How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.66 | 58 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 51 |
| Negatively | 2 |
| No change | 6 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.95 | 58 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.49 | 43 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.40 | 43 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 2 |
| 20 minutes | 6 |
| 25 minutes | 8 |
| 30 minutes | 17 |
| 35 minutes | 4 |
| 40 minutes | 12 |
| 45 minutes | 5 |
| 50 minutes | 2 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 58 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 49 |
| In a group | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 57 |
| Closed file | 1 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.66 | 58 |
"They had already read my application and just wanted further information. They asked specific questions about my unique extracurriculars and also my answer to the essay."
"Why you?"
"First question: Why dentistry? What got you interested?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing after you graduate from dental school?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"About my school honor"
"Questions about teaching/TA experience."
"How did you like UCLA (undergrad)?"
"no real questions.."
"There were no real specific interview type questions. As others have said it was pretty open and conversational. I would say that my interviewer, who was one of the group practice administrators, did not really review my AADSAS application. The questions that came up were all based on the essay that I wrote at the start of the day. I wrote about my job as I'm a nontraditional applicant. In the essay I stated leadership was forced on me and she asked what I meant by that."
"What do you do to relax?"
"Do you want to specialize?"
"So, have you visited our dental school before (considering that I live close to school) my honest answer: No What are the questions you have about our school? (Yes, this was the next question)"
"tell us about your research experience"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Why dentistry, and why not medicine? (Brothers are in medical school)"
"Why dentistry?"
"As you know, dental school is much different than undergrad. It takes a large time commitment. Have you had any time during school where you were really under a lot of pressure with school/work?"
"Which school did you get in?"
"What did you do in the research project? What was your duties?"
"Which schools did you apply to?"
"Tell me about the most stressful quarter you had in college."
"what do you do in your free time, when you are not studying?"
"Tell me why you want to be a dentist?"
"You had excellent grades in high school, why did you decide to go to community college first?"
"What is your favorite book?"
"Talk about urself. "
"Why UCLA?"
"How did you become interested in dentistry?"
"Tell me about your family."
"Why should we choose you over other candidates?"
"Why not medicine?"
"Tell us about yourself. "
"what do you see yourself in ten years?"
"Tell me about yourself...why do you have these certain goals"
"How does blah relate to dentistry."
"Standard questions: what got you interested in dentistry? "
"Tell me about yourself."
"How does your research experience relate to your wanting to be a dentist?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"They asked me about my suggestions for the issues that I discussed in my essay."
"Describe your passion for dentistry."
"Why dentistry"
"You know, there were times when I had 15 exams in 5 days. Do you think you would be able to handle that?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What did you think of working at...?"
"I see you did X, how was that?"
"hobbies"
"Questions about research experience."
"What things do you do outside of academics?"
"Asked how I maintain my schedule and if I would manage with out administrative assistance."
"Why are you interested in dentistry? Give specific reasons."
"Introduce urself"
"What is your next question about our school? (This came up after I asked my first question) Next question: What qualities can you bring to the class? "
"Do you want to specialize?"
"have you done any volunteering?"
"Why did you stop playing football when you got into college?"
"Why UCLA and not your state school?"
"The courseload at UCLA is very demanding. Do you think you will be able to handle it?"
"Will you go to ucla if we offer you admission?"
"What have you been doing after graduation?"
"Why UCLA?"
"What did you do to de-stress yourself?"
"how did you choose dentistry?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"Will you accept our offer?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"How will you deal with the stress associated with a difficult curriculum?"
"Why dentistry? "
"How do you hope to refine your study habits to succeed at UCLA?"
"Tell me about a stressful semester during undergrad and how you dealt with it."
"What do you think will be most challenging for you in dental school? "
"Why UCLA (and for you instate folks unlike myself... be ready to talk about what other schools you applied to and why. Every instate person was asked this question)."
"Why not medicine?"
"why dentistry, why now"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years"
"why ucla (besides the weather, a proximity to family)"
"Why UCLA"
"They asked me about my personal statement as wel as stuff from the secondary."
"What other schools did you apply to, and why?"
"What global current events has affected you?"
"Can I do the same work for 30 years?"
"N/A- was very conversational, asking about things you mentioned in your app (they have it in front of them) and essay."
"Why UCLA"
"Where else have you interviewed? How were they?"
"Why UCLA?"
"Tell me more about your research experience. What was your role? Any publications?"
"Questions about dental volunteer work."
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"Asked if I understood that I'll be at the bottom and if I was ok with that."
"Tell me about your family. "
"Do you think you should modify your study habits for dental school, and if yes, how?"
"Where do you se yourself in 15 years?"
"what specific instance was influential to you when you were shadowing?"
"Why no research?"
"(only two questions, see above)"
"Where do you see yourself after graduating? Where do you want to practice, do you want to pursue a specialty, etc."
"Are you interested in research? Tell us about your research."
"[They didn't ask me why I wanted to go to their school, which surprised me]"
"Why ucla and why dentistry?"
"Why did you fail your mathematics course in college? Please explain."
