SDN Logo
 
 

University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry

Los Angeles, CA

Dental Schools | Private Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

Negatively

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 out of 10

How you think you did?

No responses

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

No responses

How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?

No responses
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

No responses

What was the most interesting question?

No responses

What was the most difficult question?

No responses
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

50 minutes

How many people interviewed you?

No responses

What was the style of the interview?

No responses

What type of interview was it?

No responses

Was this interview in-person or virtual?

No responses

Where did the interview take place?

At the school
📍 On-Site Experience

Who was the tour given by?

Admissions staff

How did the tour guide seem?

No responses

How do you rank the facilities?

No responses

What is your in-state status?

No responses

What were your total hours spent traveling?

No responses

What was your primary mode of travel?

No responses

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

No responses

What airport did you fly into?

No responses

Where did you stay?

No responses

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

No responses

How would you rate the hotel?

No responses

Would you recommend the hotel?

No responses

What is your ranking of this school's location?

No responses

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

No responses

What are your comments on where you stayed?

No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

No responses

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

No responses

How did you prepare for the interview?

No responses

What impressed you positively?

The diversity, homeless clinics, a few technological perks...

What impressed you negatively?

The cost!! Learning is nearly 100% PBL and independent-study. Very few students from USC Dental get into a residency program.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

That the interview day would actually go on until 3:30-4 pm (Most schools let you leave early). Bummer.

What are your general comments?

Initially, I considered USC as my "back-up" school. After talking to the students, spending an hour in an actual PBL session and listening to the financial aid counselor crack a few jokes about the $300,000 debt I would accrue, I realized that I was in desperate need of another back-up school. At lunch, after enduring a long wait in the kitchen smoke, I had the opportunity to speak to 2 dental students. Afterwards, one pulled me aside, looked me sternly in the face and said "You can go here. But if I were you, I would go to a cheaper school." When we joined the other applicants, she continued to talk about how happy she was at USC. Hmm, contradictory? Or perhaps happiness doesn't equate to money. Yeah. Haha, I know. The interview wasn't actually an interview. You're placed in a group of 8-10 people and given a scenario, divided into 4 scenes. The plot is not dental nor medical related. In fact, its pretty ridiculous. I'm not sure if I gave the best impression as I was so dissuaded by the curriculum and cost, I literally wanted to run away. So, I think I came off silly and blase. Although this didn't occur during the interview, I thought I should share something from someone in the admissions committee. So, I have this "connection" who is on USC admissions. Although he is currently on the admissions board, he told me that, based on my stats and background, I would not gain anything from USC. He actually told me to go to UCLA instead. Keep in mind, this guy is looking out for my best interest. He's not someone who would point me in the wrong direction out of spite. In any case, now I know why suggested UCLA over USC.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses