How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.11 | 92 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 77 |
| Negatively | 6 |
| No change | 13 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.63 | 96 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.22 | 65 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.97 | 64 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 7 |
| 20 minutes | 12 |
| 25 minutes | 15 |
| 30 minutes | 27 |
| 35 minutes | 17 |
| 40 minutes | 4 |
| 45 minutes | 7 |
| 50 minutes | 4 |
| 55 minutes | 1 |
| 60+ minutes | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 91 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 64 |
| In a group | 27 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 89 |
| Closed file | 1 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.11 | 92 |
"Where do you see yourself Geographically in 5 years? Staying in New York?"
"why buffalo"
"Which class did you enjoy the most?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Why UB?"
"Why are you interested in dentistry?"
"What got you interested in dentistry?"
"Why dentistry/Where did you apply to and why buffalo/why did you major in Anthropology (or nonscience)/Do you know what a typical day is like for dental students"
"What started your interest in dentistry? (what event)"
"How do you plan to pay for dental school?"
"Where else have you interviewed at?"
"If someone were to serve an underserved area after graduating, should they given priority in admission?"
"Why dentistry and not medicine?"
"All normal questions"
"How many schools have you applied to? How many interviews have you been to? "
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"(I'm from Canada) Why are you applying to the USA? How many schools did you apply to? Whereabouts are you in the application process? Where do you want to live after Dental School?"
"why Buffalo? why dentistry and not medical, what is specific about dentistry u like? ur qualities that makes u a good dentist?"
"5yrs later~"
"Why not pharmacy? (I worked as a pharmacy tech. for several years)"
"Where have you been accepted? Where are you interviewing? "
"what other schools did you apply to and where else have you interviewed?"
"Why Buffalo? How will you choose between all the schools? "
"Why did you choose certain school for udnergrad?"
"Why Buffalo?"
"What time did you get in last night? Are you going to look around Buffalo after the tour? (I got in late the night before)"
"What is professionalism?"
"How do we know you can handle the science courses science you have only taken the required courses ask 3 times and every time I added more to it but it didn’t seem good enough for them. (I said everything from I got A’s in almost every science class, I got over 90th percentile on the DAT for my science average, nothing over a 20, nothing I said was good enough for them) You say you like science so why have you only taken the required courses "
"what does it mean to be a professional?"
"What should I say to the committee on your behalf?"
"Why did you choose to go to your undergrad school? If you could go back would you choose to go there again? - What other schools did you apply to/interview at?"
"Why dentistry?"
"why qualities make you a good dentist? "
"You have had a variety of experience before choosing to pursue dentistry. Can you tell me about those and what lead up to this decision?"
"Define professionalism"
"Why dentistry? (definitly going to ask this question)"
"Where else did you apply? Where are you interviewing?"
"Tell me about what you are doing now (I graduated in May)."
"Why did you go to school in Nebraska when you are from New England? "
"Define professionalism."
"Which other schools did you apply to and what are their names?"
"What types of things have you done that show your manual dexterity?"
"Would you go to the same undergraduate institution if you could do things all over again? "
"tell us about your family"
"Why did you go to princeton for undergrad?"
"What does professionalism mean to you?"
"What is professionalism? Are your parents the primary reason you chose dentistry? What schools did you interview at? Which schools did you apply to? "
"What made you choose dentistry?"
"what is professionalism"
"is your dad (hes a dentist)the primary reason you chose dentistry?"
"Whats your definition of professionalism? Why Dentistry? Why study and go to Africa your last semester? Why Buffalo? What is it about Buffalo, besides location and money, that makes you want to attend here?"
"Why not medicine?"
"how did you choose [your school] for undergrad?"
"Background info (job stuff)"
"The usual - Define professionalism and what does it mean to you?"
"Why dentistry? "
"How would you define professionalism?"
"You have had many interviews, if you get multiple acceptances how will you decide which school to go to?"
"Define professionalism. What does it mean to you?"
"Which schools did you interview at? Did you take the Kaplan course?"
"What traits do you have that would be useful in dentistry?"
"What is it about dentistry that made you want to get involved with the profession? (the second interviewer in the room with us then asked me to define "professionalism". this question WILL be asked!)."
"What traits do you think a good dental student has?"
"why dentistry"
"Tell me more about your research experience?"
"Who do you look up to?"
"What is a social issue you are interested in?"
"Can you elaborate on some of the volunteer work you did?"
"Tell me about this experience/activity in your application."
"What do you like the admissions to know about you?"
"What are the factors that determine your preference for a particular dental school?"
"We represent you so what would like us to tell the adcom on your behalf?"
"What is one aspect of dentistry you are not looking forward to?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist?"
"What made you decide on dentistry?"
"What should buffalo accept you?"
"What have you done to show you can handle the workload of dental school?"
"All were normal questions in all interviews, nothing exceptional ... "
"What do you think are difficult aspects/ what do you like least about dentistry?"
"Why Dentistry and not Medical field? "
"Can you explain what you do research in?"
"tell me about urself? 3 things that makes you a successful candidate or student at dental school? "
"What are you doing now after your graduation?"
"How would you run your practice?"
"Where would you choose to practice?"
"What characteristics do you have that would make you a good dentist? During your shadowing, what have you noticed is difficult about practicing dentistry?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What would you like us to tell the admissions committee?"
"Did you think about swimming in college?"
"What do you wish we would've asked you?"
"why are you a non science major, why buffalo, why dentistry"
"what i dislike about dentistry?"
"why dentistry?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years? - What qualities make you a good dentist? - What is your least favorite aspect of dentistry?"
"What dets you apart from other applicants?"
"define professionalism."
"Tell about your community experience. "
"what qualities do you have to make you a strong applicant? "
"Tell me at least one negative thing about dentistry"
"Why buffalo?"
"How are you going to make your selection?"
"Tell me about your community service. "
"Why dentistry? What is professionalism? What are you looking for in a dental school?"
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"What characteristics do you possess that would make you a good dentist?"
"Which of your volunteer/work experiences do you think prepared you the most to get through dental school?"
"Do you feel that you would be underprepared in dental school because you were not a science major?"
"Why dentistry as opposed to medicine? "
"volunteerism?"
"Do you think a GPA of 3.2 is an adequate preparation for dental school? "
"How do you like Buffalo and the school?"
"If you can put anything into our mouths to tell the adcoms what would it be? What do you think is harder, medical or dental school?"
"why did u get so so grade in a particular course"
"What attributes do you have that will make you a good dentist?"
"I see that you have done research, can you tell me about it. "
"out of all of these other applicants, why should we accept you? where else have you applied? if you were accepted everywhere, how would you choose?"
"What do you think will be the thing you dislike most about dentistry in 15 years? How much dental experience do you have? Do you really think that much experience will enable you to choose a career for the rest of your life?"
"What is the positive and the negative aspect of dentistry?"
"What type of community service have you done?"
"What have you done to research Dentistry?"
"What do you think is harder, dental or medical school? (there seems to be a right answer for this!!! ;) justify what you say!)"
"advantage and disadvantage of dentistry"
"If in the profession, where do you see yourself 15 years from now?"
"How would you compare undergrad studies to dental studies? (Bascially how much time you spend between the two)"
"They gave me a scenario where a patient came to me looking for a second opinion. The previous dentist they want to did some obviously poor work on the patient. The question is how would I handle it."
"Have you had other exposure to dentistry?"
"what would you do if you got accepted by all the schools you applied?"
"Why do you want to be a dentist, do you want to specialize?"
"What do you think you will not like about dentistry after 15 years of practice?"
"What do you do to relax?"
"Where do you see yourself going with dentistry in the future?"
"What was your favorite science class?"
"tell me about your experience with the dentist you shadowed"
"Why was your science gpa so low and what steps did you take to improve it?"
"What is your least favorite part of dentistry?"
"What do you like about UB?"
"Why UB?"
"If, in dental school, you find yourself in a rut, what would you do to get through it?"
"What about being a dentist appeals to you?"
"Why would you choose this school?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"A statement you want us to read to the adcom."
"What do you want us to tell the other admissions members when we meet?"
"Anything else you want to tell us?"
"Did you like undergrad? If you could go back and do it over, would you choose the same school?"
"Why did you major in business?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years? How do you think you will have time for it all?"
"how harder u think dental school is in compare to undergrad? were else did you applied and have had interview so far?"
"Why dentistry?"
"What qualities do you have that will help you to become a successful dentist?"
