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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?

Positively

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?

PBL interview structure: They will give you a storyline over 3 pages. Each page will contain more information than the last and your group's task is to evaluate each page and just discuss ideas. It is very simple and straight forward. There is very little you can do to prepare. My only advise is to BE YOURSELF! I can't stress that enough. Just enjoy.

What was the most interesting question?

NA

What was the most difficult question?

NA
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

45 minutes

How many people interviewed you?

2

What was the style of the interview?

In a group

What type of interview was it?

Closed file

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?

read SDN, spoke w/ friends, USC website, google'd-PBL

What impressed you positively?

School's PBL program is impressive. For the first time I have seen a school focus on what is important instead of cramming mounds of information into a brain that will soon forget it anyways. PBL allows students the space to pick up and actively learn material by researching on their own and then coming together to share ideas. It's very similar to what engineering students go through and in my personal opinion an excellent way to learn.

What impressed you negatively?

Not enough current students seemed to have the openness and courtesy/personalities to speak with the interviewees to ask them how their day is going, if they have any questions, or if they like the school. I have seen this a lot at other schools and I think it makes a huge impression on those interviewing when they can relate to the current student body.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

The day was pretty long and I wish I had gotten more sleep.

What are your general comments?

Great. The atmosphere at USC (the dental school being on the main campus) is a plus 10!!! You will be on a great and integrated- very exciting college campus, so its NOT like your doomed to some dark dungeon in a building away from the rest of the school. The program seemed great, administration people were really nice (obviously), and LA is just bustling. So, it seems like a great place to be. Also, the PBL program eases you into the workload of a dental education, so that your not hit hard with mounds of work the very first year. Great interaction between faculty and students in classes. Each group of 8 students has one faculty mentor to guide them. So its a great atmosphere. Also, the dental building being in the heart of CALIFORNIA, is very bright and airy because of the many windows- adding a happy environment.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses