Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
Alton, IL
Dental Schools | Public For-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 25% of interviews, indicating it is highly 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 applicant's background, experiences that set them apart from others, handling mistakes or failures, personal qualities not evident in their application, motivations for pursuing medicine or dentistry, plans for the future, and how they would handle not being accepted. Many respondents also mentioned questions related to their personal statement, academic performance, and specific reasons for choosing the particular institution, indicating a mix of general and school-specific inquiries. Some responses suggest an MMI format with potential nondisclosure requirements.
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A time you made a mistake and what you did afterwards
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Tell me about yourself
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What distinguishes you from other applicants?
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What component of your application do you want us to overlook?
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Why dentistry?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine discussed a variety of topics such as qualities sought in applicants, reasons for choosing dentistry over medicine, future directions in dentistry, handling rejection, and transitions between medical and dental fields. The interview format may have been MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) as some responses indicated nondisclosure agreements, while other questions were more general and conversational in nature.
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N/A
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What qualities do we look for in an applicant, in your opinion?
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"What was your favorite class in college?"
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Why dentistry and not medicine?
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Where do you see the direction of dentistry going?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine discussed a variety of topics, including handling frustrating experiences, reflecting on past actions, discussing weaknesses, and expressing feelings about current events like Wall Street. While specific questions varied, respondents may have encountered an MMI format with potential nondisclosure agreements based on mentions of nondisclosure and the non-disclosure of questions.
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N/A
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If you were to go back to a situation and act in it differently, how would you act? What would you have done differently?
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"What was a frustrating experience you had recently?"
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What is something that you wish you would have handled in a different way/How has your communication skills served you well?
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Give me a failing experience
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 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 the school.
📍 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?
Most respondents spent 4-6 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 Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
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MDW
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FLL - ORD
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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super 8
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at Springfield...
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Motel 6
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Hilton
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Comfort inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as average
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
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My sink was clogged so that was annoying
✅ 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), practicing mock interviews with family or peers, researching the school's website, and seeking advice from current dentists or dental students. They also emphasized the importance of reviewing past interview questions and answers, staying informed about the program, and maintaining a confident and relaxed demeanor during the interview.
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SDN
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Looking through previous questions from other students here in SDN, watching lots of YouTube videos to prepare, and doing a mock interview with my family via zoom since my interview was held virtually on zoom!
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mock interview, SDN
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Read questions from this website/researched the school.
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SDN, writing down questions and answers on paper and reviewing them before the interview. Also asking current dentists for advice.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the campus and admissions committee. They appreciated the conversational and laid-back interview style, the small class sizes, and the new facilities. Suggestions for improvement were not prevalent in the feedback provided.
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Super nice, friendly, homey campus
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What impressed me positively was how the 3 admissions committee members were very nice, very funny, made me laugh, and really made me feel very comfortable and at home!
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how conversational and relaxing the interview is
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Laid-back interview, a small school that offers a great clinical experience at a good price.
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Interviewers, small class sizes
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the school's location in a small, run-down town with limited activities, as well as the short interview times and lack of engagement during the interview process. Suggestions included improving campus facilities and providing more opportunities for interaction with current students.
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Little run down
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Nothing!
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nothing
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Location of the school, surrounding area
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The town of Alton is very old looking and small. Doesn't seen like there's much to do in the town.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known more about the interviewers beforehand, how to handle nerves, the interview duration, the unique aspects of the school's location and facilities, and the school's affordability and ranking. They also emphasized the importance of staying calm and being prepared but not overly stressed during the interview process.
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Small campus homey vibe
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The title and some background info about each of the 3 people that interviewed me. Make sure to look them up and know who is a dentist and who is not, so when you are asking them your questions and you want to ask the question, "Why did you choose dentistry or what aspect drew you into dentistry?" you know exactly who to ask since not all of them may be dentists.
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not to be nervous
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Don't stress out about being a little late if you are, because you sit around a table for a bit at first.
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Three 30 min interviews with diff faculty, so total interview time was 1.5 hours! Too long!
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interviews to be laid back and relaxed, with friendly and conversational interviewers who made them feel comfortable. Some applicants felt the interviews were too short but overall had positive impressions of the school and staff.
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Great school!
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It was a very chill, laid back, and relaxed interview. All of the 3 interviewers were very nice, friendly, funny, and one of them commented on one of the things I said and told me that their son enjoys doing the same thing too! So, they definitely made me feel comfortable and not as nervous! Good luck to everyone reading this, you WILL DO GREAT! :)
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straightforward q's; really just want to get to know you; have some fun facts to say to stick out a little bc it seems very conversational to the point where they might not remember anything you said
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Impressed with the school and the interview was relatively short, which may be good or bad. Have questions to ask your interviewers.
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Seems like a great school. Look forward to attending in the fall.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants did not provide any suggestions for the admissions office, with one mentioning a delay in their interview scheduling.
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None!
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n/a
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My interview was not conducted at, or near to the scheduled time. I was fine with having to wait, as
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