"Name some things you can do which positively can change dentistry and public awareness of dentistry"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"tell me about your future personal and professional goals?"
"Nothing else. Mostly I asked him questions about what he was interested in and about opportunities in dentistry and at UCLA. "
"That was it...No "Why dentistry?", "Why UCLA?"...I was so over prepared and I didn't get to use anything. "
"Dental school is very demanding, how will you find time for your hobbies/interests?"
"Do u have any questions for me?"
"What are your future goals as a dentist."
"Questions regarding my secondary and personal statement. "
"Detailed questions about my research"
"Why dentistry."
"Tell me more about your research. "
"Which schools have you applied to? Why did you apply to X?"
"about family"
"Hard question, can't give it away...."
"where else have you interviewed? "
"What do you see yourself in 10 years? How does this experience related to dentistry? A lot of questions are from your personal statement and your 2nd app."
"Why not medicine?"
"Do you really have a passion for dentistry?"
"Why did you select UCLA?"
"What specialty are you looking to get in to? (This is a trick question. If you're asked this, never respond ortho or perio or whatever specialty you're thinking of saying. The only correct answer is to say you would like to get more experience before deciding on a specialty.)"
"How do you use technology for remote dental clinics?"
"Dental school requires you to be selfish. You need to succeed to put yourself in a position to do well later on and provide for your family. There will be times when you have to put yourself before your family during dental school. (Can you handle that? Are you willing to do that?) was implied from the statement."
"Dentistry is a very social career, what do you think about that?"
"What have you learned from being a teacher?"
"Interesting is relative I guess. I thought it was interesting that her questions were not really questions that would be used to determine if I was an acceptable candidate but instead to see if I'd be willing to put up with being a dental student."
"I was not born in the US, so I had some questions about how I grew up."
"---"
"None"
"What's the biggest problem facing dentistry today?"
"Why did you decide to stop playing football when you got into college. I was a Pac-10 recruit in high school and decided to go academic but coached varsity football in my sophomore year of College. Didn't expect this but gave my reasoning for giving up."
"tell me about yourself"
"What have you learned from your thesis?"
"You took a class called ''Creativity and Knowledge.'' Tell us about that."
"[after seeing that both my parents were dentists] so tell me about your parents' practice."
"If you don't get into UCLA will you go to the out of state school that you got in?"
"Name some things you can do which can positively change dentistry and public awareness of dentistry"
"Tell me about the most stressful quarter you had in college. "
"In twenty or thirty years, what do you think will be the major issues facing dentistry? How do you propose to help resolve them? "
"Do you feel your academically prepared to handle UCLA's curriculum?"
"Why not vet?"
"Nothing really interesting."
"N/A"
"How was the travel to Crater Lake, Oregon?"
"no interesting questions - just the standard stuff"
"Same as the difficult question... the entire 40 minutes was taken up by two questions that acted as a foundation for the entire "interview""
"Tell me about your most stressful semester as an undergrad."
"How does my major relate to the field of dentistry?"
"Talk about the effect of HMOs on dentistry."
"Tell us about yourself."
"about certain type of food... no details =)"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years"
"What did you think about USC?"
"sizing of scrubs, lab coats, and gloves"
"Well, it is not quite a question, but they size you for your lab coat and gloves."
"Do you really have a passion for dentistry?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 15 years?"
"Why didn't you go straight into dental school post-graduation?"
"Asked me lots of questions about my family."
"What time did you get here this morning?"
"Why you?"
"Nothing difficult. It was only the multiple questions relating to stress and handling heavy curriculum. That was probably the most anxiety inducing part of the interview."
"None."
"Nothing much."
"I rambled a bit on the what I meant by leadership being forced on me because it's tough to explain in a positive twist why I didn't feel ready for the leadership role."
"Nothing.....basically only got asked one question....the rest of the time the interviewer talked about some research areas that may be of interest to me. He was really cool and friendly. I never got asked even any of the basics like "why dentistry?"....."
"Questions about my personal history that I though they would not be interested in, let alone asked me to tell him about it."
"---"
"None"
"1) you said xxxx in your personal statement. Would you still be xxxx if you had a patient that expressed xxxx? 2) you said xxxx in your personal statement about research. How does dentistry differ?"
"One of my interviewers was a researcher/lecturer and asked ''why no research?''"
"tell me about youself"
"What can you offer the class of 2012? (also the morning essay question)"
"What do you think makes a curious person? (This was a question stemmed-off my response to another question)"
"Do you think you are qualified for a student class officer position?"
"How will you improve health care in U.S?"
"How would you describe the relationship that you have with patients at work?"
"same as above"
"nothing."
"I see the math portion of your DAT was low (i did avg or a little less than avg), tell me about that."
"Tell me about your low grades"
"Where will you be in 10 years?"
"Nothing difficult."
"N/A"
"Did any schools ask for money yet?"
"no difficult questions asked"
"I am not the strongest applicant to UCLA, so they asked me how I would change my study habits in order to do well if I were to be accepted and decide to attend, being that I have a couple low grades."
"Nothing really. "
"Name three things you learned from your experiences in dentistry?"
