Applicants generally found the interview experience at BU to be relaxed and conversational, emphasizing the importance of being genuine and asking questions. Positive feedback was given about the friendly environment, faculty/student interactions, and the overall atmosphere of the school. Some concerns were raised about the cost of attendance and the patient base, while others praised the school's facilities and faculty support.
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Don't stress! just be genuine!
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Advice: stay loose and act like you are just meting a colleague or family member for coffee. The interview is VERY informal, the interviewer just wants to have a genuine conversation with you. Keep your file/CV/script handy to refer to (assuming its on zoom) just incase but don't stress about hitting every talking point. Just let the conversation flow.
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Overall amazing school! Hope I get in.
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They are generally just trying to get to know you. Come with questions and show that you are genuinely interested. The students are really helpful and you can tell that the school promotes a really friendly and cohesive environment.
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It's a long day of interviewing! but everyone is super nice and welcoming
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Great school, would love to go there
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Very relax
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Seems like a very student friendly school. they seemed a little aloof about the clinical situation, but overall i got a positive vibe from this school.
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I might go if it's the only place I got in. Otherwise, I'll be passing on BU!
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None
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Great school, people are great
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For all the negative comments on the SDN forums, BU actually seemed like a good place to spend 4 years.
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The staff and faculty just really want to get to know you better and there is no need to stress about the interview!
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Great interview. very stress free and easy going
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The students are SO nice. Wow. They really go out of their way to talk to interviewees. Really cool atmosphere.
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It's a great university but very expensive. The building is a little old but overall, students are happy there. Faculty has an open door policy which is great. Very friendly.
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I really liked the school. Clinic was great, sim lab and everything was on par with other schools. My only concern was the patient base, but students seemed to have no problem completing their competencies.
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Lousy location. tufts is right next to the subway station. you have to take a bus from the subway to get to BU.
didnt like boston much. rude people.
also, not sure if this speaks for the whole city but there was race protest in downtown boston. bunch of rednecks with racist cardboards walking around. was quite shocked by this
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I loved the school! and the people. Their responsiveness was great! I interviewed on Nov 30th and was accepted on Dec 1st.
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Beautiful school. Very welcoming staff. I didn't think much of BU until I interviewed there.
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This was my first interview and so I was really scared and nervous. I studied extensively for this interview, going over possible questions over and over in my head. All you need to do is make sure you know whats in your AADSAS application and personal statement, study the BU website (just in case you want to throw some facts into the interview to look good), and most importantly JUST BE YOURSELF! Seriously.
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She gave me her card first.. and I noticed right away she has a degree in education. So we talked about education (my tutoring and teaching experience.. and learning English as my second language) for the most part. Nothing about dentistry haha.
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Really enjoyed the school overall. Large class size, but good teacher to student ratio. Best advice: be yourself.
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While you are waiting for your interview during lunch...talk to the other students and relax! it was definitely the best thing i did to calm down
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Wish they would have been more specific about available spots and had a time better time frame of when we can hear back
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My interview was with a non-dentist administrator, which I thought was kind of silly. Also, they scheduled my interview in early February for mid-March, so in the meantime I had been accepted to two other schools. BU was definitely the worst of the schools I interviewed at, but maybe I was biased since I'd interviewed other places before.
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Most of the SDNers have said that BU interviews are the coolest. I agree with them!
Just be calm and truthfull, read your SOP well since its an open file iv most of the questions are from your own writing.
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As many others had said, the interview is very conversational and they just want to know you :)
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BU has everything going for it from a faculty and student perspective, but I can't justify the cost for the facilities that I saw.
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Be yourself
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It seemed like a great school - the faculty seems to care a great deal about their students and want to help them succeed in every way.
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Pretty good day all in all
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I became to love BU really =]
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Interview was a joke. not even an interview. guy was really cool, he just went over my AADSAS application, and then asked me if i had any questions. we then talked about the red sox-yankees series
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The interview was excellent. It was sooo relaxing and everyone made you feel comfortable. Dr. Shaw is a sweetheart. I interviewed with Dr. Stoute and he is a wonderful man. He made me feel comfortable and was delighted to see the students who were there.