"What do you expect from the profession?"
"Why do you think you would be a good dentist?"
"Is there anything you would have wished we had asked you? What do you want us to tell the ad com?"
"Why dentistry? How were you involved in community service? Surprisingly I was the only one in the group of 12 people who didn't get the professionalism question."
"How did you study for the DAT?"
"What do you think about Buffalo?"
"Can you handle a lot of structure?"
"If there is one sentence you want us to tell the admissions committee about why the should except you please tell us (it took them forever to write the answer so practice it because you will repeat it 50 times)"
"the other questions were very basic, and straight from a list of questions"
"Any rejections so far? Why did you think you were rejected?"
"Do you currently do any community service? - What should I go back with and tell the admissions committee about you? "
"What are your current classes?"
"what do you want me to tell the admission committee about you?"
"What personality traits would make you a good dentist?"
"define professionalism"
"Who's your daddy (kidding of course). How many and which other schools have you applied to"
"Name some characteristics that would make you a good dentist?"
"What qualities do you possess that would make you a good dentist?"
"Tell me about your research."
"If you wanted me to tell the board of addmissions anything about you, what would you want me to tell them?"
"What did you like and dislike about dentistry from what you observed in shadowing dentists?"
"Biggest positive attribute about your application? Negative?"
"What do you see yourself doing in 10-15 years?"
"what is professionalism?"
"What are your three best qualities?"
"Have you had any other experiences besides dentsitry in order to know that that is what you truly want to pursue? Do you ahve any questions for us?"
"is your father (my father is a dentist)the main reason why you want to be a dentist also? "
"Where do you see yourself going with this in the future?"
"How did you become interested in dentistry"
"define professionalism. do you want to specialize?"
"Did you think there was a big transition going from a community college to a 4 year institution? Do you think there will be a similar transition for you going into dental school? Come March, and you have multiple acceptances in your hand, which school will you choose to attend, and how will you choose?"
"of course................ why dentistry?"
"Define professionalism."
"how will you be choosing which dental school you will be attending?"
"Why are you interested in Buffalo?"
"how many shcool did you apply and have you had interviews?"
"If you get multiple acceptances come Dec. 1st, how will you choose which one."
"What would make you a better candiate than someone else?"
"Do I know what I'm getting into? They wanted to know what I knew about the profession and what kind of dental experiences I've had such as volunteering and observing."
"Why would you pick Buffalo? What do you like about it here? Why did you apply here?"
"how many schools you did you apply? "
"What other schools are you interviewing at/ is Buffalo your # 1 choice?"
"What criteria would you used to decide which school to attend?"
"Do you have any questions for us?"
"What traits do you possess that you feel will enable you to handle this field of study?"
"what is a conflict situation you have been through and how did you deal with it"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"If there were one statement I could relay to the admissions committee, what would it be?"
"What would you hate about dentistry in 10 years?"
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"Would you want to attend school on the East coast?"
"Talked about football (Patriots vs. buffalo)"
"What do you do in your free time?"
"Why do you think you didnt do as good the first time you took the DAT?"
"Do you know how many hours of class Dental school requires you to attend? .... How do you think you can handle 30 credit hours a semester?"
"Nothing special!"
"Why not pharmacy?"
"Why dentistry? Why not medicine?"
"Why Buffalo, why NY?"
"We see you have had difficulty your initial semester of college. Can you tell us about it? - but if you don't want to you don't have to... it's really up to you so whatever you think (I tried to answer but they told me I was 'obviously bright so never mind the question') hmmmmm...."
"Tell us about your undergraduate school? why did you choose to go there?"
"How many other schools have you applied to, interviewed at?"
"Did you consider swimming in college?"
"What do you think a typical day in dental school will be like?"
"You say you like the sciences, it shows here that you are a non science major why did you do that"
"Any rejections so far? Why did you think you were rejected?"
"What are the responsibilities and privileges that come with being a professional?"
"What was your eagle scout project? this guy really read my application!!"
"everything that was asked was on this website, look through the past questions. no need for me to repeat them."
"pretty basic questions"
"There was a question about professionalism. In follow up I was asked to give my opinion as to why students have never yet responded with a particular answer that the interviewers were looking for. (This stumped me! But not in an especially awkward way; more of a conversational way.) "
"none, all questions are expected"
"no interesting questions. just the type of questions that are bound to make you slip in whatever answer you give."
"What have you gained thus far in your life from your hockey experiences?"
"Tell me about your business."
"What is professionalism?"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"Tell me about your parents' restaurant."
"Did you find that your Theology major and Biology major ever overlapped or conflicted?"
"If you wanted me to tell the board of addmissions anything about you, what would you want me to tell them?"
"If you could do your undergraduate degree again would you attend the same four-year institution?"
"Besides what we already know about you, what is a quality that will allow you to do well in dentistry?"
"Tell us about your family."
"Do you think one should be humbled? "
"-What does professionalism mean to you? -What is your opinion on mass fluoridation? -Describe your personality"
"Why Buffalo? Instead of schools like Columbia and Penn?"
"Nothin interesting really, but very in depth and probing questions. "
"what part of dentistry do you feel you will find most negative in 15 years?"
"What question would you like to have been asked by us, that we didn't ask you. What would you like the admissions com to know about you, that you have not already mentioned"
"what will be a negative aspect of dentistry in 10 yrs?"
"Why are you studying in South Africa for 5 months? What kind of courses will you be taking there? Are you going to make it back alive to attend school here if accepted?"
"Give us a last impression of you. (Final punch of yourself that can be reflected towards admissions committee)"
"What personal attribute would make you a good dentist"
"What negatives aspects of Dentistry have you seen?"
"what does the word "professionalism" mean to you?"
"What won't you like about being a dentist in 15 years?"
"Why did you choose to go to dental school here in the States over India?"
"If you get into all the schools, which one?"
"Tell me about interesting things you have seen in the Dental office."
"Nothing really, just the typical questions and the usual "professionalism" question"
"I got the standard "define professionalism" question"
"Tell us a bit about how you got here (wanting to go to dental school)."
"none"
"How do you define Professionalism?"
"We have some tough competition...how do you think you will choose?"
"They refered to my essay and asked some things about me as a person aside from grades. I liked that very much and it gave me an opportunity to crack a few jokes and let them see me as more than just a predent grade obsessed freak of nature. "
"What schools did you interview at? If you receive multiple acceptances what criteria will you use to decide where to go?"
"nothing really"
"What do you think professionalism means?"
"Define professionalism."
"Where do you see yourself going with dentistry?"
"what does professionalism mean to you?"
"What does Health Equity mean to you?"
"Nothing really. The interview was more like a conversation and they were so nice."
"Why was your science gpa so low and what changed when you retook the DAT? How did you improve?"
"Why did you not apply for a graduate program or post-bac?"
"Is there anything else you would like us to know?"
"If you don't get into dental school this year, what will you do?"
"Do you have any questions for us?"
"If accepted to multiple schools, how will you choose among them?"
"Please explain this about your application ..."
"What's a current issue in dentistry today?"
"So a man that loves cutting trees becomes a lumberjack, but there are times when it rains outside and he doesnt like his job, can you say something similiar to dentistry?"
"The writing sample before the interviews, what was a driving force that lead you to dentistry"
"1 direct and 2 indirect questions about why I chose to apply to U buffalo and whether I would attend if accepted. Kinda sad. "
"What in particular about shadowing made you want to become a dentist?"
"As interviewers, we have the opportunity to plead your case to the larger admissions committee... Knowing that we represent you, and if I told you I can tell them anything you want me to, what would you want me to tell them?"
"Introduce urself! Hm...."
"They were all straightforward."
"Im a career changer (was in finance), they asked me why i liked science all of a sudden? Why dentistry now? Seemed to ask these two questions like a billion times....annoying!!!!"
"What do you expect from a career in dentistry?"
"Is there anything you would like us to tell the ad com on your behalf?"
"Why did you choose dentitry over other health professions?"
"What separates Buffalo from everywhere else and why would you choose to come here if you are accepted everywhere you interviewed?"
"What have you done to show you are interested in community service?"
"In conclusion, what are the three most important things you would like me to tell the admissions committe on your behalf? "
"You have only taken the limited number of science corses how do we know that you can handle the science classes in dental school"
"All standard questions."
"That's all the questions you have for me? (I must have asked them about 10 questions, which felt like a lot - especially given the fact that I was the one supposed to be interviewed - he still seemed to be disappointed that I didn't have more questions)."