"Same."
"I was asked detailed questions about my research experience. "
"none really"
"3rd question"
"Why do you want to be a dentist?"
"Who is the most influential person in your life excluding family members?"
"How does my experience in the pain center related to dentistry?"
"I see you took a statistics class. How does statistics apply to dentistry?"
"What size scrubs do you wear? just kidding - but they really do size you for lab coats and scrubs. "
"Why did you not consider going into medicine?"
"None really. They were pretty laid back."
"Why dental school?"
"I reviewed my application the night before. I also practice tons of interview questions."
"SDN, online resources for knowing more about the issues in health care systems"
"SDN Interview Feedback"
"mock interview"
"SDN interview feedback."
"SDN, read the school website"
"Sleep well."
"SDN"
"sdn & friends"
"SDN interview feedback, application, personal statement"
"sdn, reviewed my application"
"I read this forum and saw that most people said it was really laid back so didn't really stress too much. I did review AADSAS and supplemental application."
"read over my AADSAS essay"
"I had had about 6 prior interviews."
"Read personal statement and secondary, and mock interview sessions."
"this website"
"Reading their website, and the previous feedbacks on SDN."
"SDN, application, UCLA website"
"SDN, looked over my app and secondary app"
"SDN."
"Reread my app till I was blue in the face, personal history form, SDN feedback, pre-health advisor."
"didn't prepare"
"SDN, UCLA website, reviewed AADSAS."
"SDN, talking with last year's interviewees"
"Psh. why would I prepare? I mean.. I got dressed, does that count?"
"SDN, friends at UCLA SOD"
"It is an interview for an alternative position, so I did not prepare well. I just reviewed my application and personal history questionnair form."
"SDN, UCLA's website, friends"
"SDN, mock interview at career center, interview articles"
"SDN, practiced my answers for the common interview questions, researched the school, talked to dental students, read SUMMARY of the surgeon general's report on oral health (this helped to prepare me for the future issues with dentistry question) "
"Read over application, asked friends, SDN feedback."
"SDN, website, very little, was my 6th interview. "
"I read almost the entire website, spoke to recent UCLA grads, other SDNers who already interviewed, and of course SDN"
"Read up on current big topics in dentistry and browsed through the school's website."
"SDN, AADSAS Application, UCLA Website, Secondary."
"SDN, school's website, visited school a while ago, read CDA, JADA, etc."
"SDN, Secondary, AADSAS application, school website, talking to students"
"Secondary app., UCLA website, previous interviews."
"SDN, read ADA articles on dental insurance"
"SDN, personal statement, lots of talking to myself when no one was around"
"Read everything."
"SDN and web"
"SDN, read over personal statement and secondary application"
"read my personal statment and school website"
"UCLA website, reread application"
"I'm a student at UCLA"
"read over my apps and checked out the website"
"look over feedback on SDN and UCLA wedsite"
"Read their website and review my applications"
"UCLA website, SDN"
"I didn't"
"Read through personal statement and secondary applications. I also looked over commonly asked questions."
"Read my personal statement over again"
"I read through my personal statement -- almost all of the interviewers' questions were drawn from it -- and reviewed the school's website to help generate some questions to ask my interviewers."
"I loved the fact they had already read my application and had notes written down of specific things they wanted to talk about. At my other interviews, they never saw my application before and were making questions on the spot which made me uninterested in those schools."
"Both faculties were interested in my background"
"The students and the faculty- friendly and great at answering questions/explaining thoroughly."
"Faculty are top notch. Students are all smart but seemed to be laid back with the Pass-No Pass system"
"The caliber of the faculty and students was definitely impressive."
"Great reputation, seems like they have a very strong alumni support, high board passing rates, P/NP grading so students are very supportive of one another, high specialty rate, research opportunities, location"
"Everything. Tuition, reputation, research oriented, high specialization rate, specialization tracks, small class size, international externship opportunities, Dean is very committed to the school, nation's best faculty members (if you look them up a number of them attended HSDM-of course they go to UCLA because the location is ideal!), H/P/F grading, systems based didactics, case-based studies (very different and a lot better than PBL), location, weather, and, of course, California girls!"
"how conversational the interview was"
"high rate of students going into graduate programs"
"Professors and students were very friendly. Program seems to be very successful in helping students to pass board exam and to get into specialty."
"location, caliber of curriculum, high specialization percentage"
"the school, the new curriculum, everything!"
"The specialization rates, board pass rates, the campus, pass fail, students seriously seemed really happy and motivated (really important that other students are happy and motivated because moods are infectious), emphasis on continual improvement in the school and programs"
"The facilities, the students, the residency/job match success of graduates, the awesome rotation programs, the excellent medically-grounded curriculum, the fantastic research opportunities in bioengineering/dentistry"
"Easy interview, very laid back. Wasn't much of an interview, but rather an informative sessions where he talked about research he likes.....i felt like the decision was made before i entered the room. Before I left, I was told I was going to be ok......which was pretty cool to know. I got in a week later =]"
"How much the faculty members care about the well being of the students."
