Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 34% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average 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 plan B if dentistry is not pursued, handling group conflicts, thoughts on changing the healthcare system, financing dental school, dealing with stress, reasons for choosing dentistry and a specific school, manual dexterity skills, exposure to multicultural settings, leadership experiences, community service involvement, and perspectives on various aspects of dentistry like PBL and patient care challenges. The interviews may have been MMI format with some respondents possibly under a nondisclosure agreement due to the nature of the questions asked.
How would you handle working in a group of people where you did not like one of the members?
The longer one on one doctor interview was relaxed and a mix of why you wanted to be a dentist and go to this school and just talking about your life based on the conversation
Be ready to ask questions. They really open the interview to you. They want you to learn as much about IUSD as you can while your there, so have plenty of questions for them. They like good questions!
Students said most interesting question asked at Indiana University School of Dentistry discussed a variety of topics ranging from ethical scenarios, personal strengths and weaknesses, future goals, artistic abilities, and experiences related to dentistry. While some interviewees mentioned MMI-style questions, including scenarios and personal statement references, others highlighted more traditional inquiries about hobbies, challenges in dentistry, and manual dexterity skills.
A 22 year old female comes into your practice with a badly fractured front tooth, she desperately wants to save it. The more you look her over, you realize there is no saving this tooth and it must be extracted. How do you tell her?
You have a someone come in with their family and the individual is complaining of a bad mouth odor what would you do to solve the problem of what is causing the odor.
"What would you like us to know about yourself?"
Also, "It looks as if you have a weak science background. What makes you think you're cut out for dental school?" (note: I have a biochemistry major)
When comparing the offices you have visited what impressed you, and what do you feel are problems that will have to be addressed in the future concerning dentistry?
Asked a question directly from my personal statement. It suprised me when I realized they had looked at my application in such detail. One of the interviewers even qouted a line from my essay.
They gave me a senario dealing with the PBL program. They gave me a hypothetical question and I had to use critical thinking to solve the dental problem.
Students said the most difficult questions asked at Indiana University School of Dentistry discussed a range of topics including split-second decision-making, research experience, ethical dilemmas in dentistry, and reasons for choosing the school. Some responses hinted at an MMI format with nondisclosure agreements possibly in place due to mentions of confidentiality and specific question structures.
how do you work in a group with d=seniors and w/o seniors
I heard they ask PBL learning questions which could throw you off, but they didn't ask me one- be prepared though for questions like ''A patient presents with jaw problems, what do you do?''
Why Indiana? It is a difficult question concidering I have to explain why I am willing the west coast for Indiana. It makes perfect sense to me, but trying to express it verbally is difficult.
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?
No responses
✅ 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 responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN), reviewing previous interview questions, practicing with mock interviews, and researching the school's website. Many also sought advice from current students and alumni to gain insights into the interview process and the school's culture.
Just babbling to myself. In fact I only rehearsed last minute the morning of my interview. Nothing much to prepare since the interview was laidback and very conversational.
I spent time reading about the school and how their curriculum is problem-based and student friendly. I SHOULD HAVE just spent more time memorizing good answers to from-the-book, unoriginal interview questions.
read articles from ADA; talked to and shadowed dentists; reviewed common interview questions and prepared my answers; researched PBL learning; browsed IUSD website; spoke to current students; reviewed IUSD curriculum; attended their Dental Day the previous October
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming nature of the faculty, staff, and students at the dental school. They appreciated the organized and efficient interview process, the strong clinical program, the opportunities for research, and the emphasis on patient care. Many also highlighted the positive atmosphere and the low cost of living in Indianapolis as additional factors that left a positive impression.
Interview had a great flow to it, no insane questions. Interviewers were friendly.
The interview is two days where the first day is purely informational and a tour so you can focus and not be stressed about the interview. The second day was interview day and they assigned you times to be there so it was efficient and didn’t waste your time waiting around
friendliness of the school faculty and students....the location of the school (indy is great)....and the fact that almost every specialization is offered there...and how organized everyhting was regarding the interview.
Dean Kasberg's mini - interview before the actual interview, and the fact that he and one of my inty's knew my file's info cold (school, background, RC DAT score!)
Faculty, staff, and students were very nice and straightforward. They tried their best to answer ALL of our questions and didn't sugarcoat anything. Students felt that PBL was worthwhile once they applied it in the clinic. There is a huge patient pool, an emphasis on comprehensive care, plenty of clubs and outreach opportunities, low cost of living in Indianapolis, strong clinical program, and plans to build a new school (not for at least 8-10 years though...)!