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The interview was very relax and comforting. I really enjoyed my interviewer.
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The interviewer was very nice, talked about my relatives who attended BU, the weather, very laid back. No grilling and more of a conversation. The lecture prior to the interview was held by another ADCOM person and this guy was intense. Very honest and blunt, very different from other faculty members. Overall a good experience
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Didnt get a good vibe from the school. Seems like it's run more like a business rather than a school. Didnt feel like i was a distinct student to them. I'll be going else where.
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It was really laid back. the interview itself was very laid back. the doc seemed to talk more than i did, which i guess is a good thing. just sit and listen ;) and look interested
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It was great overall, I wouldn't stress about the interview; it's more like a conversation, just relax and be yourself.
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The interviewer asked me about almost everything in my application, starting with the numbers (GPA and DAT) to hobbies and goals. Further into the interview, it became much more relaxed and it turned out that his son and I both played the same instruments and similar hobbies. Play on whatever peaks the interviewer's interest. If he/she is a hard-ass and you feel you're not getting anywhere, ask them questions about their personal life and they'll open up right away. At least it always worked for me.
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Wonderful. I've never had such a pleasant interview.
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BU sucks.
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I had the nicest interviewer, who definitely eased my stress. There was a thorough explanation of the curriculum and what to expect for next four years.
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Positive...the school is laid back, the students seem happy...the interviewers were very friendly and put you at ease
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My interviewer was a woman on the admissions staff. People were interviewed by either a faculty member or admissions staff. She was incredibly sweet and friendly. The conversation was very laid back, and I enjoyed talking with her.
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It was a good experience to see the school and meet some of the administrators and students, but I think I expected more.
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I had a regional and ended up visiting cause I had another interview in the same city the next week so my experience was somewhat unique, but it seemed like a really good school with more than enough to offer students. The interview was laid back and interesting, don't stress it too much.
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Good
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As I was foretold, the interview was pretty casual- I was asked about a number of things in my application, about dentistry and about my dental experience.
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It was very laid back, a directed conversation where they asked you the obvious questions, but mostly wanted to get to know you a little bit. Not at all an interrogation.
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The day started with a light breakfast. Then two dental students started the tour. The facilities were nice[looked new]. Along the tour we met some of the faculty, they were very nice, and asked us if we were having a good time. They also help relieve any anxiety we had. Then we went to their other building and saw the Sim lab[really nice!]. Then came back in. Dr.Shaw came and spoke to us, again she's so linda! I love her Bosotn accent, for example she pronounced the word 'after' as "..aaafter". Then lunch and during lunch another student came in and talked to us. When we finised lunch we the interview process started. One by one they the interviewers came in and called our names. This I'd say was the only time I felt stressed, only because I wasn't called immediately.
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I hope you can carry a conversation because if you can't I think this interview will be a little hard for you. Its more of a conversation than a bunch of questions and answers however, in the conversation you can talk about yourself. Just be confident and relax. This interview was pretty stress free and I did not sense any tension between the other interviewees
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There was a small group of us interviewing. We had to wait in the conference room for about 30 min before our student tour leader arrived. At least everyone interviewing was cool. Our tour leader had never given a tour before so we didn't really get a good look at the clinics and the whole tour was kind of sub-par. We had lunch and then our interviews which were really laid-back even though my interviewer seemed really bored. Then a talk about financial aid which was actually really informative. No mention about the cirriculum at all which was odd.
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Positive
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They pulled us away individually just before lunch. My interview was with Dr. Stoute. It was a conversation, but he did ask some questions i wasn't expecting.
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The student who gave the tour of the school was very friendly and did a great job in giving us a complete tour of the facility.
Faculties that we run into during the tour show so much interest in each one of us and made us feel we are at home. You'll be surprise how friendly and easy going the faculties are.
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The interview was very laid back. They asked very simple and straightforward questions. But after some questions, the interview was like a conversation.
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Interview was very informative. The interviewer was very nice and laid back. It seemed more like a conversation than an interview.
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It was nothing like an interview.They behaved as if we are visitors there and they have to show the place around.
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Very informal they just want to know you so be honest
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Breakfast, introductory talk, tour, interview, lunch, financial info.