"students there provided good information"
"everything!"
"As expected..."
"How nice and honest everyone was."
"-caliber of students -specialty match rate -rigor of schedule -cool people -p/np -ucla name -LA area (minus traffic) -new (efficient) curriculum!! -staff listens"
"P/NP and high specialty rates. Revamped clinics, very nice faculty, measuring for lab coats/scrubs & gloves....Very exciting!"
"everything: safe and beautiful location, friendly atmosphere, very friendly and approachable faculty, all students seemed to be very happy, excellent housing options, students do very well on national board exams, high match rate pizza was delicious Loved the presentations by the DDS and DDS/PhD students Dr Bibbs and Dr. Sanders are super nice "
"Amazing location, faculty treats you like colleagues, paperless charts, specialties, happy students... I could go on for a long time; I loved UCLA."
"They are completely reformatting the curriculum, which will reflect the class of 2012. This will include clinical experience earlier(1st year maybe?) and more integrated classes => fewer midterms/finals."
"The dental students were just gushing about how great the school was. I got a very strong positive impression about the prestige of the school and the opportunities available there. The atmosphere is very collaborative because of the Pass/fail system"
"A very good school, good location"
"The student representatives shared their opinions about the school."
"Organized interview and tour, students we met were all excited about their decision to attend UCLA and boasted about how the SOD listens to each student to improve their program, faculty interview was very stress free and helped the applicant feel relaxed"
"My interviewer was really nice and very laid back. He was also very understanding about how nervous I was and was able to make a joke out of it, which actually helped me relax."
"the faculty there are really enthusiastic and passionate about teaching and about their profession (unlike many of my undergrad professors)"
"The student activities/resources. the student morale. the specialty match rate and the high board scores. the friendly faculty and brand new preclinics."
" Great school, great facilities, good faculty. I think you will get an excellent education here. "
"The area and the student panel where we were allowed to ask any question to students of all years. They seemed very, very happy despite the fact they said it was a lot of work."
"The overall organization of the interview and presentation of the school was excellent. The faculty and students were extremely welcoming and approachable. Furthermore, the newly rennovated teaching lab on the fourth floor looks amazing."
"Great School, Great location."
"the clean/new clinics and preclinical labs, on the UCLA campus, food court nearby, etc."
"The environment was definitely academic, which proved that students take UCLA seriously. I really liked the location of the school."
"Both, student and faculty, interviewers were very pleasant and interesting. The interviews were more conversation like rather than question and answer. The school and facilities are very nice. Westwood is a beautiful city. "
"Friendly faculty, staff, student. The fact that many UCLA students do exceptionally well on NB I. High specialty matching rate. Nice clinical facilities. "
"nice 4th floor clinic"
"Nice people. Friendly, helpful, nice campus, modestly new facilities."
"Quality of education. "
"The students seemed to be very intelligent and dedicated."
"staffs, professors and students are very friendly. Students seemed to get along very well"
"UCLA is an excellent school all around. The location is great, the women are gorgeous, and the weather is unbelievable. The faculty are also of a higher caliber, and treat the applicants and students exceptionally well. The dentistry building is conveniently adjoined to the rest of the huge UCLA campus, and Westwood, Bel-Air, and Beverly Hills are just across their respective streets. This was an intense interview however, prepared to have your brain picked. I would go to UCLA in a second!"
"my student interviewer was honest about being burnt out."
"how interactive the faculty is with the students"
"Great and friendly people. Upperclass-students want to help you out. Excellent board score. Various programs and leadership positions. I feel like home."
"great school, prepares you both clinically and academically. Students do well on the boards and match into great specialties."
"They have new facilities, their location, the people in general were very nice, just one person I REALLY didn't like...(too bad it was the interviewer haha), Dr. Atchison was very nice though"
"Everything! There is a brand new lab that is really nice...a huge improvement from the old lab that was there before. "
"How nice and enthusiastic the everyone was there, including both the tour guide (admissions staff) and the interviewers. The university was in the process of overhauling and modernizing another lab!"
"How honest and friendly the other students were"
"The faculty that interviewed me were laid back and seemed quite approachable. The campus is beautiful, and some of the dental school's facilities are being overhauled/modernized. I was also impressed by the national board scores and the percentage of students who go on to specialize."
"The price, the strong performance on the national boards."
"I didn't know exactly where to go for the interview. The building was very confusing so maybe having direction signs would've helped. The student panel wasn't super helpful. They didn't seem that interested in talking."
"Long interview day"
"The curriculum seemed extremely dense and time-consuming. I left feeling as though of all the schools I had visited, I'd have the least amount of free time attending UCLA."
"The school has strong clinicals, but it's only weak point is that the patient pool is not a big as other schools due to the school's location. Don't worry b/c the students said that they finish their requirements well before graduation."
"Maybe difficulty of getting patients and LA traffic/parking, but the pros of this school definitely outweigh any cons I could think of. ."
"low patient OPD"
"LA traffic but weather and location/surrounding of campus were impressive."
"records are still on paper, traffic"
"nothing!"