"Why did you help start a non-profit organization."
"nothing really, very conversational."
"At the end "What question do you wish we would have asked you?""
"all of them were stressfull."
"Nothing. Was all relatively non-stressing."
"Tell me at least one thing that you find negative about dentistry. This is the only question that I suggest you prepare for. This is a trap question (the only trap question). Buffalo is specifically looking for positive people (I know because after I received my acceptance letter I asked one of my interviewers the reason for the question). I answered with a neutral answer like, I'm exactly, "I can't really think of anything bad off the top of my head...I guess it's a bummer when people cancel on you last minute.""
"Any pressures to be a dentist? (I kept trying to explain that their wasn't, be prepared if a parent is a dentist)"
"Define professionalism"
"Good question. Although I knew it was coming, "What is professionalism" was the most difficult question I was asked."
"Nothing too difficult..."
"same as above"
"If accepted to all of the schools to which you applied, which one would you attend and why?"
"So it seems like your father's dental office is the only shadowing experience you've had for general practice? (The only time they really challenged me, but eesh!)"
"What is your biggest weakness?"
"No really difficult ones..."
"Volunteerism or community service (i drew a blank)"
"Why did you choose to attend Princeton University for your undergraduate?"
"Nothing really. "
"Nothing much. I took over from the first question and spit out everything I wanted to boast about me."
"Nothin difficult because I controlled the interview. I made sure to bring up topics that I wanted them to know."
"Why did you get a certain grade in a certain subject?"
"no real tough ones"
"without a strong bio background, do you really think you'll make it here?...the lady asked this one and shot down any response i gave"
"You don't have a lot of dental experience, how are we to know that your serious about becoming a dentist?"
"What is the negative aspect of dentistry 10 years later?"
"What negative aspects of Dentistry have you seen?"
"all questions were fairly easy"
"How many schools did you apply to/Where have you had interviews/Where is Buffalo on your list/What will you do if all teh schools accept you, etc."
"no difficult ones..."
"If you get into all the schools, which one?"
"None"
"What do you think you will not like about dentistry in 15 years?"
"What is one challenging or negative area in dentistry today?"
"What negative aspects of dentistry worry you?"
"What is one thing you do not like about the dental profession? "
"What do you think you may not like about dentistry after 15 years of practice?"
"What does professionalism mean to you?"
"Is there anything you would like us to tell the admissions committe on your behalf?"
"Define professionalism."
"What character trait do you feel has prepared you for a life in the dental profession?"
"ok...so you have been a dentist for 15 years, what negative attitude might you have toward your job."
"why did u decide to pursue a career in dentistry after having applied to med school?"
"sdn, practice, youtube videos"
"Read questions on sdn and watched youtube videos"
"I read SDN and watched some YouTube videos"
"SDN, youtube FutureDDS, talking to current students, knowing my application"
"Studied my application. Knew why I wanted to be a dentist, where the inspiration came from. Knew what impressed me about UB."
"Reviewing the website and knowing questions I wanted to ask/how I wanted to answer specific questions."
"research on SDN, research on school website, mock interview"
"Mock-interviews"
"Mock interviews and reading these feedbacks."
"sdn, previous interview experience"
"SDN, former students"
"Mock interviews, met with dental students from school, read and practiced possible interview questions."
"Reviewed Student Doctor Network, Reviewed application, practiced interviews, studied the school, and talked to current students."
"Sleep well."
"Read their website, SDN"
"website, forums,"
"SDN, school website, interview feedback, past UB dental graduates."
"being myself"
"Have an idea for common questions and have a solid foundation on my goals why I am here. "
"SDN, UB website"
"SDN, school website"
"SDN, questions found on internet and talked to people at the school."
"Read the Buffalo University website: there is a lot of information there."
"SDN was very helpful. "
"SDN, School website, Web"
"SDN, website, previous interview at NYU"
"Forum and asked around"
"This forum"
"3 mock interviews, practice with my boyfriend, read the school website, read this website, really took an honest look at my life and who I was *sounds cheezy I know, but it helped a lot*"
"SDN, school brochure, previous interviews."
"SDN, UBuffalo website"
"I read SDN and looked at my application/personal statement."
"SDN, going to other interviews"
"SDN,mock interviews"
"sdn"
"SDN, school website, read my application"
"SDN, Looked over my application, Buffalo Website"
"sdn, the school has a website with questions."
"sdn, school's website"
"SDN, reading up about the school, knowing my own strengths"
"read SDN feedback: by the way, the older interviewer said to me "we expect our interviewees to know our questions through SDN"..."
"Well, just made sure I knew everything about myself. If you know yourself well enough, what can they stump you on?"
"SDN, UB website, watched ample Sportscenter the night before."
"UB website, this website really gives you almost every question they ask."
"Other interviews, read Buffalo's site."
"SDN and the UB website."
"SDN and UB website"
"SDN and the school's website"
"SDN, UB's web site"
"Previous interviews."
"other interviews. sacrificed a chicken and live goat."
"sdn, mock"
"I logged on to AIM and spent the night away chatting. "
"SDN website, UB website, mock interviews with my friends"
"SDN interview feedback, "
"read of past SDN responses, looked through my app essay, looked at school website"
"Buffalo has a set list of questions that they ask everybody in addition to specific questions pertaining to your application. Look at all of the previous SDN entries for Buffalo--all of the standard questions are there--including "What is it to be a professional?""
"sdn interview feedbacks"
"read the SDN website, looked over my files"
"sdn, buffalo's website, read over app"
"I didn't really...I thought I'd have more honest and real answers if I just did it. It worked very well for Stony Brook, but not here..."
"This site, school website, review your AADSAS application!"
"Student doctor, mock interview, practice w/ family"
"SDN,Read over application"
"sdn, website"
"SDN, looks up stuff regarding dentistry on teh internet, talked to the dentist i shadow"
"SDN website, talked to a couple of dental students that go here."
"Read school website."
"SDN, and information sent by the school"
"SDN, school's webpage, read through my application, practiced questions"
"read sdn, read interview feedback, rehearsed my answers to the typical interview questions. I also went through their website and came up with questions to ask the interviewers."
"SDN was a help in getting me prepared for the professionalism question. I also checked out the Buffalo website. "
"Buffalo site, SDN site"
"Review my AADSAS application and go to the website."
"this site and Buffalo's"
"painted my nails, bought the cutest suit...oh, oh, I mean, I looked online for anything I could find about the school and looked up the word "professionalism" (they did ask me too )I think thats it "
"Their website and SDN "
"SDN, website, students"
"this site, UB brochure and web site, reading my application and preparing for questions that I thought they might ask"
"read the website and catalog, anticipated questions they would ask"
"Read the website, talked with current students."
"read the website, and talked to dental students from UB"
"Friendly staff and students, each interviewee got panera lunch"
"How they started the day with an ice breaker"
"Faculty and students were super nice and genuinely wanted to get to know you."
"Very great student resources, great administration"
"All candidates waited together around a large table for their interviews. We were kind of forced to socialize and this actually relieved pressure and stress."
"The sense of community and service opportunities offered."
"Everyone is very kind, school is updating lab and clinic areas, student's really enjoy UB"
"Everyone was supper friendly and seemed to really love the school and area"
"The faculty and administration impressed me the most. The students were all very friendly and helpful and the clinic was quite nice."
"The students, staff, and faculty were all very friendly and accommodating. The students seemed to have a bond with their classmates and there was a sense of community within the whole school. Everyone had positive things to say about the school and it looks like they're happy there. In terms of the actual interview, it was very efficient and well planned out. It was very informative and honest, they weren't trying to sell the school to us."
"Got a thank you email from the school after the interview and a personal call from Dean Brown congratulating me on the acceptance"
"How friendly the staff are. The atmosphere at UB is very positive, where students and professors work together and focus on success, not competition."
"The Faculty want you to succeed."
"Friendliness of students and faculty, strong clinical program, research opportunities, community service involvement, vertical tier system for clinic and family treatment...my ideal dental school."
"The organization of their admission's office."
"The friendliness of students and faculty. The clinic."
"How nice everyone was, happy the students are, and quality of clinic training."
"Admission is friendly. "
"Friendliness of student body. Every student gets their own chair. BOCA. Curriculum is intense but after speaking to the current students it isn't impossible."