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Good experience but tiring. They are very nice and willing to answer all questions.
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I had applied for Advanced standing,the interview was very cool, the interviewer made the students feel very comfortable and the questions were all based on whatever we had written on our SOP.
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Every one there are very friendly and will make you feel at ease.We had a short, simple and informative orientation.Students are friendly and will answer any questions you might wanna know.
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One thing I must definitely say is that the interview was very laid back so make sure you are not so stressed out about it that you fail to actually learn about the school itself. Take the time and thought to ask good questions, take a good look around Boston if you aren't from there to make sure you like it or not. Interview was really good...have fun, enjoy it, and RELAX!
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Felt very good after the whole interview day.Got the best treatment here
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Great
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The overall process was great except for the "lecture" right before the personal interviews. Right before the interview, you kind of want some time to prepare yourself mentally and we didnt really have that. The personal interview turned out to be a very laid back conversation about certain things on your application they were unsure about or wanted further information on. We talked through current events for a bit, talked about Boston in general, talked about doing residency in the future and some other stuff. There was a little bit of tension between all the applicants, not too bad though.
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Everyone was really friendly and laid back. The tour of the scool took about an hour and a half.
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Good.
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Tour was way too long. My interviewer snuck in the waiting room as a stranger. He started eating and talking for 30 min while the one on one interview had begun then he identified himself a interviewer when he's done his coffee and donuts. I still cant forget his greediness to those terrible food on the table. I know it was a laid-back interview, but I totally felt disrespected. IT IS INTERVIEW, NOT YOUR BREAKFAST TIME. BEARD DUDE!!!
Since he's talked a lot before taking me to his office. He only asked two questions and then kept asked me "any questions".... He brought me back to the waiting room and guess what~~ he then looked around any leftover~~ But the food was really bad, he then opened a can of coke beofore heading back to his office.
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The interviewer was nice but she asked some easy questions and some tough ones regarding my file.
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Very good. The city is extremelly academic and BU's curricullum is awesome. I got accepted the 20th and am very happy about it.
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Just a conversation to make sure that I wasn't a moron.
It must have worked cause I got in.
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The tour around the dental school was very helpful. My interview was very short and laidback, although it almost seemed like my interviewer didn't even care. Got accepted 2 weeks after.
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The school was nice but they could not defend the problem of too many students to patients. Thus I assume chair time will be a problem. Also during the interiew you will have to introduce yourself at least five times. We went around the table every time a new DS came in to answer question and talked about ourselves. We all were very put off by this.
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Cold. Weak school. Weak program. Disorganized. They don't let you interact with students because they are scared of what the students might say. No wonder no one wants to go there.
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It was just great. I did come out not knowing where I stood. If I could be hopeful or not.
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Relaxed and very smooth, Dr. Stoute just want to know me and see what I was like, nothing more. It was what an interview shoud be like!
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Dont like how the tour comes before the actual interviews. All in all, good experience, had achance to ask a lot of questions. Student giving the tour was also very helpful.
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Best interview yet, mind u...i haven't had many :(
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The schools seems pretty nice. But it is definitely COLD in Boston. The whole day was pretty laid back.
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The student giving the tour was pretty shy and reserved, he seemed like he did not really know how to give a tour or was to insecure to do a good job of it. That or he just really didn't care, which I cannot blame him for. However we had another student a 4th year come in for Q&A and she was seemed really to have a good grip on things. She was much more candid about everything which was a relief.
The actual interview was one on one and was mind blowingly laid back. I was not asked about anything science related.
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Overall great interview. Interviewer read over my essay and I had used the phrase "dental tools". He asked me why I used the word "tools". He advised that I begin to refer to them as dental "instruments". We had a good laugh about it.
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"i'm just trying to get a C in each class to pass so I can take over my dad's private practice"- tour guide...
that was the sentiment running through everything that was presented to us. you pay loads of money to feel like you're on a dentistry conveyer belt, just try to pass and just get through school so you can go right into filling cavities non-stop for the rest of your life.