"Didn't like driving around LA as it just seriously sprawls endlessly. We spent pretty much the entire day in the admissions office which is a pretty small room with no windows."
"Having to write an essay, plus I hate southern California"
"non"
"No lunch and very small breakfast. Everyone was starving. "
"The location is really nice but getting patients for clinic is a problem."
"-rigor of schedule -thorough grilling I received"
"Can't think of any except maybe the lecture halls."
"nothing"
"Older clinic. "
"The facilities seemed kind of old and grundgy. Some of the labs are newer and remodeled though."
"can't think of anything"
"a little old labs"
"The agenda did not run smooth. The finanical aid office representative called sick and did not show up. And interviewee had ben waiting again and again along the day."
"parking"
"nothing."
"nothing. love this school as an undergrad, would love it even more as a dental student. my number one choice, without a doubt."
"The clinics were old...but the lectures halls were ancient. someone should really renovate that. "
"In the basement a bit, name tags and folders were cheap, no lunch, kind of unorganized and we got out like an hour late. "
"The building. Fairly old, but the sim lab is nice. I just had an interview at a school with brand spanking new facilities so I may be a little biased."
"Nothing negative about the school. The only downside is the availability of parking around the Westwood area."
"None"
"nothing - just that you didn't get the private school treatment (free food, drinks, etc.)"
"The facilities are a little date, but they are being renovated."
"The traffic around there, no lunch, there weren't many patients there. They did say that it was Friday and they are very busy from Mon-Thu. I have been to other interviews on Fri. where they had very little patients also. "
"Rising tuition, patient population concerns, "
"Besides there being no lunch at the interview, I was not impressed with the way the dental building looked, very old and depressing but hey it's UCLA!"
"Some stuff seemed a bit oldschool. Didn't get to see a real lecture hall."
"High level of competitiveness among the students. "
"The facilities are somewhat old. Small patient pool."
"did not see too many patients around..."
"Parking rates, no paid lunch (small issues)"
"students were burnt out."
"the parking and traffic"
"Parking at UCLA is very expensive! ($8/day)"
"They admit that they are having troubles with getting enough patients. Though it might be a strength because I will be trained to take better care of my patients. Knowing how competitive CA can be, it never hurts to practice good clinical skills to keep your patients."
"They admit that they are undergoing major advertisement for patients, due to the lack of patients for the dental students. Also, CA is under major budget constraints right now, and since UCLA is a state school, they are feeling the burn. Also, the students admit that most are taking another year of clinic just to make up for the lack of experience and confidence they have after the 4-year program. Which brings me to my next comment. Watch out for Dr. Lefever..."
"Everyone admitted that finding patients is hard, even my interviewers....however, I was positively impressed with the fact that they honest; I was also negatively impressed with the fact that UCLA is not that much cheaper than private schools considering it's a state school. "
"Maybe the lack of diversity."
"Parking and transportation issue."
"Traffic is bad. Parking is horrible (and expensive). Methinks I'll be takin' the bus to and from school."
"Poor patient pool b/c westwood is a really rich neighborhood. Oh yeah, no free lunch, we had to pay for our lunch."
"That they changed to closed file this year"
"-"
"Where the building actually is. The address they give you isn't the School of Dentistry- it's the CHS building, so you have to walk past it to the building behind it. Don't be late!!"
"Prepare hard copies of transcripts to mail into Noemi. Have the schools send them in. If it won't arrive in time, you can bring sealed copies for Noemi to confirm the pre-req courses with. However, the "transcript review" isn't as scary as it sounds. No mention of grades. Strictly to see if pre req courses have been taken."
"They will ask for your high school transcript."
"There was construction going on at CHS so it was hard to find the bathrooms before."
"about MOD Gold onlay Preparation"
"Professors were so caring. I really enjoyed my visit there and I will definitely go there if I were accepted"
"how relaxed it was going to be"
"how stress free the interview was"
"I felt pretty comfortable with what happened and there weren't really any surprises."
"That there was an essay to be written on the day of...I'm probably the only person who interviewed there and didn't know I'd be writing one :-p"
"That it was going to be so chill. "
"I just know that my interviewer (he is a white)does not like asian, and I am kind of sad about that! He also does not do any research..so even I talked about research, he was not interested at all."
"UCLA is P/N and they don't give you any lunch.Bring a power bar."
"A lot of people on this board said their interview was conversational. Mine felt like an inquisition! They kept grilling me about things I had thought were innocuous on my PS and secondary. Demanded very specific and detailed answers regarding my experiences. None, necessarily, unfair, but their tone was frighteningly challenging. I got a couple smiles, but I was pretty flustered. "
"That I shouldn't listen to everyone about the traffic. Left from Torrance at 5:50am, arrived at UCLA by 6:20am....sat around listening to tunes until I needed to be thereat 8:20am."
"The interview is totally open file, I was asked about my AADSAS numerous times. Although the interview was stress free!"
"They do not recognize courses taken online as fulfilling admissions requirements. "
"n/a"
"nothing new"
"not much. most everything I saw during my visit was discussed on SDN"
"I can't think of anything in particular."