"Your own chair as of 3rd year, tuition"
"reallllllly friendly students, very close-knit, nice faculty, faculty and students seemed close, really nice facilities, lots of patients"
"Clinical work "
"The amount of space dedicated to the dental schools (ie. all the chairs, all the post-doc training, etc)"
"having your won seat from the 1st year, and becoming a state resident after the first year. "
"Curriculum, facility, tuition, library! They were amazing! I observed Korean D-students studied really hard together in the library when I was in school tour!"
"Every student I talked to seemed 100% happy with Buffalo and the education they were receiving. Clinical experience is very good and every student is assigned THEIR OWN chair in the clinic for their 3rd and 4th years which is unique for a larger class size."
"Individual chairs for each student for D3 & D4 and what good chemistry students had with each other, there seemed to be a great deal of camaraderie among the students."
"Friendly attitude of students - each INDIVIDUAL student gets their own operatorium from 3rd year on (to my knowlege unique among dental schools)"
"How concerned they were about making us feel comfortable and trying to make us laugh."
"enthusiasm and confidence of students, two month long breaks, the admissions committee meets and makes the decision right away, they just can't let you know before dec 1!!!"
"The people. Everyone is so great and friendly."
"Alot. I came to the school with a neutral attitude and left feeling I could be a happy student there. The students and faculty are very nice and even funny. The structure of the classes are perfect and the building itself is better than I expected."
"Nice city, decent parking situation, nice clinics- and you get your own. Extremely cheap tuition (for dental school) and its easy to become a NY resident. Oh, and the anatomy lab was awesome. "
"The fact that you get your own chair and it is yours for your last 2 years. The students seemed diverse and they seemed like they were close they studied together."
"small class size, and the enthusiasm of the students"
"students are very happy. relaxed atmosphere"
"I was very impressed by how well the interviewers knew my application. It was obvious they put a lot of effort into learning about their candidates. Buffalo is not as "in the middle of nowhere" as everyone claims it is. The facilities were quite nice, the students were laid back."
"My interview was actually canceled cause of bad weather. but the school allowed a phone interview. It was great the way they treated me was most impressive."
"You get your own operatory 3rd and 4th year. Seeing patients is a gradual process, so you're not thrown into someting you can't handle. It's a cheap place, easy to get in state tuition. The class size is small. The female dental students were really good looking (just an observation). You get good clinical experience in your last two years. The students are very laid back and helpful."
"the locals, staff, students, faculty were all very welcoming and gracious. their emphasis on early clinical learning"
"The staff and students were so warm and encouraging. They were open and willing to share information. I am so glad I went. It was a wonderful experience. I was a little worried at first, being a non-traditional student, and having read some previous posts, but I felt very welcome. I was also really impressed by the other applicants! They were all professional, smart and very friendly! I felt so lucky to be invited among them and hoped that I made as good an impression as they did!"
"students seem to be happy. they served pizza and buffalo wings for lunch! "
"everything except the discrimination against nontraditional students. "
"Very impressed with Squire Hall, was very modern. Also learned that AT MOST, there is a 1:6 teacher:student ratio which is by far the best I have seen thus far."
"Pretty much everything. All of the dental schools that I visited had mediocre labs, but I've heard you really don't need state of the art for your first and second years as didactic work dominates. Getting your own chair in clinic is magnifico! I think I'll get a fish tank for my op."
"the clinics and staff were very nice"
"The cost of attendance, the atmopshere was pretty laid back."
"The facilities. Squire Hall seems like a wonderful place. In addition the students and faculty were warm and friendly."
"The clinical program...and the computer-based teaching."
"3rd and 4th year clinic"
"Low cost of living in Amherst and in state residency after the first year."
"The clinics are AMAZING. In your third year you get your own clinic for the next 2 years that no one else touches! So everyone put up plants and fishtanks and photographs. The pedo clinic was really cute. (Oh, and the library was soooo cool!)"
"The students all seemed to be very happy and love their school."
"Best facilities I've seen. Busy clinics with a diverse patient population. Happy students. "
"the clinic, all students get their own chair 3 + 4th year. (nicer chairs than case) really light and bright clinic. nice people."
"BEAUTIFUL campus and girls, relaxed atmos., good facility"
"wonderful campus, friendly faculty, students were HAPPY, very strong emphasis on clinical experience, BRAND NEW SIM LAB, BRAND NEW chairs and equipments"
"Amazingly clean campus, friendly people, modern facilities"
"You get your own chair 3rd and 4th year"
"happiness of the students, facilities"
"Staff, students, and admin were extremely down to earth & I felt extremely welcome. Dr.Joynt (interviewer) wasreally knowledgable & invited me to explore their school further by asking the students any further questions. (I had a list) Low cost of living & can transfer residency to NY state by second year to take advantage of in-state rates, but must live off campus."
"students get own operatory, and there are several departments in which you can be working in, pediatric etc - you can always help out during procedures even if you do not have to"
"I went around and spoke to several students. All of them had only great things to say about the school, they were all very happy and very friendly. The facilities were great, labs amazing, and you get your own chair for 2 years. Also I was able to look in on a lab class and there were like 10 faculty members in there helping students.. amazing :)"
"really really good school, get your own opertory for 2 yrs, strong clinical emphasis..."
"nothing in particular...Its a nice school, the area is a little run down"
"Thorough tour of the school. It was the first time I ever saw dead human bodies in gross anatomy lab. I also saw a dead siamese twins in a huge glass jar, cool!!!"
"facilities, friendly people"
"Everybody was so nice. The students seemed to really enjoy it there."
"faculty and students are all very nice and down to earth, seemed happy to be there. lunch was good also"
"students had GREAT personalities. met with 2 1st years and they were informative and comical...2nd years who gave the tour seemed very easy-going. EVERYONE was happy they chose buffalo"
"friendly faculty members"
"that it was so stress free and everyone was so friendly."
"Friendly people. Safe area."
"Friendly atmosphere. "
"The faculty and staff were really friendly, as were the students, all of which I met seemed to really like the school. I also like having your own chair for the 3rd and 4th years."
"Buffalo is very cheap. That was nice. I liked how you have your own chair for your 3rd and 4th year. And the entire dental building is wireless."
"Spacious, clean, well-lit, new equipment. New building. Liked the feel of the suburban campus. While initially skeptical, I think the electronic curriculum is a good idea and the way of the future for all other dental schools. You get your own operatory. There seemed to be a good deal of bonding among students and a sense of camaraderie in their tiered system."
"school seems to be well respected...it seems that graduating from Buffalo would put anyone in a good position to do many different things in dentistry"
"nice facilities, nice area"
"The clinic is clean and well kept up to date. Student are very nice."
"The day was well organized and faculty and students were nice. Buffalo has been around and always had a quality reputation."
"I like their "tier system" as well as the campus and my interviewers were funny and very personable. "
"Very clean. Students looked happy. The DVD curriculum. The fact that you have your own chair for the last too years - this is great ! Price of living. Its a clinical school."
"DVD(E)-curriculum, have own operatory during the 3rd and 4th year. good clinical education, EXTREMELY low rent"
"friendliness of everyone, honesty of answers to our questions"
"beautiful operatories in the clinics that 3rd/4th yr students keep for their entire time there, cost, location, DVD curriculum, happiness of students that are in the program and general helpful attitude of the faculty/staff, use of computers throughout the curriculum, beautiful facilities"
"The clinics were really nice and clean, the faculty, staff, and student body were all friendly and in good spirits. The cost of tuition is really low as well."
"The faculty were very genuine. They want the students to do well and become the best possible dentist. The facilities were very clean and modern. You get your own operatory for your 3rd and 4th years (nobody else will use it except you)."
"quiet area. the area doesn't have any distractions so that you can concentrate on your education. very relaxed environment. nice facility. i liked their library."
"Tour was quick and didn't get to see much"
"I did feel like I got grilled about my GPA quite a bit."
"Nothing"
"The area was quiet and the clinic was not in session that day, so it felt quite eery."
"The only real negative I can think of is the location, at least at first glance. It's definitely a smaller, quieter town than I'm used to (I'm from Los Angeles and I'm a big city type of person) but I feel like I could get used to it. Some people might point out the weather, but I like cold weather and it's not that bad."
"How old the lab and the building was. The weather and location just plain sucks. The city of Buffalo is pretty poor."
"Facilities could be updated"
"Location is in the ghetto"
"The tour was really short."
"The environment is very very windy."
