Richmond, VA
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
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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 ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.5
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 335 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (93%)
Negatively (3%)
No change (4%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (61%)
Good (20%)
Average (16%)
Poor (4%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally commented that the school had a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, with a strong emphasis on clinical experience and a sense of community among students. Some mentioned the importance of being well-prepared for interviews and the need for extra time to navigate traffic and the location of the school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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They are so sweet be yourself
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Great school and cutting technology. All the students seemed very happy. Dean was awesome and they went all out for the interview (goodie bags, 2 meals)
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Very relaxed and comfortable environment
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I love this school, its culture, and it's history. Other than a few minor things that I thought could have been improved, the day was smoother than I had expected, and I am beyond excited to attend VCU!
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The school is older and the facilities are definitely not as nice as other schools. They are building a new facility that will open in spring of 2021, which is nice.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
35 Minutes Average
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Number:
3 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
96% One-on-One
4% Group Interview
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File Type:
94% Open-File
6% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
0% Virtual
100% In-Person
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Interview Location (for In-Person):
100% At the School
0% Other Location
VCU-COMP interviews are an average of 35 minutes, with an average of 3 interviews. 96% of interviews are one-on-one, 100% are in-person, and 6% are closed-file. Of the in-person interviews, 100% are held at the school.
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 interest in the specific institution, their background and experiences in the field, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their future goals and aspirations. Some respondents mentioned participating in an MMI format interview, which may involve a nondisclosure agreement due to the structured nature of the questions and scenarios presented.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What leaderships skills do you have? What will make you successful in dental school?
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Why are you interested in VCU?
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Tell me about yourself?
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Tell me, in detail, about a procedure that you witnessed as a dental shadow.
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Tell me about yourself.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry discussed a wide range of topics including personal accomplishments, future goals, family background in dentistry, manual dexterity skills, and ethical scenarios. While the interviews varied in style from conversational to question-and-answer format, there were no explicit mentions of an MMI format or nondisclosure agreements.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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After speaking of cooking they asked to tell me about how to make something.
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If you could have dinner with someone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
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Do you think you will succeed in dental school?
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Did you bring anything to show us your manual dexterity?
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Did you bring a sample of manual dexterity?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their personal statements, practicing common interview questions, and utilizing resources like SDN, school websites, and mock interviews. They emphasized the importance of being themselves, staying calm and confident, and having a good understanding of their path to dentistry.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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SDN and big interview.
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Nothing, I wanted to be myself.
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I read my personal statement many times, reflected on my past experiences, did several mock interviews, and thought about potential questions to prepare for (but did not memorize answers).
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Practicing questions and reviewing my application.
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SDN
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry discussed a wide range of topics, including challenges in dentistry, personal strengths and weaknesses, future career goals, and experiences with diverse patient populations. The interviews may have been in an MMI format, with some respondents mentioning nondisclosure agreements, while others faced traditional interview questions and natural conversation prompts.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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When was the last time you dealt with constructive criticism.
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What do you think will be the hardest part of dental school?
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Tell me about yourself.
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What is a challenge in dentistry, what is something you don’t like about dentistry?
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Where do you see yourself in 5 years
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the welcoming and friendly atmosphere at the school, including the supportive faculty and students. They appreciated the emphasis on early clinical exposure, advanced technology, and the sense of community among the student body. Many highlighted the positive interactions with faculty, the innovative curriculum, and the state-of-the-art facilities as standout features of their experience.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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They were so welcoming and postive.
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Student body was very tight and diverse.
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The administration made sure to make the day as low-stress as possible. Instructors and students were very kind when passing by in the hallways. The operators were state-of-the-art, and we were shown all of the new innovations that the school has to offer. The amount of clinical exposure was very unique to learn about.
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The faculty is kind and welcoming.
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Friendly atmosphere, faculty, great clinical curriculum
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lengthy interview process, lack of financial aid information, safety of the surrounding area, outdated facilities, unresponsive admissions office, and some negative interactions with students and faculty. Suggestions included streamlining the interview process, providing more detailed financial aid information, improving facilities, enhancing communication, and addressing any issues with student and faculty interactions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nothing
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Very long interview day. I was on campus for 8 hours,
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They did not discuss financial aid in great detail at my interview day. I got lost at one point on the way back from my interview, a sign or directions would have been nice.
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The student tour guide bragged about lying during his interview and barely passing his classes.
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The city is not the safest place
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and comfortable nature of the interviews, specific details about the interview day schedule and activities, the need to research interviewers, the low stress level of the process, the essay requirement, and the lack of need for certain items like water bottles or safety glasses. Additionally, some applicants highlighted the importance of being prepared for specific interview questions and the overall cost of attending the school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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NA
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They provided breakfast!
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That there would be two people interviewing me at the same time.
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I wish I knew the exact activities that we’d do during the day.
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I would have brought a water bottle.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
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.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Most applicants had positive experiences with the admissions office, noting their helpfulness and hospitality. Some suggestions included providing accurate parking cost information, returning calls promptly, and ensuring interviews are focused on a mix of topics beyond just research.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nothing at this time.
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Parking recommendation that accurately reflects how much it will cost to park there during day 1 and day 2 of the interview.
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None. They are very nice.
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They seemed very focused on research, in both interviews they grilled me on it. The essay and other questions were laid back
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None, very helpful and hospitable!
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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RIC
47% interviewees used RIC (RIC), with 18% using Richmond (Richmond) and 12% using richmond (richmond) and 6% using BWI (BWI) and 6% using Richmond International Airport (Richmond International Airport) and 6% using Richmond International (Richmond International) and 6% using to RIC, RIC to (MCO).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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42% Airplane
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51% Automobile
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4% Train or Subway
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4% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Omni (average ranking 9/10), with some staying at Holiday Inn Express (average rating 9/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Omni
9/10
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Holiday Inn Express
9/10
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Days Inn
3/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (13%)
Faculty member (3%)
Student (84%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (2%)
Enthusiastic (83%)
Neutral (15%)
All Responses
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