"how relax and easy the interview was going to be. I was wayy to nervous for no reason at all. There were 9 people in my group and everyone got a really nice interviewer."
"Nothing."
"LA is not as bad as I thought, but SF is waaaaaaayyyyy better. "
"That the interview would be so laid back. People told me but I didn't believe them. It really was an extremely low stress experience. Oh yeah, and that they only feed you muffins and coffee, I would have eaten a bigger breakfast or taken a snack."
"That the school's facilities are relatively new and that students are not bound by limitations in resources."
"Hate the traffic of LA."
"I got to the school on time but if you are traveling to UCLA, make sure you leave plenty of time to get there. I left 2 hours before my interview and I barely made it. The essay writing is first so if you're late, well...write fast."
"That the student interview is not just a conversation. I felt like it was very stressful-- I was drilled."
"There's no lunch."
"There were no real surprises but I was stressed with the fact that two faculty member will ask me questions regarding my essay. ( I wasn't sure if it'll be good enough) "
"ESSAY"
"Some classes are more competitive than other years. "
"They don't provide lunch. Just a small snack. I would bring an energy bar with you just so you don't faint from low blood sugar."
"Parking is not directly in front of the building, that is for patients only. I arrived 10 mins early, but by the time I was told to park at a different structure and found parking, I arrived at checkin 5 mins late"
"I am quite familiar with the schools from my previous visits. It is true that they do keep an record of your ranking internally for scholarships and awards nomination."
"I heard that UCLA highly regarded research. Not true anymore, they're having trouble with their graduates not being able to interact with their patients in the real world so now they're looking for clinical practioners, so they do not place as much emphasis on research as they do on shadowing a dentist anymore. "
"None"
"Overall, I enjoyed the whole interview day. The other interviewees were super nice and some are attending with me. The tour guide was super helpful and had more information on the school. The student panel could've been better."
"Be prepared, and hold the conversation"
"Love the school and will be attending!"
"During the interview, you know that UCLA is on top of it. Great faculty. Great students. You can only set yourself up to succeed by attending this school. My interviewer asked me so many times how I felt I would manage high stress that I felt as though attending UCLA would mean giving up a well-rounded life for at least 4 years. For some, that's doable. No problem. Small price to pay for success.For others, perhaps it just isn't...due to family constraints or otherwise. This was something I needed to heavily consider when making my decision."
"Overall, great school. Facilities are older. Though the patient pool is not as strong, the clinics seemed very busy the day I toured during my interview. Strong faculty, students are friendly, but seem really exhausted. Though, UCLA will hands down prepare you for a successful dental career. Go Bruins!"
"Number one dental school in the nation. Would attend in a heartbeat. Will probably never get read but here's some reconnaissance info: doing better than UCSF-especially if you have OMFS in mind. Oh and if you plan to practice in Southern California, then UCLA is the way to go."
"My interviewer didn't ask me any questions, we just talked about subjects we had in common"
"UCLA rocks!"
"felt kind of bad that there was not a single recent feedback for this school for this cycle, so i decided to give this a go. interview day started with an essay. prompt was straightfoward so don't worry. this was followed by an introduction about the school and curriculum then financial aid. then i had my interview with dr. lafever. the first thing she told me was not to be nervous, b/c to have an interview at ucla is a really good thing and that i was in a really good position. that was good to hear. the whole thing was a totally chill and relaxed conversation, i wasn't even asked the usual questions. for the most part, she told me about the opportunities that were available and how the school would suit me, rather than what i could offer. after interview, we all went to get sized for scrubs and a white coat, which would totally suck if you didn't get in. but that was cool. afterwards, we went on the tour. facilities are pretty nice, not brand new or anything but good enough. there was this little student lounge that had a pool table and some other fun stuff in there...that was pretty random. we then had lunch with 4 dental students, one from each year, who were very frank and informative, so ask tons of questions here. and that pretty much wraps up the day. i think there's only two things that i did not like...paper records and the mandatory laptop. they even make you sign a piece of paper saying that you understand that you would be required to purchase their laptop. otherwise, ucla is legit. it's located right the main campus so you have access to all facilities, IM sports, and activities. definitely my top choice. good luck people."
"i interviewed with dr. carol bibb, who was so down to earth and easy to talk to. she basically just wanted to learn more about some of my extracurriculars, and the whole interview was conversation-like. she also answered a few of my questions to wrap up the interview and was so cool to talk to."
"Understand that if you get an interview unless you seriously blow the interview you're going to be accepted if there are still seats so don't stress, be professional and be yourself. My DATs, AA/TS 19/19, are well below the average and I was amazed to get an interview and am even more amazed that I was accepted so don't stress they like you. Also as others have said be prepared to write why you have unique characteristics that will positively contribute to the school (or something like that). If you get an interview they liked something in your application that made them think you will contribute positively. Last comment is kind of an interviewer tip for beginners but always keep your right hand free for a hand shake. Immediately after my interview we stood up and shook hands and I let my guard down and put my pen in my right hand we went back to the room with the other prospective students. Once there she went to shake my hand again in front of everyone so I awkwardly had to switch my pen to my left hand (the double goodbye shake got me so don't let your guard down...ever)."