"You no longer get your own clinic chair, they are changing to an 8 chair pod system"
"How unclean students were. (sorry!) Mostly with dirty clothes and very (VERY) oily hair. I suppose it was during finals! But it wasn't something you want to see in a dental or medical school! :( Few of interviewees commented on that while we were talking (that obvious it was!) In tour of Squire H. and basement we saw maybe two clean students with nice clothes and nice hair, maybe some makeup. I'm not even sure if she was a student or staff. "
"No sim lab but it shouldn't make a difference as students still come out more clinically prepared than other schools with sim labs. Facilities were a little bit older than others but no means of losing efficiency. And the worst was the tour, our tour guide practically sprinted through the whole school. We spent more time in the library than the dental school!"
"It's a state school... things aren't as nice as they would be in a private school; location"
"My interviewers were a bit rude "
"The interviewer who interviewed me was very negative and I felt berated many times. "
"school location"
"Really nothing! Maybe, just cold weather!! It was freezing temperature in the morning in October."
"Pre-clinical laboratories were very unexciting and old to say the least. However, students felt that state-of-the-art equipment wasn't necessary for an easy transition to clinic."
"Everything else: the location sucks, the faculty seemed old, set in their ways and just sloppy (one of the professors interviewing even had his shirt untucked the WHOLE time...ughh! The installations are old and they dont even have a computerized simlab. And Buffalo?? ughhh.....ugly, grey, boring, rundown......what can I tell you...not a fan...."
"Facilities are on the old site - there were no high-tech sim-labs like in all other schools I saw/interviewed in. The schools looks/feels like a cold-war communist compound"
"The tour guide was a 2nd year student that didn't really know his way around. We also got teased by students of the school - but hey, how could you resist poking at 12 sweating interviewees that clearly aren't used to getting 'dressed to impress' ;)"
"nothing much, except they don't have a sim lab. (students, however, seemed confident and skilled enough. They are given adaquate training to perform just as well as any other dental school students. or so they said)"
"The pre-clinical lab. Basement, no windows."
"The facilities. The guide said they weren't state of the art, and he was right. They aren't awful, they just weren't as upto date as other schools may have. The local area. Its not the nicest location. Buffalo itself is cool but its close to a 10 minute drive from the school. It obviously snows alot and is cold. "
"No dress code- students didn't really look/act very professional. School doesn't have a good program to prepare you to run a business."
"There is no sim lab just heads on a stick, and it look very very old and dirty. The city is grey all the time. The faculty seemed very old, not personal, un aproachable."
"the weather"
"not much"
"Nothing really. "
"Nothing, well buffalo is cold and snowy, but who cares you'll be inside studying most the time."
"You don't start seeing real patients until your 3rd and 4th year, so lot's of preclinical stuff your first two years. As we were getting the tour, one student told us not to be surprised if we see cockroaches. The lecture rooms were dimly lit and a student told us if you sit in the back you might get wet when it rains because of the holes in the ceiling (the tour guide was not happy with that remark!). The library was not impressive. They show you a very outdated video of the school."
"the facilities were a little out dated but they said they were planning to update them soon. the weather was pretty harsh."
"Nothing."
"the whole day wasnt extremly organized. they didn't really give us a lot of information regarding the school and the program. we only got to meet a few students. "
"the interview. it was a traumatizing experience."
"Nothing at all. It actually surpased all my expectations. I left feeling really impressed."
"The fact that I'll have to buy a snow blower."
"the lab work rooms were not that great"
"The location... too middle of nowhere for me."
"At the moment I can't think of anything."
"I wish I had talked to more students, especially during the waiting period to go in for my interview...there were only 2 or 3 students around."
"1st and 2nd year lab"
"Staff's Attitude."
"I got a lot of hints that the administrators are more formal with each other and with students than at most schools (no one refers to each other by first names). Made it a little less relaxes."
"It was a bit disorganized and we waited around in a room while everyone got through their interviews."
"Weather"
"the fact that student have to do their own scheduling for patients and that there is a 50% no show rate."
"Really, nothing."
"lack of diversity"
"Buffalo, 1st year facilities are outdated, UB is no Penn or Columbia"
"weather, no SIM lab, "
"no dental school dorm/apt in walking distance"
"None"
"There is NO financial aid at all for international students, student giving tour were also kind of lost in the building"
"..........can't think of anything"
"it wasnt as well organized as other interviews ive been on..."
"Fairly unorganized...I felt as though the whole day was just kind of slapped together..I didn't particularly like that. It took a long time for all the interviews to conclude, so we were waiting for quite a while."
"lame city... you'll probably have no time to hang around... but... very calm and nothing-to-do city, except for skiing and visiting Toronto, Canada."
"cold weather"
"The labs could be updated."
"nothing really"
"made a pitstop in the cafeteria after interview day was over -- looks like i'll bring my food everyday to school if i go to buffalo! ....also, on a serious note, i got the impression from my interview that Buffalo would really like to have me come to their school but so much emphasis was placed on where else i had applied and where else i had itnerviewed -- i go the sense that they thought their school was inferior to these other schools -- which isn't true! especially after seeing the school...i thought it was great."
"Old old facility. It was already cold and people were wearing jackets on street, and it was barely October."
"Old equipment."
"I drove around the area and found that the "ghetto" was between the school and the true downtown of Buffalo, but the school itself is practically in the suburbs (the North campus is definetly in the suburbs, and really nice too) Winters - but that means awesome sking too."
"The weather was gorgeous, but I've heard horror stories about the winters. Be sure to have warm clothes."
"The cold wasn't bad, but the wind was a bit much. I was disappointed that the clinics were empty when we took our tour. I wanted to see the students and faculty in action! I arrived the day earlier and was told (by Barbara) that I shouldn't go into the clinics on a self guided tour. This was really different from other schools that I went to where they encouraged me to roam freely. The profs and other students didn't seem really care too much about the fact that impressionable, potential students were in their midst. The pace of life around Buffalo seems slow (for example, it took me 30 min to check out my food from the grocery store). I was disappointed to hear that the cafeteria on the dental school's campus closed after lunch. "
"the tour was definitely weak...i guess they didn't want to walk us around outside in the frigid cold..."
"weather, and patient scheduling"
"It's too cold in the winter...."
"Besides the fact of my interviewer saying "don't be nervous 10 times" I was fine until he starting repeating that. The area and weather. Did not get to see any of downtown buffalo b/c of a blizzard (65mph winds and snow). The clinic was one huge area with no division among chairs. As a patient I would be a little freaked out. Also, students were nice and content with their education, but nobody seemed to be excited on the school. Everyone I met was from Northwestern NY so I felt like they attended just b/c it was a close school in the area."
"The student giving the tour seemed unprepared to do so and wasn't able to show us the anatomy lab because his "key didnt work""
"Its VERY cold there. One student(not from the once that were giving the tour) said loud: DONT COME HERE.... I asked why but I never got an answer...."
"need for use of shuttle buses (i am too independent for this - but there is not space for parking left after 7-8am)"
"the tour was not as thorough as others I have been on"
"size of the combined MD/DDS class that take the basic sciences together (about 200 students but hey, I love small)"
"Many of the lectures are given at the med-school next door."
"Nothing...except that Buffalo gets pretty cold in the winter"
"weather's not that bad. people exaggerate. if u like snow, skiing etc.... then no problem."
"There was no writing sample or case scenario. Just one open file interview with 2 staff members. Interview was supposed to be 30 minutes but mine took about 40-45."
"To know my major better and try to be more expert in my major."
"The provided "breakfast" was actually a granola bar. lol. So eat before"
"I was worried about my answers in the interview since I was rather nervous throughout it and sometimes struggling for words. They were very kind and I knew, after the fact, that they were rooting for me. Just go in there with confidence and be genuine and honest. Also, don't worry about the written essay. It's a general question and quite simple to answer. If you're well-read and have practice writing short-response answers for in-class tests, you'll do well."
"That we wouldn't have a tour of the library and the dinning building because it would take too much time. Also for the city buses, you would have to pay EVERY time you transfer to a different one (unlike nyc)"
"How laid back the interview is"
"I wish I would have practiced writing out my responses to possible questions. It would have helped with the written essay question."
"The entire interview experience was really laid back."
"Where to park at the school"
"Apparently, you are ranked on how you did in the interview, while you are eating lunch."
"During lunch (after the interviews) you sit down with other members of the interview committee. While it is relaxed, stay polite and treat this time professionally."
