from this Member | Report Response

"That you have 3 minutes to express yourself. BUT-- you don't have to use the full 3 minutes, end whenever you feel like you have said what you need to." More from this Member | Report Response

"Where to park" More from this Member | Report Response

"The clinical exposure." More from this Member | Report Response

"The good vibes from everyone there. Every student wanted to be there." More from this Member | Report Response

"It is very laid back. The video is in the end of the day and this allows you to mingle and get good ideas of what to do and say in the video, They just want to see personality in the videos." More from this Member | Report Response

"That the interview was as relaxed as most people say it is. I was completely stressed out for nothing because it was my first interview." More from this Member | Report Response

What are your general comments?

"Overall, a good experience if you've practiced." More from this Member | Report Response

"The interview is very short and informal, but still prepare for it if you get anxious about interviews." More from this Member | Report Response

"When preparing, understand what Temple is about and talk about how you fit into this picture, and how it will relate to your future as a dentist." More from this Member | Report Response

"Temple is a really great school! They've been hosting open houses through zoom after candidates have been interviewed." More from this Member | Report Response

"Temple is really great. They do an awesome job of answering questions and making you feel relaxed throughout the day. The actual interview portion itself was very relaxed too. Obviously its nerve-wracking going into it, but as soon as you start to have conversation with your interviewer your heart stops racing and you feel pretty comfortable. Also, the current students who toured us gave their genuine opinions on everything you would ask. They were super helpful and willing to talk about anything." More from this Member | Report Response

"Loved the school. Don't worry about the video, it's much less stressful than it seems." More from this Member | Report Response

"Great school. Plenty of opportunities for clinical exposure. Reasonably priced" More from this Member | Report Response

"Great school! Hope I get in!" More from this Member | Report Response

"Very responsive admissions team. Great school for clinical exposure. Very enthusiastic staff!" More from this Member | Report Response

"Great School!" More from this Member | Report Response

Tour and Travel

Who was the tour given by?

Response # Responders
Student 5
Faculty member 3
Admissions staff 7
Other 1

How did the tourguide seem?

Response # Responders
Enthusiastic 16
Neutral 0
Discouraging 0

How do you rank the facilities?

Response Avg # Responders
7.86 21

0 = low, 10 = high

What is your in-state status?

Response # Responders
In state 3
Out of state 13

What was your total time spent traveling?

Response # Responders
0-1 hour 2
2-3 hours 7
4-6 hours 4
7+ hours 1

What was your primary mode of travel?

Response # Responders
Airplane 10
Automobile 4
Train or subway 2
Other 0

What airport did you use?

PHI

Phili

Philadelphia International

PHL

Where did you stay?

Response # Responders
At school facility 0
With students at the school 0
Friends or family 1
Hotel 8
Home 2
Other 3

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

Response # Responders
< $100 4
$101-$200 2
$201-$300 2
$301-$400 3
$401-$500 2
$501+ 1

Comments on where you stayed

No responses

General Info

How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?

Response Avg # Responders
8.35 23

0 = low, 10 = high

What is your ranking of this school's location?

Response Avg # Responders
5.30 23

0 = low, 10 = high

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

Response Avg # Responders
7.57 23

0 = low, 10 = high

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

Response Avg # Responders
8.61 23

0 = low, 10 = high

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

Response Avg # Responders
9.22 23

0 = low, 10 = high

How eco-friendly are the school's application materials and interview process?

Response Avg # Responders
7.48 23

0 = low, 10 = high

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

"Nothing" More from this Member | Report Response

"Nothing really! I wish they could be a little bit more specific on when we will hear feedback but they are as honest as possible with explaining how many more seats they need to fill and what the timeline of hearing back looks like due to having every single member on the admissions committee weigh in on someone's acceptance." More from this Member | Report Response

"None-- really enjoyed them. They are unorthodox, but extremely friendly and provide a stress free day." More from this Member | Report Response

"Serve food" More from this Member | Report Response

"nothing different than any other" More from this Member | Report Response

"The admissions committe was very polite and friendly. They really make a strenuous attempt to reduce the stress level for the student applicants befroe going into the interview. I really do not have many suggestions for the admissions office. Things were very well-organized and planned out in detail." More from this Member | Report Response

// Individual Responses //

Read what each person had to say about their experience with this school.

Browse Individual Responses

// Share //

// Other Schools //