Nutley, NJ
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 33% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
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.
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
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the candidate's motivations for pursuing medicine, ethical dilemmas they have faced, experiences with conflict resolution, mentorship influences, and personal strengths and values. Some respondents mentioned questions related to specific programs or locations, but overall, the interview format seems to focus on assessing the applicant's character, decision-making skills, and alignment with the values of the medical profession. Note that some responses referenced an MMI format, possibly subject to a nondisclosure agreement.
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What should I tell the admissions committee about you?
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Why New Jersey?
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Name a time you encountered a conflict in school/ workplace and what did you do?
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What is one ethical or moral dilemma you have come across in your experiences?
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Tell me about your research
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University discussed a range of topics, including reasons for specialty interest, quality of care across specialties, delivering bad news, challenges in medicine, personal qualities and examples, and impactful patient interactions, particularly for those with scribe experience.
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Why the specialty I am interested in?
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Do you think doctors in different specialties provide different qualities of care?
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What was a time where you had to give someone bad news and how did you prepare?
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What is a challenge facing medicine?
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What is your favorite quality, and tell me an example of when you exemplified it?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University discussed experiences like sharing unique qualities with the admissions committee, handling team conflicts, explaining reasons for choosing the school, and showcasing innovative contributions to a new program.
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What is one thing you would like me to tell the admissions committee about you.
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What was a time where you struggled in a team setting and what did you do?
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Why this school?
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What innovativeness can you bring to this school since it is a new program?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
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 another location.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
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 between $101 and $200.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
No responses
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Other or at another housing option.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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Extended Stay America Meadowlands-Rutherford
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as average
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
No responses
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
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School was within driving distance to my house
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was moderately responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by thoroughly researching the school, reviewing common interview questions, practicing with mock interviews, and utilizing resources such as the school's website and the PreMed Playbook. Additionally, some applicants watched YouTube interviews with Deans and used platforms like SDN to gather more insights for their preparation.
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Read the website, reviewed general interview questions.
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SDN, review app
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Watch youtube interviews with the Deans
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Reviewed application materials and information about the school, mock interviews
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Google general interview questions and know school
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the conversational and engaging nature of their interviews, with interviewers being friendly, passionate, and down-to-earth. They also appreciated the organization of the process, the kindness of professors and faculty, and the positive environment of the school's facility.
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Very conversational and passionate interviewer/comittee.
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The interviewer was very friendly, honest, and down to earth.
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It seems like the flipped classroom approach is what tires the students out the most, not the shortened breaks
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Interview was very conversation and they were eager to answer any questions
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Great new school, definitely will become more of a big name as it gains recognition
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions of interviews feeling like interrogations rather than conversations, excessive use of Zoom meetings, long and unengaging sales pitches during admissions, and lack of diversity in the student body. Suggestions included improving interview formats, reducing Zoom meetings, making presentations more engaging, addressing diversity concerns, and enhancing the overall student experience.
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The interview was more of an interrogation than a conversation.
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The fact that I need to be on zoom on 4 separate occasions.
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The 4 hour long, required, cameras-on, non interactive sales pitch during admissions day. I left with a very bad taste in my mouth. It felt like we were being pitched a business investment rather than being given information about a medical school. Also the current students seemed miserable and didn't even try to hide it. Which is a shame because I toured the school later and the current student had nothing but good things to say.
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Interviewer was 5 minutes late to log on
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The interviewer was not a part of the school and was not able to answer my questions
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the lengthy duration of on-camera presence and the focus on behavioral and narrative building questions during the interview. Many also expressed a desire for more information about the interview's casual and conversational nature, the location of the building, and the relaxed atmosphere.
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You have to sit on camera for 4 hours and pretend to listen.
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That it would be mostly behavioral/narrative building questions
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Would be very chill and conversational
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Where the building is located
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How lax the interviews would be
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the program to be great, with some expressing concerns about specific aspects of the interview process such as scheduling and question variety. However, many appreciated the passion of the presenters and the overall positive experience of the interview day.
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Program seems great and not everyone shares my interview experience so I may have gotten unlucky
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There is not reason to have 2 separate parts of the interview on different days. People have jobs. Other schools provide a PowerPoint of information about the school before interview day, and then people can ask clarification questions during the q and a sessions if they desire. We don't have to sit through pre-recorded presentations for 4 hours.
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I only got asked about 4 questions; two of which where about activities on my primary and one was a clarification about my community college. None of the random questions like "what are your values".
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Enjoy the process
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Comparable to UT Austin Dell, but in NJ, and potentially greater clinical and networking connections
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest condensing the interview process into one day and including more interactive Q&A sessions and virtual tours led by students, while reducing the sales pitch from the Vice Dean.
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Please condense the interview into one day. More interactive q and a and virtual tours by students and less sales pitching by the Vice Dean.
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