Portland, ME
Dental Schools | Private Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2018-19
⭐ Overall Impressions
How do you rank the facilities?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
2 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
5 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
5 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
💬 Interview Questions
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions
How long was the interview?
60+ minutes
How did the interview impress you?
Negatively ☹️
How many people interviewed you?
6
What was the stress level of the interview?
10 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
5 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What was the style of the interview?
One-on-one
What type of interview was it?
Closed file
Where did the interview take place?
At the school
How did you prepare for the interview?
As many have already mentioned, there's no way to know what they will ask since some were so "out-there" and weird. Just review some typical MMI questions and practice the way you respond to questions (i.e. pay attention to your composure, thought process, etc).
What impressed you positively?
Small class size, students seem to graduate with strong clinical experience, external rotations
What impressed you negatively?
During the last MMI station, the interviewer (faculty member) asked their question but before I was even allowed to give an answer they told me "Do not say ______ as your answer because I have already heard it so many times today." That did not sit well with me because: 1) I actually wanted to use that answer because it actually holds significance to me 2) it's highly unfair if others before me were able to use that answer, and I was singled out because I was the last station (and the interviewer was burnt out.) That obviously put me at a disadvantage because I had to think of an entirely different answer on the spot and I felt like I was not able to represent myself as strongly. With MMI, interviewers are supposed to stay neutral throughout the entire session.
Also during Q&A with the dean, someone asked a question along the lines of "I heard from a current student that some can graduate completing a lot more restorations than their peers - does UNE make an effort to somehow make it uniform so students can have more or less the same clinical experience?" Based on body language/response, it seemed like the dean was a bit offended/bothered since he said something along the lines of "patients should not be seen as a number/checkbox - if a patient needs XYZ doesn't mean s/he will get reassigned to another D3/4 solely because they need the experience" I don't believe the candidate meant any harm in the question (who actually thinks of patients as 'numbers'?) - I thought it was a very valid question and I was curious about the answer, too. His response could have definitely been delivered without the judgment/attitude.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
UNE was one of the few schools that emailed an itinerary outlining the day, which I appreciated. But I wish they emailed the format of the MMI beforehand (6 stations, 2 min to read prompt, ~6 min to respond to prompt. You will have an empty sheet of paper, pen, and clipboard to jot down notes).
What are your general comments?
You don't really get the chance to mingle with current students (the only chance is if your tour guide is a current student)
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Sari in Admission is the sweetest person and is very helpful/responsive to your inquiries. Regarding the actual interview process, I suggest reminding interviewers to stay neutral and not have previous interviewees affect the current interviewee.
📍 On-Site Experience
Who was the tour given by?
Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Enthusiastic
What is your in-state status?
Out of state
What were your total hours spent traveling?
7+ hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Airplane
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
$501+
What airport did you fly into?
PWM
Where did you stay?
Hotel
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The Inn at St. John's
How would you rate the hotel?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Yes
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