"I interviewed with Dr. Craig Woods, who was awesome and amazing. The interview was basically a conversation rather than him asking really pointed, specific questions. He had really read my application and we talked about the content of my essays. By the way, I just found out I got into UCLA - and I'm definitely going! I think UCLA's the best school I visited and maybe the best one in the country! :)"
"If you get an interview, you're pretty much in."
"UCLA is a great school. I went there as an undergrad and I am going there for dental school. I feel so blessed."
"If time could turn back, I wish my interviewer could change! Good luck everyone!"
"The day beings with a 30 min essay. Then there are 2 presentation. After this there is a short tour and a one-on-one with a dental student.Next is the inteview with someone form the admissions board.Finally, they make you check you transcripts and measure you for scrubs."
"UCLA accepts most (if not all) of the people they interview. The whole process was very stress-free. The interview itself was even more stress-free; the inteviewer didn't really ask me any questions. We got fitted for scrubs and coats as well. "
"Overall, a very interesting interview. I got grilled, but in a way that was good since I don't necessarily enjoy talking about myself un-prodded. It was stressful, yes, but the questions were all on things that I had done. It was only stressful because of their tone of voice and the specificity/detail they desired of my answers. Other than that, it was a good interview day. I got in too, so I guess I didn't do as poorly as I had thought. UCLA HERE I COME!"
"Very relaxed, conversational. They asked questions and I gave them straight answers. Loved making them smile and laugh at times. Asked a question that actually instigated a friendly argument between my two interviewers...needless to say it was quite entertaining to watch. Both of my interviewers really seemed to enjoy the time we spent together, left with a very warm handshake that seemed very encouraging. I really hope to get in, this is my top choice!!"
"I loved everything about this school. #1 dental school without a doubt"
"Stress free. I was not asked very many questions, my interviewer was mostly telling me what UCLA could offer me. "
"Wrote an essay in the first half hour. Our question was ''what qualities can you bring to the class of 2012?'' There were 8 of us split into 2 groups of 4. Tour was too short. Wish I could have seen more. Getting sized for lab coats was very exciting. "
"It went really well. I was pleasantly surprised when the interviewer suggested that I run for a class officer position. Other than that, I didn't have impressions of the school before i got there, and I felt really good about the school when I left :)"
"It was a really chill interview, all the staff are nice and helpful "
"Great experience. The students impressed me the most. The majority of them I talked to all got into great schools and had no regrets of their decision to attend UCLA. They love it there and they love how the students feel like part of a family as well as how great the faculty treats them and listens to them. No one hid the fact that the curriculum is very demanding, but they all said that time management is the key. From 4th year students to 1st year students we talked to, they stressed how great the faculty treats them and values their opinions. They also mentioned the clinical portion has improved each year, and there is more than enough patients, especially the right patients, to get a great clinical background and be prepared for the boards. Their board scores are high, lots of opportunity to specialize, and great didactics."
"The interview overall was a very good experience. SDN actually helped a lot. The student's feedback was pretty accurate in that the interview questions were not very tough, and that UCLA is a great school!"
"My PI is one of the interviewers for the dental school, so he gave me a heads-up on what to expect. He said it would be pretty easy and chill, and that most people they interview normally get accepted (so long as they do not do anything stupid. He interviewed this one kid a few years back who called him by his first name! that kid did not get in). The essay portion is relatively easy. There's nothing you can do to prepare for it. I was told that they only want to see if you can actually put coherent thoughts together and that you did not pay someone else to write your personal statement. I really hope i get in here, i'm just slightly worried that bc it's so late even if i do get in, i'll be on the waiting list =/"
"We started with an essay. Don't fret, the essay is simple and doesnt require and preperations. the interview was a good amount of time, enough to get a good feel of who i was and nothing to stressful. i had a nice lunch with the student interviewer who was very nice and gave me her honest opinion of the school. at the end we took measurements for white coats...very exciting. "
"I had this really cool guy interview me who was very passionate about his work and got me excited. He made me want to go. The students seemed happy, the education seemed thorough, pretty good school in general. (much better than the other LA schools)"
"The school is very nice and the students seem very happy. The area around the school is beautiful. Don't stress, if you get an interview they are interested in you. If I get in, I am going for sure."