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The interview was at a regional location and not at the dental school so i missed out on a lot. if you can, go to the dental school for an interview! nevertheless, the interviewer was very friendly and genuine and just wanted to see if i would really go to boston for dental school. overall, a very pleasant experience.
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Overall good experience. I would have to say that it's my top choice. yea.. it's expansive, but you're gonna be able to pay it all back once you start working. so no need to worry about that. I think the APEX and externship prgm that they have here impressed me.. as well as the nice faculty.
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As an interviewer at Boston University School of Dental Medicine, I just wanted to clear up a few "facts" as presented by students in this forum:
1) No interviewer "accepts" a candidate-rather we make a recommendation to our Admissions Committee which makes decision--one student posted a response saying that s/he received a final decision within his interview--that does not happen.
2) The Dental School is, like any other large city school, subject to the environment around it. As with any city, we would recommend caution in moving about an urban campus at day or at night. But the School is not in a war zone or bad area. It is simply a very busy urban setting near a major interstate highway and consequently traffic and congestion can be difficult.
3) There is no issue with students being able to not graduate on time because of inadequate chair numbers. The School recently opened a new, state-of-the-art 22 chair clinic devoted entirely to the DMD program.
4) To the student who said we appear to be crammed into one building: that's an interesting observation since on your tour you were shown through at least 2 of the 9 buildings we occupy!
5) Our conversation during the interview phase is to assess an applicant's preparedness, both academically and otherwise, for the rigors of an intense, 4-year curriculum. It is not an interrogation and is meant to be as friendly and laid-back as possible. We certainly welcome feedback as to how to better this experience for applicants! You are also welcome and encouraged to ask us as many questions as you'd like!
6) Lunch--the eternal question--the student tour occurs in the morning and applicant interviews commence at 12 noon. Food generally arrives between 12-12:30 (depending on the caterer) and certainly everyone is invited to eat immediately though most prefer to wait until they've interviewed to present with nice shiny teeth!
Great forum--wish this had been around when I applied to college! :-)
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BU is definitely my highest choice with the exception of The University of Washington and that is only because I am a Washington State resident so the lower tuition really speaks my language. I'm sure anybody reading this, who has been on at least one interview so far, knows the difference between feeling welcome and laid back throughout a given interview and feeling semi-nauseous and ill-at-ease. I can guarantee your BU interview will, at very least, keep you much more in the former category.
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It was a laidback day. the faculty/students were very friendly and continuously wanted to be asked questions. the facilities were great too, until you realize that it's so tough to get a chance to use them when you're competing for chairtime!
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The interview is a piece of cake.. Just enjoy your stay. go out and enjoy urself.. and for everyone one that interviewed NOV 1. good luck with your other interview... hope to see you guys somewhere someday...
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On the whole it was a good experience I got to know more abt the school during the tour when compared to their website.
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I love Boston, and I feel I will get an impeccable clinical education here.
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The interview day consisted of a tour, a question and answer session, and the interview. The interview was very pleasant, and was more of a get to know you session. I would suggest asking questions. Not only Q's related to dental school, but ask the interviewer how long they've been in Boston, What made them consider dental academics, and where they attended dental school. I asked such questions which led to a very long and heartfelt conversation. I think more than anything, the schools are looking to see how your interpersonal skills are.
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Be honest and tell your interviewer your true passions in life
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It was a relaxing day. Not too stressful.
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Positive...i loved the city...good transit system...
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Laid back. more like a chat then an interview
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It was ok, other than the expenses of the city and school (which are HIGH!!) the school itself was ok, the new simulation clinic was really nice but felt like an assembly line rather than a class,, also i would recommend getting a hotel near the school and dont drive, cab fares are a rip off there
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Awesome. i like the school. hoping they like me too. cost is a little much, but youll make it back after a few years in the workforce.
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Overall a good but very expensive school. A few students stressed how difficult the first year was. But I guess thats how all schools are. The facilities besides the simlab were just o.k. and nothing imparticular stood out about the school.
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First we were briefed by a couple of faculty members, then a tour by a student, then another briefing by a retired doctor, then the interview, then lunch, then financial aid...then we got to go home.
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The fact that our tour was given by a member of the administration wasn't very helpful, it would have been better to have a student show us around.