"If I had known the level of uncleanness, I would have NOT attended the interview. "
"It can be chilly at night and early morning but luckily it was a very nice and sunny day for us. "
"Where the building was exactly - my shuttle dropped us off at the back of some building and we had to walk around for a little while"
"Nothing really"
"That the Dean snowboards: it could have made for good small talk around lunch. Too bad I only found out near the end. You can leave your coat/bags with one of the secretaries of the Admissions Committee - it's less awkward than leaving it at the patient scheduling desk :( lol... The school is really big, and the tour is really small - you barely see any of it. So if you really want to see the school, schedule a full one (there are two campuses)."
"Forget to take a school snap shot!"
"I knew a lot about the school prior to my interview."
"How impatient and short the interviewers were....didnt like them AT ALL. The write everything that comes out of your mouth...they might as well just record it...geeeessss"
"They ask you to be there at 8:45am and I thought it would start at 9:00 and arrived at 8:50am and they already had started (BE there at exactly the time they say) The reson I was 5min late was because the cab got lost - the signaling for the school is TERRIBLE. Even once IN the Buffalo campus it was very confusing - NO SIGNS WHATSOEVER. And people and cabs in Buffalo dont seem to have the slightest idea os where the dental school is located. Go WELL in advance - I left ONE HOUR before and, well, read above..."
"That you can never have enough questions to ask - but not to even worry about it. It's good to have questions prepared, but be sure that they will ALL be thoroughly answered + any that you could have possibly imagined"
"This is one of the oldest dental school in the nation and so it has a great tradition to rely on for its glories!"
"That I would have both a faculty member and a student interviewing me."
"I wish I knew how nice the students were, I probably wouldn't be as nervous. Other than that I think I gained alot of postive thoughts about the school after the interview."
"Despite the fact that I was hoping to love this school, I left with bad vibes from it. "
"Nothing i had to see it to believe it"
"not much"
"That I could have gotten an earlier flight back; and that the weather is really not that bad (then again, this has been very mild winter in NY)."
"They decide if you're accepted after all 12 are done interviewing and you're touring the library. How's that for pressure? Ya....Oh yeah, don't lean in when looking at dead bodies, you'll get knocked out by the smell. Upstate New York people have accents, cool! Times Square is very far away."
" since i didn't have a rental car, i was pretty much stranded at my hotel in the middle of nowhere. i wish i stayed in a hotel closer to downtown buffalo."
"I can't think of anything except that I didn't need to be so nervous before I went. I think everyone was nervous at first and the Admissions Coordinator Barbara told us we need to relax a little! So we did, and then it was just enjoyable!"
"how much i should have prepared for the interrogation that they call "interview" and how you have no chance of rectifying things that might have gone wrong during the interview, since they make their decisions the same day."
"not much."
"That Buffalo really is a top program. That Dr. Brown is a total stud. That hot wings from Duff's are actually wicked hot (but extremely good)."
"I wish I didn't get directions off the internet because they were not exact."
"How far away buffalo really is."
"It was finals week so we were unable to see some classrooms."
"How impressed I would be with the program. "
"don't book your returning flight to far past the end of the interview"
"That it's not just a random state dental school - UB has tons to offer!! And the weather isn't THAT bad."
"That I could have taken an earlier flight."
"that i could have gotten an earlier flight out"
"check out the buffalo wings"
"they would like to increase diversity so if you're a minority student, you are sure to get into this program. "
"Interview is quite laid back, but if you want to guarantee your admission, personalize your interview answers so that you'll give the impression that you WILL come to Buffalo and that education at Buffalo will provide the BEST education among all others. "
"that there would be a lot of walking, that we would have to wait 1.5 hours for everyone to be interviewed"
"how much walking the interview was, how laid back environment it was"
"Bundle up & moisturize well--the wind in Buffalo really picks up after 5pm in the winter time--it was a struggle to close my car door and I got an extremely cold/wind-chapped face."
"There is NO financial aid at all for international students"
"How cheap the housing was, you dont need to stay through the school, you cant get most houses per month for the price of a hotel room per night"
"you would be waiting for a longg time while everyone had their interviews"
"That there was free parking right next to where I paid for parking"
"nothing no surprises."
"two people will interview you with an open file, it's only one interview total, it's not stressful, you're going to have to go outside, so dress appropriately"
"teh travelodge is convenient but not a 4 star hotel...my room didnt have a clock in it!"
"That 10 min. writing sample thing, you can't prepare for it. Topic is different for each interview date."
"My hotel was a dump."
"That the school isn't really in the heart of the city, that we were going to have the interviews before the tour, that you have to have an off campus address to get in-state residency your 2nd year. "
"nothing really."
"There is a nice grocery store and some fast food places right next to the Travelodge in the University District. This hotel was the right choice for a cheapo like me. I got my food from the grocery store. The dental school is a short walk across the street from the Travelodge. No need to rent a taxi. The people at the Travelodge were great. I left something there and they mailed it to me on the honor system if I agreed to send them a check for the postage. Advice for interviewing at any school: find the preclinc lab and talk to the students there."
"I did know this...but everyone be ready...they always ask...what does professionalism mean to you?"
"That the school is in a quiet location."
"E-file curriculum"
"They interview only 12 people every TH. Which means that they can interview not more than 100 pople starting from Oct. to the 1st of Dec (do the math) for a class of 85. This means that if you have an interview before dec. and resonable stats you should have no problem getting accepted."
"--"
"nothing"
"They are very nice. Just brainstorm your answers and be yourself. Make sure you ask questions and show that you are really passionate."
"Great school and the student body is cohesive and loves to have fun."
"The interview process was great. It might seem intimidating because of the writing sample and case study that go along with the interview, but they weren't really that bad. The writing sample was 10 minutes long and it was an easy question. The case study was with the Director of Admissions, Dr. Brown, and he was very nice. The topic was interesting and something that you couldn't possibly have prepared for, but Dr. Brown gives you a minute to think and walks you through it. You have to think on your feet, but there's really no right or wrong answer. I think he's just trying to gauge your ability to form an opinion on the fly. The actual interview was conducted by a faculty member and two 4th year students on the admissions committee. It was really laid back and comfortable. After I met them, I liked them immediately. It was so relaxed and the interview felt like a breeze. At the end of the interview process, we had lunch with the interviewers which seemed to consist of faculty and upper classmen. It was a good experience and it seemed to go by quickly. We started at 8:30 and we were done by 1:30, but there were only 8 interviewees in my group. They told us we'd hear from them in 1-2 weeks, so I'm basically going to be checking my email 24/7!"
"Loved the program and how nice the admission committee was, but wish it was in nyc."
"Don't over prepare. Be yourself and truly know why you want to be a dental professional."
"Be yourself or if you awkward do something different."
"Don't be afraid to ask a bunch of questions to current students. They WANT to help you! Don't worry about the writing sample question...just write. Case scenario isn't bad at all, actually had fun with it. Just be able to support your own opinions. Other interviewees were very sociable and friendly. I had a really good experience here!"
"Don't worry about the writing sample. Just make sure to get a good night's sleep before this interview."
"overall a good experience, and I love Buffalo SDM"
"When you find the perfect fit you will know it. Good luck."
"If you are picky about being clean, apply to somewhere in CA, most schools in Midwest, or WA, VA, WV, NC,..."
"Overall I had a great time there, there's plenty of things to do in Buffalo, downtown, eat (WINGS!), sight seeing, and other outdoor activities. Although the tour was quick, I was still able to see students at work and they worked well with one another, helping each other out on some stations. Great school to attend even if you are out of state, you get residency in one year. "
"Was not really a fan of the case scenario... otherwise, the interview was not as stressful as I'd heard/thought. My interviewers were so nice and friendly!"
"~13 interviewees. Consists of a writing sample (10 min exactly), traditional interview (25-30 min), case scenario (5-10min) Sample was ok. They specifically check for your writing skills and not really what the topic is (they said it directly). Traditional interview was one-on-one against 3 people (2 profs, 1 4th year for me). Asked many questions, but were pretty friendly. Case scenario was interesting and not stressful. Dr. Brown did most of the talking. He is a very nice guy. "
"Seems like a great school with many opportunities... The students seem pretty happy with their choices and the city doesn't seem as boring as others make it out to be - sounds like they have a lot of fun in Buffalo."
"at the beginning u have an easy essay Q, do not worry. dental school is in graduate side and it was dead, I saw only a few students. campus location looks a little depressing."