The D-facility is great! System based biomedicine during the first 2yrs, Large size of patient pool (They say D-students are actually in shortage to meet the patient pool in INDIANA!, The only D-school in Indiana, Classic campus & city look (Diverse culture, artistic figurines and works all over the campus & town, the architecture in Indianapolis), Idol superstars = D females??, Student oriented faculty members and staffs, Seal Indiana program & international mission trips, Their organized schedule for the two day interview EVENT!
The school was very adequate. Everyone seemed friendly esp students and admissions people. Dr. Kasberg was awesome, really student orientated. Even though people hate on SDN, i didnt see any problems with the school.
The people of Indianapolis are very friendly. Surprised since I'm a non-white student. The student tour guide was also happy about IU's dental program.
The people were great, very friendly. Dr. Kasberg met with us before out interviews to give us a pep talk which put me at ease. They are very honest about their strengths and shortcomings.
The people are very laid back and personable. Perhaps the interview was too laid back. The 3rd year student who gave me the tour was SUPER friendly and out-going. The professor on my interview panel was really encouraging and easy to get along with.
how absolutely polite and sincere everyone was. I felt very comfortable. The admissions director Dr. Kasberg, his office staff, the interviewers, and the students were all helpful and super nice.
Applicants commonly expressed dissatisfaction with the outdated facilities, disorganized interview processes, lack of enthusiasm from students, and unimpressive campus tours. Suggestions included updating facilities, improving organization during interviews, enhancing student engagement, and providing more informative campus tours.
Sadly, the interview was over Kira, I think the schools put themselves at a disadvantage when they aren't able to tour / meet with prospective students. There was also no information session of any kind to learn more about the school.
The whole day was very unorganized. Instead of splitting the interviews up into AM/PM we had to go through the entire schedule together. This made the tour very tight and everything overall cramped. The interviews were scheduled at the end of the day and in alphabetical order so I ended up going last. By that time, I had already been waiting for my interview (which lasted barely 10 minutes) for 2.5 hours. The room they put you in is outdated and doesn’t have central air either. We were all sweating in our suits and they had cleared away everything from lunch including the water. By the time my interview came I didn’t even care anymore I just wanted to get out of there. I was not greeted courteously by my interviewees either and they seemed to already ha s preconceived notions of me prior to me walking in the room as it is open file. At the end of the interview they shuttled what was the remainder of us into the admission deans office for “questions and feedback” which was her private office with ethnic trinkets all over... it was a very strange experience. Overall I would say that the school curriculum may be considered “strong” to some.. but they are incredibl set back on everything else. I threw my information packet in the trash as soon as I got home I was so disinterested in their program. All in all it at least gave me practice of perseverance and made my decision of which school to accept easier by one.
The interview day itself seemed unorganized. The interviewers had access to my file (minus GPA/DAT info) but had clearly not read any of it. There were no ethical questions, no specific questions about my experiences, and the only presentation given was 20 minutes long. I left not knowing much more than I went into the interview knowing.
facilities were a bit dated. nothing much to do in indy...OOS tuition is insane (unless this is your only acceptance, you really have no justifiable reason to attend as private schools are comparable in price).
Sim clinic and the student giving the tour didnt seem too thrilled with the school. It could have been her personality but she seemed to have some issues with the school but overall she said she liked it there.
dont have some random undergrads give us a tour of the campus. they dont know the answers to our questions. please get a dental student to do this next time.
2 day interview was useless. all i did on the 2nd day was a 30 minute interview. and they schedule them for you and i had mine late in the afternoon. waste of time!
Tuition for out-of-state is the same as a private school. They also do not have enough sim-chairs in their basement lab for all of the first and second year students, so most of the time you will be at a bench with a model in your hands. You also have to purchase your instruments instead of renting them, and textbooks are not offered on CD.
Now, I know what's their problem! NOnononono~ I know why people say the building looks old!Just re-paint the Dschool building!! That's it! HAHAHAHAHA^^ Nothing special!
I was the last one to be interviewed. Most of the admissions people were leaving before I even got to be interviewed. Somewhat unorganized. The interview was grilling, kept asking for more detail on questions. I struggled.
Too many things, but here we go. The dental students were continuously saying, ''don't come here?'' They had about five simulation chairs that were unused collecting dust. Otherwise everybody was practicing to be a dentist using 20 year old technology, consisting of generic ceramic models, and bunsen burners. A dental student overheard us talk about PBL and showed his utter disdain for the lame learning system. No lunch was served. The interviewees had to gather in a crowded makeshift office before the interview, while an arrogant Dr. Kasberg bragged about graduating from Yale, and reiterated how decrepit the school was.