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Neutral
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The school was very very friendly and I really enjoyed it.
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Interview was straight forward and like a casual conversation. nothing to sweat about.
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The day started out with a group tour of the school. After that, we came to back to the conference room where sub sandwiches were served. Then, several staff members and students talked about there life experiences as professional at BU. Make sure you listen carefully and ask as many questions as you can.
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Very laid back, nice hotel, very friendly interviewer, went through the APEX schedules...got a better idea of it... he was a dentist so i got to ask him some questions about his experiences as a dentist..good and bad ones...
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Great...extremely laid back... great location... 4 Seasons baby!
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It was a great experiance for me... The interview was held at the gorgeous hotel.. and Dr.Polin definitely was trying to put me at ease..we had many laughters.. I really like the feeling I'm getting, and I would definitely love to go to BU.
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Very positive
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Very positive - the interviewer, Dr. Hutter, was very positive and asked me what was going to make or break my decision with regard to which school I attend.
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The interview was great!!! I regret that I didn't choose to have it at Boston instead so I can see the school more. From all my experiences with other interviews, this one is the best. I smile a lot, that's for sure :-)
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The best interview experience ever. Since the interview was regional it was held in Miami, FL. I had my interview in the most gorgeous hotel on the 33 floor outside on the balcony facing the beach. Absolutely the most relaxing place to have an interview.
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I don't like Boston. The town was cold, boring and the school is very hard to find. plus the interview was very stressful. Oh..and the interview is scheduled at the very end of the day..which made us all stressed till the end and none of us was able to eat anything till the end. why do they do that???
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I had a really fun interview filled with a lot of laughter and jokes. I felt like I was talking to a friend and not responding to interview questions. Great place to interview.
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It was really good experience and wish i may get admitted there.
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It was very relaxing.
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It was a very relaxed, laid back interview. It didn't even feel like an interview. Dr. Polins didn't ask ANY of the typical interview questions. It was pretty much whatever you wanted to tell him. And it was mostly an opportunity for me to ask questions. Dr. Polins was very honest and open. He said I should go to whatever school I was most comfortable at.
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I really liked BU and Boston. I would love to be accepted here!
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It was really positive. We just talked. There were no real questions. Just a nice conversation where the interviewer just talked about how she was really impressed with something I had done in my life.
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I would be happy to go to Boston
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Don't drive!! I can't even remember how many times I got lost. I suggest taking a taxi. Boston is a great city, I think I would be very happy at BU. Try and go a few days in advance, like I did, to get to know the city.
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Generally, it is a really good school in clinic. BU takes care a lot for their students, and they have good ranking in National Board I. Students are happy in studying there even they know they need to borrow a lot of loans.
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I had a lengthy interview with one adcom, and ran into another in the lobby where be talked for 10 minutes. Both were very cool and weren't out to "get you". They asked some questions and wanted to see if [B]I[/B] was interested, then told me about the school and what it offers me. I liked the interview and I liked what i learned about the school. Overall it was nice
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He really different ask me a lot of questions. The main thing he asked me was if I had any questions, concerns, comments on what I learned from the website. At the end of the interview he asked a few questions about some of my life experiences, grades, DAT scores; all pretty general though. More of a recruiting effort.
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Just relax; they are pretty lay back. they just want to get to know you more.
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I enjoyed my time at the interview. Talked to the other eight students about schools and about life in general. The school made the entire time stress free and the food they provided was good. Don't stress about the interview. Throughout the day they get to figure out who you are because they have pictures of each student. So when people are talking, PAY ATTENTION and ASK QUESTIONS.
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Overall a great school! The overall gpa/dat scores of current students belies this however.
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Great, really make you feel at home-not to worry.
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The interview was pretty laid back...it was more about me asking questions than questions being asked of me. The only difficult part was explaining some of my grades.
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Positive. Was told I will be admitted at the end of what seemed to be like a very short and brief 12 minute interview.
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This is a school that caters to their students. If you are looking to go to school in Boston I think this is a school to consider.
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The overall experience was very gratifying! It was my first official acceptance, and it may be rare, but the admissions coordinator admitted me on the spot. I'll not forget that day!