"I found my interview experience to be extremely gratifying. The professor who interviewed me was very nice and made me feel very comfortable. Overall, the students as well as staff members were very welcoming. The school's program really aims to prepare students for a solid career in general practice or as a strong foundation for those who want to specialize afterwards. I was very impressed by everything UCLA dental has to offer- it's no wonder they have such a strong reputation in the field. "
"My # 1 choice of d-school. Facility is good, and faculties are nice, welcome, helpful. I really like its small # of interviewing people. Mine is only 5 people that day, which is really good because we got to know each other. Therefore, I had teh best interview experience here. The only concern is its poor patient pool situation. "
"overall very positive: write essay, faculty interview, student interview, tour of school, student store to get measured for lab coats/scrubs"
"First- write an essay Second- admissions and finaid presentations Third- faculty interview Fourth- student interviews w/lunch Fifth- review file Sixth- tour Last- lab coat measurements The day went from 10am to 2pm. It was not stressful-- but it was very businesslike. I wish I had been mailed more extensive information about the school before the interview. Unlike others, I did eat lunch during my student interview (he took me downstairs and we ate as we talked). The actual interview was more conversation rather than questions. There were nine of us there that day, and all the other interviewees were great. The school doesn't tell you stats about how full the class is, what percentage of interviewees they accept, or when you should expect to hear back. But, they admissions staff is very nice."
"The interview was overall relaxed. We started with the essay. Then we had the usual information session on the school and financial aid. We then either met with our student interviewer, faculty interviewer or reviewed our transcripts. We had a tour of the school and lastly we were measured for coats, scrubs and gloves. "
"UCLA School of Dentistry is in the very nice neighborhood. I love the surrounding college community and So Cal weather is awesome. The clinical facilities weren't as bad as other people described. I thought it was nice. The faculty member were all very approachable and easy to talk to. The main thing that got to me was the 2 page essay, but you don't need to sweat if you're a good writer. If not, don't worry. I suck at writing as you can tell by now but I got my acceptance email 3 days later. Good luck! "
"So take a seat in the admissions office with other appicants(4) and then you are handed a folder with info about the school. You then meet informally with a student and ask them questions, not really an interview from my experience. Then you meet with one or two faculty members for a personal interview. There might be some waiting around so bring something to read. You get fitted for srubs while others are interviewing. There is a short tour followed by a financial overview and you are done!"
"It was fun. I likeed it."
"It wasn't that bad. The student interview was more of a Q&A lunch thing. "
"I like the people very much. I think that the staffs are very friendly and care about their students in general. I saw students coming in and out of office all the time seeking helps from the staff. "
"UCLA is an excellent institution, and the dental school definitely continues on the same line. Every aspect that anyone could look for in a dental school is provided at UCLA. The campus, weather, people, and activities are more than anyone could ask for. Not just the Harvard of the west coast, it's sooo much more. "
"I liked the honesty. They didn't give a show like other schools did. We came early and left early."
"overall, the interview wasnt as bad as i thought it was going to be. the two faculty members that interviewed me were extremely nice and were very personable. "
"The two doctors who interviewed me are really nice. As a matter of fact, people in UCLA dental school are very nice. Even though the curriculum is harsh sometimes, faculty are willing to help. I love the school very much."
"We had bagels and OJ provided by the Class of 2008 while everybody arrived. There were 9 of us that day. We then wrote the essay and had a financial aid presentation. Then we had out 1-on-1 interview with the faculty followed by an "interview" with a student (but it was more like a lunch talk). Then we went over our pre-reqs to make sure they were all done or will be done by next fall. Then we had the lab coat fitting followed by a tour of the school, labs, and clinic."
"I was a UCLA undergrad and did lots of research at the UCLA School of Dentistry, so I have had a lot of exposure to the school before. I think that UCLA has a lot to offer, and the location is as good as it gets. There are some flaws with the program as far as preparing the students to be clinical practioners and getting the fourth years enough patients however. Was the top of my list by far, now it is closely followed by many others, possibly passed by some. "
"Very laid back - the interviewers were very friendly (There is a 2 on 1 interview - 2 faculty to one student). "
"My interview was held in the morning, so the student interview commenced over breakfast with muffins. The faculty interview was done on a 2:1 basis, where I was interviewed by 2 faculty members. They were really nice and friendly! "
"Great experience. The people there (students and staff) were extremely nice and eager to help (i looked like a lost girl with my suit on)."
"This interview wasn't too bad at all. Two faculty members reviewed my file, and then I was called into the room and they took turns asking questions. After they finished with their questions, I asked a few of my own and then we shot the breeze for awhile. They even told me the interview went well and I would be accepted! The rest of the day is spent touring the dental school, having lunch with a student, going over financial aid considerations, and making sure no items are missing from your file (transcripts, letters of rec and such)."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 11 |
| Faculty member | 9 |
| Admissions staff | 37 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 28 |
| Neutral | 12 |
| Discouraging | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.97 | 39 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 34 |
| Out of state | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 16 |
| 2-3 hours | 15 |
| 4-6 hours | 4 |
| 7+ hours | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 9 |
| Automobile | 28 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 18 |
| $101-$200 | 4 |
| $201-$300 | 4 |
| $301-$400 | 0 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 0 |
DCA - LAX
LAX
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 5 |
| Hotel | 8 |
| Home | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.51 | 43 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.16 | 43 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.42 | 43 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.82 | 22 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.05 | 22 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.29 | 21 |
"N/A"
"None!"
"None"
"sandwiches were a bit hard"
"Maybe make the tour student-led rather than admissions-officer led?"
"I was so hungry after the interview. They should provide breakfast..."
"People are really nce at UCLA, but I was so starving during the interview!"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?