The facility is old. Indianapolis feels like a ghost town, even on a Saturday night. The tour of the campus was given by a non-dental IUPUI student who didn't know anything. Cost for out-of-staters is ridiculous.
Facilities. They are due for a remodel for sure. Wish I could have met Dr. Kasbert or Dean Goldblatt. It would have been nice to meet them and hear what they had to say.
Lack of waiting room. Had to stand a lot. The facilities will suffice but are not as nice as other schools. Tour was semi-apathetic. Did not learn much about school from interview.
After interviewing at other schools I have realized what IU could do to make the experience more pleasant. My interview experience at IU was very short-lived; kind of get-in-get-out type as opposed to an all day informative event. IU lacked a waiting room for interviewees to comfortably sit. As for the actual interview, I felt like they were trying to find negative things rather than positive. My interviews elsewhere were so much better. The tour was optional and the guide was like "so where do you wanna go?"
The facilities. As everyone says, ancient, really out of date. Won't be building anything new anytime soon. I really didn't feel like I wanted to spend four years in that dungeon. Also, a student was crying outside while I waiting for my interview. Overheard some stuff about the PBL. Most students seem to hate it, but acknowledge that they think it makes them better clinicians in the long run.
Starting with Dr. Kasberg, the dean of admissions, the interview 'day' was completely cold and impersonal. Dr. Kasberg was also an interviewer and lacked any personality whatsoever. The facilities at IU are antiquated at best. Students seem disgruntled, unhappy, or just bored - I'm not sure which. My entire interview day was over in less than 30 minutes - I was not offered a tour, just a cursory stop in the admissions office to make sure they have all their paperwork.
As I was waiting to leave after the first day of the weekend interview I talked to some students and they said that they were unhappy there and to only go to IUPUI if it's the only school that accepts you.
The 4th year students were expressing their utmost desire to "get the hell out!" including the student interviewing me. I found it odd that a dentist wasn't on my panel. The third lady on my panel seemed not at all interested.
Interviews were running behind schedule, the facilities are archaic, students didn’t seem friendly, students spend a huge amount of time in a basement lab (cave like place), and there was no food except a couple vending machines on site
old facilties, non-talkative students, basements that echo, they have a cafeteria but food isnt served. Students were just there to mingle with other students and barely acknowledge prospective students. Students werent doing interviews because they had to "study"
The facilities are old, and the lab is in a dungeon. The student on my interview was a jerk kept asking stupid/ hard questions then would cut me off and undermind what I had just said, like he was trying to make me look bad. I totally felt like there was a cut-throat attitude there.
Some students were thoroughly frazzled, but this could easily be attributable to the lateness of the interview (4:30...the D3's and D4's had been at it for 8 solid hours by that point)
Applicants commonly wished they had known more details about the interview day schedule, such as the campus layout, what to expect during the day, and the importance of the bench test. Many also highlighted the relaxed and friendly nature of the interview process, recommending future applicants to stay calm and ask questions.
That the school shares a campus with IUPUI, so they dont really get the benefits of having their own campus. For instance, there is no IU dental school gym...you have to pay to use IUPUI's gym.
What to expect on interview day:
Arrive between 8:45-9:00
Pictures taken downstairs
Tour of dental school
Presentations in the student center
Lunch with three dental students in the student center
Assigned interview times between 1:00-4:00pm
Brief meeting with admissions office discussing your day
That it'd be so bloody hot in Indy at the start of Nov. My inty was in a room upstairs with no windows and i was BOILING and sweating in my suit/shirt/tie
We had Indiana campus tour. (I am not talking about our D-school tour) If I had known this ahead, I would have worn a convenient shoes. I just spent $100 for BBQ lunch! $80 for taxi! It's a long distance from the main campus for taxi! There was a big "GOGO" XXXX bar in the size of a food market within 40sec walking distance from my hotel. Marathon in the morning caused "traffic jam". My taxi driver and I had to detour the road to get to my interview place on time.
How the dental education of some schools is largely inferior to other schools, despite the fact that their tuition is enormously steep, and will put a potential dentist neck deep in debt for 30 years+.
That they would be asking PBL questions. I was informed prior to my interview that you should know what PBL is but they wouldn't ask you PBL application questions.
Don't bother getting there early, there is no waiting area, just the hall or the library or outside. They don't let you check in until exactly the scheduled time, to the minute.
According to the one student that I talked with briefly as I was leaving, the school keeps saying that they are going to improve facilities or update curriculum, but it just doesn't happen. Students are not happy with the experience or the education in general.
