Greenville, NC
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 22% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools revolve around the candidate's motivations for pursuing dentistry, their ability to overcome challenges, community involvement, strengths and weaknesses, future goals, and unique qualities that set them apart from other candidates. Some respondents mentioned being asked about specific aspects of their academic or personal background, as well as scenarios related to equality and good deeds. No mention of MMI format or nondisclosure agreements was provided in the responses.
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If you don’t get accepted, what is your plan?
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specific for me -- I'm part of a predental program so they asked me questions about it
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Why dentistry?
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I was looking at your transcript and see that you were on an engineering path and there is a semester where you have a bunch of U's can you explain?
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On a scale from deeply integrated to not involved at all, how much do you think dentists should be involved in their community outside of their profession?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting questions asked at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine discussed personal strengths, leadership experiences, community involvement as a dentist, and hypothetical scenarios like winning the lottery. The interviews were focused on getting to know the candidates personally and assessing their qualities, with a mix of situational, reflective, and character-based inquiries.
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what do you think will be easy for you in dental school?
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Asked a specific question about a line in my personal statement.
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Tell me about a time when you were in a leadership position and things didn't go as you had planned and what did you learn from that?
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What is the last good deed you've done?
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What is on your long-term bucket list?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine discussed various topics, including reasons for choosing the school, crisis management, experiences of unfair treatment, unique qualities, and comparisons with other applicants. Some responses hinted at an MMI format or nondisclosure agreement due to the nature of the questions and the need to maintain confidentiality.
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What made you apply to ECU? What stood out to you?
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what will you be best at in dental school
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What is a crisis you have faced and how did you respond?
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Well what else have you done community service wise? (After I already gave them an example)
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Describe a time when something went wrong and how you reacted.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by engaging in mock interviews, reviewing SDN interview feedback, practicing potential questions, and researching the school's website and mission statement. They emphasized the importance of being genuine in their responses rather than memorizing answers.
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Mock interview
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SDN, had my friends interview me, used ChatGPT to generate possible interview questions
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Just talked through stories/possible interview questions with myself and did a mock interview.
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SDN Questions
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SDN, browsing ECU's website, speaking with faculty/students.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming atmosphere of the school, with a focus on genuine interactions and a low-stress interview environment. Additionally, the state-of-the-art facilities and technology, as well as the passionate and supportive faculty and staff, left a positive impression on applicants.
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How everyone is so friendly, you can tell they select genuinely good people. Even the other interviewees were amazing group of students and nice and supportive.
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how welcoming the school is, everyone was happy to see you, how homely it felt
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I loved how the interviews were very conversational and how everyone I encountered was down to earth and kind.
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How nice everyone there was.
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The school's team-based learning approach is ahead of the curve: systems-based curriculum was specifically designed in preparation for changes to the national board exams. Students, staff seemed very enthusiastic about their program and their passion to serve the under-served is very well portrayed by the upper administration. Lack of specialties means D3 and D4 students will get the tougher cases.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the availability of clinical experience, waiting times during the application process, and the delayed completion of the dental school building. Some applicants also mentioned dissatisfaction with the current facilities and the location. Suggestions include improving clinical opportunities, reducing waiting times, and enhancing the overall facilities and environment to create a more positive impression for prospective students.
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We were supposed to meet the dean but he had other things to attend to
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Nothing
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Honestly nothing, I loved it!
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I'm a bit concerned about the volume of clinical experience available: current students said that many in the first graduating class were scrambling to find crown cases; however, this seems to be subsiding and ECU now has a waiting list of patients (according to current students).
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A little too much waiting around, it's a long stressful day. Rather it be a little more consolidated.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Many applicants wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of the interviews, the short duration of the interviews, and the importance of checking the weather and parking situation before the interview day. Some also mentioned wanting more information on the interview format and schedule, such as the number of interviews and who they would be with.
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The one on one student interview is first and it truly makes you comfortable and more prepared for the one on ones with the professors/doctors
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that I would be interviewed by multiple people
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Water and snacks are provided.
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That the interviews weren't as stressful as I thought they would be.
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No breakfast served.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at the school to be low-stress, friendly, and well-organized. They appreciated the approachable staff, the focus on technology in education, and the unique mission of the dental school.
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don't stress! they make you feel comfortable and are genuinely interested about you as not only an applicant but also a person
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Nice school, lots of new technology. Faculty and staff seem approachable and aware of how dentistry is changing within and outside of the classroom.
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Really nice school - still working out the logistics, but in a few years it'll be an awesome school
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Great Experience, walked out with a good feeling.
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Absolutely great experience. Low stress, very friendly environment, beautiful facilities, and really well organized. Good luck to future interviewees! :)
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office should streamline the admissions process by speeding up the tour and lunch, providing more specific and detailed information in the information packet, and possibly cutting out unnecessary elements like lunch. Some also mentioned a desire for all relevant materials to be printed out for them, especially in the case of newer schools.
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Speed up the tour and lunch. No need to drag out the day after the interviews are over.
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nothing! they're friendly, professional, welcoming, and very responsive!
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cut out lunch and perhaps streamline the interview process. holding the interview till 2 pm seems a little long, especially concerning that the actual interview portion only takes an hour or so. also, minor detail, but parking passes should be emailed/mailed to applicants, that way there isn't the awkward walk up to the building, grab a parking pass, walk back to your car, and then back up to the building again. not so fun when its raining.
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Would have been nice to have a bit more takehome info in the information packet. Materials we did get were very generic, not school specific
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None!
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by Admissions staff personnel
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 2-3 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
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Charlotte Douglas Airport -- I flew from school and drove to ECU
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The most commonly mentioned hotel among the responses is Microtel Inn.
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Hilton
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Jameson Inn
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Microtel
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Microtel Inn and Suites
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Residence Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
All Responses
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Positively 🙂 | Good | In Person |
| 2023-24 | Positively 🙂 | Good | In Person |
| 2023-24 | Positively 🙂 | Great | In Person |
| 2017-18 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2015-16 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2015-16 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2014-15 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2014-15 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2013-14 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2012-13 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2011-12 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2011-12 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2011-12 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
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