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Interview Feedback

Individual Response

  • Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center School of Dental and Oral Surgery
  • Dental School
  • New York, NY
Overall Experience

How did the interview impress you?

No change

What was the stress level of the interview?

5 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

8 out of 10

Questions

How long was the interview?

45 minutes

Where did the interview take place?

At the school

How many people interviewed you?

1

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Open file

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

"Explain your grades. " Report Response | I was asked this question too

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

"Are you interested in Specializing? (Trick question! Just say that u're not sure as of now, but want to keep the option open.)" Report Response | I was asked this question too

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

"Did you do any community service? (after answering it by explaining one of the projects I was involved with, I was asked "Is that it or did u do anything else?" Make sure u have atleast two activities to talk about lol. " Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"What are your hobbies? " Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most difficult question?

"Your Science GPA is REALLY low for our school (it is a 3.2 in case u were wondering). Why should we accept you? (basically, explain ur grades)" Report Response | I was asked this question too

How did you prepare for the interview?

"SDN, Previous Interviews ( it was nothing like my other interview, much more grilling, and I had to think on my feet much more frequently)" Report Response

What impressed you positively?

"It is an Ivy League school. It has high standards as far as academics are concerned, insofar as Dental and Medical students take the same classes and are graded on the same curve. Students were nice and willing to answer our questions. Dr. McManus and Dr. Davis went through the presentations were witty and intersting. " Report Response

What impressed you negatively?

"The fact that Dental and Med students are clubbed together for the first two years seems more like a cop-out than anything else. I mean, you can choose to buy into their spiel about how Dentistry is a specialty of medicine, but really, it seems like they have not the resources to have separate academic classes solely for dental students (Like other schools do). Although I would like to say that the grilling experience I had at the interview is a bad thing, that would be unfair. If anything, it helped me rise to the occasion and tackle the toughies one after the other as they were being thrown at me. " Report Response

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

"The fact that there is little or no Financial aid available for dental students because Alumni do not give back to their alma mater. " Report Response

What are your general comments?

"I walk into the office of admissions at roughly 8:30 am for the 9:00 am interview. We were escorted to the faculty dining conference room where other interviewees were seated. We waited there for a good 15 -20 minutes after 9:00 am before Dr. Davis showed up and started with the introductions followed by the presentations. Dr. McManus joined in afterward and randomly started massaging some of the interviewees' shoulders (he's a good, chearful guy, i just thought this was funny). Refreshments were available throughout the presentations. Then came the eve of interviews. One by one, we were taken by our interviewers for the interview. My interviewer, surprisingly, started firing questions from the moment we sat down. At first, it was kind of a shock to be put into a defensive position without no prior warning. However, after the first few, I was in business, and gave quick retorts to his sketchy questions. For the first 30 minutes, the questions were worded in a very condescending manner, to which I had fitting responses. However, as we digressed away from grades and towards extra-curriculars and hobbies, the mood shifted to a more informal one. The interviewer, after almost ripping me a new one, started cracking dry jokes that I was forced to laugh at. All in all, I would like to advise those reading this that a tough, grilling interview is not necessarily a bad one. If anything, they may be really interested in you and want to see how you handle stressful situations. No matter how pointed the questions get, keep a smile on and look the interviewer straight in the eyes. Anyways, this hell-and-back experience was followed by Financial Aid, and then there was a tour given by two of the doctors. It was over at about 3:00 pm. " Report Response

Tour and Travel

Who was the tour given by?

Faculty member

How did the tourguide seem?

Neutral

How do you rank the facilities?

7 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

Out of state

What was your total time spent traveling?

2-3 hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Airplane

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

< $100

What airport did you use?

NWR

Where did you stay?

Friends or family

How would you rate the hotel?

10 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

General Info

On what date did the interview take place?

09/16/2005

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

8 out of 10

What is your ranking of this school's location?

9 out of 10

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

9 out of 10

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