What I did know ahead of time, which I recommend to EVERYONE, is to attend their Dental Day in October before you apply. They offer a lot of information that I would have expected them to offer on the day of the interview but did not. Luckily, I had attended Dental Day already and knew a lot of information about financial aid and had toured the building before. I wish I would have had a better opportunity to talk with the current students and/or other students interviewing that day.
I think I should have practiced speaking in front of 3 people. Personally, I get really nervous when asked questions and being observed by 3 people taking notes.
My letter told me that I would be interviewed by the Admissions Committee, so I thought it was going to be a large panel. It turned out to be only two people: one faculty, one student, and a local dentist was supposed to be there but didn't show up.
That the interview would be such a dynamic event. I spent as much time dialoguing with the D4 on the panel as the faculty and alumnus spent in traditional interview Q&A.
The most common feedback and suggestions shared by applicants include positive experiences with friendly faculty and staff, relaxed interview atmosphere, concerns about old facilities, mixed opinions on the school's reputation and cost, and varying perceptions of the program and campus environment. Some applicants appreciated the honesty about strengths and weaknesses, while others highlighted the need for more engaging interviews and updated facilities.
Facilities and location exceeded my expectations. The interview was the most relax I ended up having. Again, students did not seem generally happy.
I wish there was a better use of time for the interviews, longer discussions and more information presented. I didn't learn much from the website or from the interview day. I understand that there is a huge amount of change going on at the school and this may be a contributor.
Pretty good school, I feel Indiana kind of gets a bad rep but overall I kind of liked the school, more so then I thought I would going in. The student giving me the tour didnt seem to like PBL but its only about 30% of your curriculum unlike a couple of schools that have 100% PBL. The cost of living there is really cheap, which is great but cost to go to the school for an out-of-state resident is a little high for what you actually get. The facilities are a little older but they do have some newer clinics. Research opportunities seem plentiful and the actual clinical experience you get seems to be really good. Dr. Kasberg also was really friendly and made you feel welcome.
Kasberg came in to talk to 4 of us before the inty's, laid out 3 positives and negatives of the school, told us that we were the best of the applicant pool, told us his timeline on decision making, gave us tips on how to improve our answers to his question (which the panel would subsequently ask us).
School doesn't have a caf in the building, or elevators either
I am glad I checked out the school for myself and verified that the negative posts were rumors. Except for the cost. And while the facilities certainly aren't "new", they have just as much technology as any other school and graduate very competent, skilled dentists.
Yeah! At first glance, the building looks a little bit old! However, this could be just resolved by painting a small portion of it again! That's very easy! In fact, their D facilty inside is great! They also have newly built perio department(endo??), and the entire things were awesome! Moreover, they have their own D-building, and it's impressively huge! Overall, the Indiana university is a very big one. Local people know it as IUPUI, which is Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Living cost is reasonable, and diverse cultural life is procured! Their student to chair ratio is really ideal, too! Believe it or not, there are many rumors. HAHA^^
Despite the fact that I felt like I was giving the interview, I had a great experience. Everyone was very friendly and the students were really down-to-earth. I also love Indianapolis..it is a big city without any traffic.
I did a two-day interview. It was a good experience, but the thing that stands out most was the number of hypothetical situations that were posed during my interview. It felt like a grilling rather than a conversation, which I'm okay with, but it's definitely not my preference.
We started in an office, the Dean comes in to give a pep-talk and is very nice, but tells us to go in state if we get in because it's less expensive, then the financial aid director came in, then we went on a short tour, and the interview was about 30 minutes, with a faculty member, 4th year, and a admissions staff person, I got a chance to asked a lot of questions, it was easy going, but very short- maybe 2 hours at most
Overall experience was good. The interview was relaxed. IU is expensive for out-of-staters and facilities are old. Seems like a good school....but for the price? Also, I found Indianapolis a little depressing of a city, though it does have a small town feel to it.
The interview process was pretty short. I seriously spent more time waiting than actual interview stuff (financial aid, interview, tour). The actual interview was fairly laid back. Fortunately, I knew one of my interviewers personally. Overall, the school is OK, but others seem more appealing.
The interview experience was very short. You arrive and wait in the admissions room. The order of events are financial aid presentation, interview, and then optional tour. Quite simple. Interviews lasted about 30 minutes and were panel style with two faculty members and a student. My overall experience was not as positive as I hoped. I guess I was unfortunate to get some tough interviewers. Other schools were much laid back.
My interview experience was exceptional. The school seems to fit my personality very well. I was impressed with Dr. Kasberg, the faculty members that interviewed me and the students I met. The best thing about IUSD that I've unfortunately not encountered at other schools is that they are real people. They don't try to impress your with latest gadgets or new lab facility, but instead they tell you what the strengths and weaknesses are of their school and let you decide for yourself. A lot of schools are very unprofessional--put down their competitor so that you may pick them instead of the "other" school. IUSD is classy and first-rate!