"Amazing school! It becomes one of my top choice schools! Campus is also awesome! I like their curriculum. They focus on smooth transition from year 1 to private practice or specialty programs. Very close from my undergrad institution!"
"The school is very nice and the education you receive is obviously top notch. Students are extremely close-knit and participate in lots of class events. There are two different interviews: one 10 minute discussion with the dean of admission about an ethical situation in dentistry and one 20 minute interview with a faculty member and 4th year student. Both interviews are extremely laid back and more like a conversation than anything."
"Sucked - what can I tell you? They seemed to feel almost bothered to be interviewing, interrupted, didnt smile to save their lives - felt rushed and disposable."
"Interview was done by a faculty member (guy) and a 4th year student (girl). She seemed to enjoy making me sweat and he seemed in a rush to finish, would bareley listen to answers to his questions...didnt like the interview OR them. Others had better experiences with other professor-student teams though, so maybe I just got a cranky pair."
"I was really nervous - it was my first - but my interviewers really did just want to get to know me. They will talk to you about anything you are open too. You MUST be able to laugh at yourself. Not only did I make a joke that NO ONE laughed at, but I fell over in my heels, almost slid down the handicap ramp, and ran into a bar I thought was a revolving door along the tour. These things happen ^.^ "
"Start with a great video, then a short essay writing. Then interveiws. It was great, the interveiwers were very friendly and paid close attention to everythig I had to say. They were very positive about responding on my good side rather than nitpicking my negatives."
"School is awesome. Loved the people."
"Good, but short. I was a little nervous that most students were taking 30-40 minutes in their interview and mine was only 10-15 minutes. I had the interviewers laughing and smiling so I think it went well, they just didn't ask me any hard questions. (Hopefull thats a good sign)."
"Questions were pretty standard. Staff was really nice, gave us water, and a good presentation. I got probably the best look at all aspects of this school of any schools I interviewed at. "
"There were 2 people who interviewed(male and female) me very old and you cant talk to them because they wont talk to you not personable. Would write down every single word that would come out of my mouth both of them. Would not smile or interact with me. Would interrupt me so I would slow down so they can write down word for word what i would say, i thought they should have given me the form with the questions so i would have filled it out myself."
"the interview was very pleasent, and pretty much everyone interviewing that day felt that it was a very relaxed atmosphere "
"People really tried to help us relax. No big suprise except taking a photo of individuals."
"The students all seemed pretty chill and the interview was pretty laid back. However, it was pretty obvious that the interviewers were reading questions off a sheet. Furthermore, as soon as I would start answering a question, all 3 interviewers would suddenly start writing, and that was a bit intimidating at first - felt like I was a school teacher or something - one interviewer even apologized about it. Overall, it was a very good experience and I great school."
"I felt like i would be at a disadvantage having a phone interview, but i felt better on that phone interview then my 5 previous interviews at the actual schools. the admissions really read my application, not just as they were interviewing me. and i was accepted in december. the school seems great and is number one on my list."
"planes got delayed like crazy, so prepare for that. when i got to buffalo, it was smooth sailing. the best part of the trip was meeting the d students and the other kids getting interviewed. they were awesome. starts off with a video from 1985, then a 10 minute writing sample, then interviews, tour, lunch. great time! "
"i was nervous but enjoyed it. i didn't feel like it was very formal with the repetition of question and answer. it was conversational, like i said before."
"Warm fuzzies."
"the interview wasn't as laid back as the one i had at Tufts, but it wasn't too bad. i had an older professor and a senior student inverviewing me. the student seemed friendly. the professor looked bored and was talking so fast that i had to ask what his question was twice.he wasnt that bad overall but i was a little intimidated. there werent a whole lot of eye-contact. they were all busy writing down stuff. "
"I was drilled, almost interrogated, and interrupted twice. I was asked many trap questions. I had 2 interviewers: one was an older doctor and the other was a senior student who was acting a bit authoritative and suspicious of me and my interest in pursuing dentistry. They did not say a single positive comment about my character or application. It was rather stressful and I came out of the interview with a headache. The older interviewer laughed at my answers twice! He also made it seem like every answer I gave was retarded. I have a high GPA and a good DAT score. I have a graduate degree and a couple of publications and I am working on the third. They ignored all of that and focused on the deficiencies of my application. My lack of experience in shadowing a dentist made them suspicious and they lingered on the issue. They also called my non-traditional path to dentistry “convoluted†as opposed to “well-rounded.†All interviewees on that day said that it was laid back, except two other non-traditional students. I believe that there is bias against non-traditional applicants at buffalo. Too bad, such a wonderful school, such a great student body and then I get those interviewers. It was a matter of luck and I simply did not have luck. I wish I was not a fucking non-traditional student. If I was the typical 22 year old guy who just came out of college, they would not have had the chance to question the years I spent before applying to dental school and give me a hard time. It seems that the adcom wants to keep the student body young, white and small-town-rooted. "
"Was great, I got in, I am very pleased. The entire interview day was organized very professionally and was the best I've experienced thus far. I'm from Canada, so I love the snow, others may not. The interviewers consisted of one faculty member and a 4th year dental student. It was formal and involved many questions from my personal file. I felt it went really well. "
"5 Stars! This place is for me. Hope to see you there (unless of course you're some arrogant wiener, which they'll pick up on anyway and you won't make it past the screen). Enjoy your interview. The pizza's good but Duff's has better wings (about 10 min from campus)."
"The interview experience was very good. I was really nervous but at most you will have two interviewers so its not so bad. "
"The school is very good but I just don't like the idea of living next to nothing. They try to hype the fact that Buffalo is close to Toronto. What they then tell you is that Toronto is 2 hours away from Buffalo. "
"Overall an excellent experience. In addition, they let you know in 10-14 days if you are accepted, waitlisted or denied."
"VERY low stress...they really just wanted to get to know me. It concluded with them asking if there were any other questions that they should have asked, and if I thought they had received an adequate impression of me."
"The interview was very relaxed. Mostly conversational. The addmissions department is very friendly and helpful. You watch a movie, write a 10 minute essay, and have a 45 minute interview (either 1 on 1 or 2 on 1). There is a lot of downtime where you just sit and chat with actual students and other interviewees. The students say that they don't have any say in your addmissions so you can ask them anything. You get buffalo wings for lunch which was pretty sweet. Bring a jacket b/c buffalo is cold."
"I feel that it was too short and that I was unable to get a true feel for the school and surrounding area."
"The opening introductions and information gave me sort of a neutral impression of a normal dental program. You have to give a sample of your writing and watch a video. The interview wasn't bad, though they offered a few more challenge questions than the others I did. However, when we ended up chatting about classes and Buffalo in general it got VERY casual and they seemed to enjoy just getting to know me. So don't get alarmed at any questions; use them to get back to your good qualities. The library and clinics are AMAZING, and the campus is really quite nice! The students seem relaxed, friendly, and were constantly teasing and swearing at each other ;). It seems laid back but very professional, and you get TONS of clinical experience. They do stress that you'll work 80+ hours a week though."
"The interview was with a faculty/admissions member. They made me feel as comfortable as possible while trying to get the information they needed. Very professional. The tour of the school was impressive and the students were very honest with us. "
"friendly, conversational"
"brilliant"
"positive, relaxed, and my chance to flaunt my forte and explain weaknesses in a positive light"
"The interview experience was not really stressful. The interviewers made you feel very comfortable. All fo the faculty were extremely nice especially the secretary, Barbara. The clinics are a little out of date compared to some other schools; really nice library which has wireless internet all around. "
"overall with the school itself i was pleased. seemed to have good facilities, staff and surrounding area. My interview itself was by two doctors that were very professional and personable. I felt the way they asked questions were very well done. They did ask me tough questions like explaining a grade and probing into any answer I had. Though, they werent doing it to be intimidating, they were doing it to just know more and they clearer would tell me that before they would ask anything. That helped me to be less apprehensive and give a more comprehensive answer, but also them asking their question.They were very organized and definitely knew all about me when i came in. I appreciate their demeanor and their treatment of me."
"Staff, students, and admin were extremely down to earth & I felt extremely welcome, in contrast, the other applicants were cold & competitive. Had mug shot taken. After a brief video presentation about the school & introductions, we chatted with the students while waiting to be interviewed. Dr. Joynt is extremely friendly--was asked questions listed previously on SDN & questions regarding my application. Also chatted about experience at other dental school interivews. Was lead on tour of library, lecture halls, anatomy lab, clinics & neurology study by really nice. Preclinical labs are in the basement & all dental buildings are linked underground. Clinics are nice--school provides instruments (aka, can not take them when you leave). You get your own operatory during 3rd & 4th year--tiered group practice system. 15,000 patient files, 6,500 patient under active treatment at any time. You take basic science lectures with med students, but dental students get separate exams & labs. Big brother/sister program exists. Received acceptance letter 1 week later. Good Luck!"
"little unorganized"
"This school really took my breath away, between the vast high tech facilites, nice faculty, and friendly students, I think buffalo should really be a consideration for every applicant"
"the school, students, admissions faculty were great and made the school very impressive in my mind...my interview was not so much..i had 2 ppl, one really nice man and another very intimidating lady which made for a very interesting dynamic. i thought my interview went really badly because the lady kept ripping me apart, but i think she just did that to see how you dealt with stress because other ppl who had her thought the same thing..i was accepted 2 days after. if you are yourself and confident you should be fine even tho it may not seem like it at the time..."
"It overall wasn't a bad or good experience. The students who came and talked to us were overall great! The interview...well...I thought it went absolutely horrible. There were two of them, one was an older lady with an accent and the other a middle aged man. The man was *very* nice, while the woman...jesus...She lit into and constantly questioned, and requestioned everyone of my answers and it really threw me off guard. I think she was testing how well I could handle stress and criticism, but it still made the interview a pretty bad experience. I honestly was pretty bummed until another girl had the same interviewers and had the same impression as I did. But either way, I got accepted 2 days after the interview."
"I had the interview on Dec. 2nd and I received my acceptance on the 8th. I think the prime reason for the acceptance was showing great great great interest of the school. I talked about post-graduate biomaterial program and asked lots of question on it. Also, summer research program in the Instrumentation Center. Show that you are really interested in SUNY Buffalo Dentistry! I had no hard questions. Make sure you are the one who does the most of talking. Elaborate on every question you have. Avoid one or two sentence answers."
"It was a very relaxing day. We arrived and met in a room and saw a video about the school. Students were taken out one by one for their interview and they were brought back in. We did a campus tour, ate lunch, at that was it! I was accepted less than a week later."
"I am much more excited about this school than I was before and I would be happy to attend."
"10 minute writing sample is basically only to test your writing skills, has nothing to do with content really - my question was "who was your favorite teacher and why?" for the actual interview part, it was with two faculty members. i think they have a set list of questions that they were asking of a sheet of paper and were taking notes from our responses. if you look at all the other feedbacks, you will have pretty much all the questions that will be asked. the interview is very relaxed, they won't try to drill you or anything, mainly i think they are just trying to get to know you. "
"very positive and i really thought the school was great -- better than i imagined. originally i wasn't thinking too seriously about buffalo but they definitely proved themselves to me...i'd be very happy with my education if i attended"
"I want to recommend to use "travelodge" --within walking distance from dental school and there are many food shops next to travelodge and you can meet a very gentle and kind manager there. He is really supportative. "
"It was a very nice experience. All it is, that they really want to get to know you. I met a lot of friendly and smart students and would definately want to go to school with them. The operatories are very well kept and I loved their tier system. It makes you well prepared when you get "out there"."
"Solid program, but old old facility, and cold area. That 10 min. writing sample thing, you can't prepare for it. Topic is different for each interview date."
"Very casual, laid back. "
"Overall the school impressed me, especially how much everyone seemd to enjoy being there with each other, which is a huge plus since this is going to be your life for four years. It really wasn't stressful at all, they just tell you how it is, and it seemed like the students were giving truthful answers and not blowing smoke. Some students passed up some more well known schools to attend Buffalo - I think that says a lot. The essay was simple - what quality do you possess that will make you an effective dentist? "
"Overall, the interview went very well. Two days prior, I got an email informing me that they would want us to complete a writing sample in 10 minutes. So, as part of the process, we had to do this writing assignment. Other than that, the interview was great. Buffalo is a great school for the price. All total, when you factor in living expenses, it costs half as much as a private school in a big city (NYU, Tufts, BU, Temple, UPenn). The staff was very friendly and the students really seemed to enjoy it. Some of the students had turned down acceptances at some top schools to come to UB."
"This was one of the 2 most organized and serious interviews I sat through. I appreciate that. They had standard questions that they ask everyone. They may also have had a short list of questions that they chose from to ask people. In addition, they had specific questions for me that they had written down beforehand while reviewing my application. The school has a bit of a PR problem: while on the tour at least a couple other students said out loud "Don't go here". Reading SDN, apparently these are not isolated incidents. I wish I could have gotten to the bottom of this to see if it was just some kind of a joke. As an interviewee, it is anything but a joke! I really liked the suburban setting with easy access to the urban beneftis of Buffalo. This is a safe and cheap place to live. If you have extra time, it might be nice to take the free bus to the main campus to check it out. While I was initially put off a bit by the comments of some students, I later came to really appreciate this school. This school is a great value and may be even cheaper than your own state school (if you have one). You can get NY residency in the second year. This school has a great research reputation and good acceptance rate for those wanting to specialize."
"it's a good school...the first year and second year facilities aren't the best...but the third and fourth year facilities are great...all students get their own chair"
"Everyone was very very nice to me. One of the staff came up to me and ask where I am from. We end up have a conversation. The interview wasn't bad at all. The interviewer asked basic questions like: Why Dentistry, do you want to specialize, what are your strengh, etc... Just be yourself and you'll be fine."
"It's a quality school. I've known of its reputation for creating great dentists with a good background. Looks like potential for a good social graduate experience among the class with intramurals and events. I think the clinics can get updated, but there OK. I feel the students are satisfied with their education, but not overly enthusiastic whether it's the school or maybe just the location?"
"Overall very nice with almost no stress."
"Good experience, seemed like everyone you met, in a way was evaluating you - people seem to be cautious about who they pick."
"I had an idea going into the day but now I am quite certain that UB is a great dental school. The clinics are beautiful, modern and the best part is that you keep the same operatory for 2 years. I really like the research program and the possiblity of graduating with honors in research. The school also has a minors program where students can specialize in an area during their 4th year. The curriculum utilizes a DVD system that has lecture slides, presentations, textbooks, the works. But if you're not happy with reading something on the computer, printing is free for dental students in the medical/dental library (another fine aspect of the school). The cost of living in the Buffalo area is very reasonable and I like the area -- a mix of big city and suburbia. "
"Overall a very stress-free interview. They fed us well, and did everything they could to relax us."
"It was very laid back. They just want to get to know you at the interview. so sit back, relax and be yourself."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 87 |
| Faculty member | 3 |
| Admissions staff | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 49 |
| Neutral | 12 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.58 | 60 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 23 |
| Out of state | 37 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 8 |
| 2-3 hours | 19 |
| 4-6 hours | 13 |
| 7+ hours | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 36 |
| Automobile | 18 |
| Train or subway | 5 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 9 |
| $101-$200 | 7 |
| $201-$300 | 11 |
| $301-$400 | 10 |
| $401-$500 | 4 |
| $501+ | 12 |
Buffalo-Niagara
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BNIA)
JFK
Delta
JetBlue
Buffalo International
Buffalo niagara
buffalo Niagra international
Buffalo international airport
buf
YHM
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 2 |
| Hotel | 43 |
| Home | 2 |
| Other | 0 |
Marriott Courtyard
No
Sleep Inn & Suites
University Manor Inn
Yes
Marriott Courtyard
No
Sleep Inn & Suites
University Manor Inn
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.95 | 63 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.25 | 65 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.12 | 66 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.94 | 34 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.24 | 34 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.19 | 32 |
"I wish it had been in person, but the admissions office did a great job in keeping everyone relaxed and interested."
"None."
"Have all those interviewing sit side by side against a wall while we wait (like NYU's interview) rather than inside a classroom and facing the board. It was so awkward and quiet because of that since we were so far away from each other."
"Perhaps prior to someone's interview, send out information about how to get to the school and where to park, etc."
"Nothing"
"Suggestions for hotels near the school and parking information. Also, how to reach the admission's office. For information regarding inviting parents to the info session, which was really friendly."
"I would have loved a longer tour and being able to see the lecture halls"
"Thanks so much for being so friendly and responsive!"
"The Admissions Office is really nice. Everyone I was in contact with was very helpful to me."
"Great! Nice people!"
"I would have liked to tour the school prior to the interview."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?