Very laidback. There were two faculties, one of them asked me questions while the other faculty just stared at me as if I was from outerspace. Then the dental student stepped into the room halfway through the interview - basically late. She was cute too!
The interview was done by two admissions committee members and a student. They were all very nice. They ask specific things from you personal history, so if you included it make sure you can talk about it. Especially research experience. They were very positive.
Two faculty versus me. No original questions - just standard a-monkey-could-recite-these interview questions. Dr. Kasberg was cold and dissinterested. The other interviewer was friendly but said little.
Overall it went well. Everyone there was really nice. But having some students tell me that they werent happy there, kind of made me feel like it wasnt a good place. But of course I know you cant judge a school on what a few students think, but I never had that anywhere else.. So I guess it is...what it is.
The interview process was great. From the pre-interview "warm up" with Robert Kasberg to the actual interview. It was with 2 faculty and 1 student. They asked a lot of questions about my application and my dedication to dentistry. It was very laid back and we just chatted about my application. They were all very nice and it made for a great experience. My cousin went to Indiana for dental school, so I knew a lot about PBL and how the school runs. They seemed happy that I knew about PBL so they didn't have to explain it to me. My cousin said there was never a shortage of patients, so that is a plus. He said that they clinically train you very well. I would be honored to be accepted at Indiana.
The interview was really short. They allotted 35 minutes for the interview and it only took 15 minutes. I figured that if they wanted to admit you, they would get to know you better.
I really enjoyed my experience at IU. They were very nice and answered any questions that I had. I hope I get in. This is my #1 choice. Don't worry about the interview too much. Just prepare ahead of time what you want to say for the questions that some students have been asked here on SDN and you will be just fine.
I did not have a good feeling coming out of my interview as if they really weren't interested in me. However, I did get my acceptance letter in December. I was shocked!
the interview lasted all of 15-20 minutes. some of the facilities are old. the students and faculty were great and the students seemed to be enjoying their experience there.
I felt pretty okay about it. I dont want to discourge anyone with my difficulty level being so high. They are really nice, friendly, and they make it a point not to be nervous. Just make sure you realize three people will be in a room observing you and taking notes.
awesome, laid-back, not stressful in the least. if you're an out-of-state, take a taxi to the school from your hotel (only 5 bucks). ask Dr. Kasberg questions, he's there to help you out, not trip you up.
the interview was 1 student, 1 faculty, 1 dentist. it was pretty laid back. the faculty member didnt seem to interested in the process, but the student and dentist were very nice.
This was my first interview so I was very nervous and worried about it. But the interview is VERY laid back-more like a conversation. Interview was also fairly short.
I got there way too early and had to sit in the library for an hour, feeling really out of place and I kept getting more and more worried about the interview while I was waiting. The interview was really laid-back though.
Wonderful.. The Director of Admissions left me with a very positive note regarding the school. He was very helpful and the interviewers said that they were Impressed by the interview.
it was a very positive experience..they do not emphasize heavily on scores but mostly on your personality and other things you have to offer like being well-rounded
It seems the students love their school and some students I was talking to would study post-graduate program after DDS program. Generally speaking, I like the school.
it was my first interview- hence the stress level...overall, the interview process was very short..we spoke with the admissions coordinator before the interview, the interviews lasted from 30mins to 40mins...and then had a student give us a tour.
very friendly and non-threatening, it was more of an experience for the interviewers to get to know you and you them. They asked questions and so did I.
It was my first interview--hence the stress level. I was impressed with the program, and the students seemed happy. Indianapolis is a great little ciy.
The overall interview was laid back and more like a conversation with an aunt or uncle. Indiana university is located in a beautiful, clean, and safe city. I participated in the PBL sessions and those need to be experienced if you decide to go to IUPUI
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants suggested that the admissions office improve communication by providing more information about the schedule, curriculum, and school years, as well as be more organized during the interview process by efficiently organizing groups, providing water, and offering a folder for all necessary papers.
The "debriefing" of group interview session with the assistant dean didnt seem necessary. It would have been better if she just came and addressed the whole interview group in a more casual setting.
Please give us more information! I don't know anything about the schedule, the curriculum, the classes or the D1/2/3/4 years. I'd love to know more but I feel like I'm on my own learning about this school.
I really liked that they gave us a choice with short interview day or weekend interviews. I chose the short interview day and it worked to my advantage, because I do get tired of really long days at a school.
