University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry Interview Feedback Summary
Los Angeles, CA
Dental Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 41% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
6.8
Mixed
Mixed experience; organization and communication appear average with varied impressions and occasional stress.
Based on 548 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents were neutral about their interview.
Positively (55%)
Negatively (27%)
No change (18%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (22%)
Good (52%)
Average (22%)
Poor (5%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided feedback on the USC dental school interview process, focusing on the unique PBL curriculum, the cost of attendance, and the overall experience of the day. Many applicants mentioned concerns about the high tuition fees, the PBL learning style, and the lack of traditional lectures. They also highlighted the friendly faculty and students, the relaxed nature of the interview, and the mixed opinions on whether USC is the right fit based on individual learning preferences.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Nice school
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Great school, recommend!
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Awesome campus, friendly faculty/admissions officers/students
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Beautiful facilities, really friendly students, faculty are nice, PBL is not for everyone.
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This is a good school if PBL and independent study are your type of learning styles.
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Location of the campus is right in USC undergrad campus.
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As a whole, I liked the interview day.
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I think there are a lot of negative views towards USC but going to the interview cleared a lot of concerns I had. I think the best people to ask about any worry are the dental students themselves so it was a great opportunity to meet them. I got to ask any question I could possibly think of and they were happy to answer every single one.
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The PBL style is different than other schools. This is very realistic but many students will not be used to it. I think it suits more outspoken and enthusiastic students as well.
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Be yourself.. you should be fine. if you get people that are too overly aggressive in your group.. just let them talk. it's not cool to talk over others and cut people off. take charge but also step back so others can get a chance to talk. pbl is teamwork.. not someone who tries to take full control all the time. be chill/respectful and r e l a x.
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Mock PBL session-be yourself, don't be too timid nor too outspoken. be a team player.
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I was a little apprehensive before visiting USC since I've heard mixed reviews about the program and PBL, but the school left a great impression on me! The interview was extremely laid back and stress-free and the program and curriculum sounds great!
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If you like this school then go there. The learning style of PBL isn't for everyone.
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I was super impressed with USC. In previous years I feel like I've read a lot of negative comments about USC. However, they seemed to have really made some changes including increasing the amount of clinical experience you get. I also really liked PBL. You aren't spoon fed information at USC and instead learn in a more stimulating (and fun) environment.
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Overall, the program is good. PBL is definitely something different and it is not for everyone. I don't know how well they do on board exam but with no lectures, more effort is required to study for board exams. I also got the impression that they don't have high specialty rate. If you want to specialize, you should consider elsewhere. However, they do have great graduate program; consider applying after your DDS degree. Also, during your Mock PBL session, don't "over participate", let others speak as well, try to listen/understand before speaking nonsense, be professional after all you are a soon-to-be dentist
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PBL seems scary at first, but I think the group interview is a great introduction to the PBL program and a good, basic example of how it will work.
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It's very expensive and the area is not great. Everyone is very friendly but the facilities don't look all that nice considering how much tuition costs.
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No formal interview, instead students had the chance to see if the school suited them.
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This is not an interview. I felt more like a starved wolf in a hungry pack scrounging for any remaining piece of meat on a two-week old carcass in the dead of an Alaskan winter. The problems with this "interview" are: 1) in the PBL group session you either interrupt people left and right or you come off as too passive...don't know which is worse and 2) you don't get to express yourself beyond a paper secondary application and a ten minute writing sample (unless you are a second-timer).
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It's really not an interview. I feel like the admissions decision is not based on your performance during the "interview" but on your AADSAS and secondary information which you turn in the day of the interview.
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I enjoyed my day at USC. Brian is such a cool guy and other staff are very friendly and helpful as well. The PBL session is very interesting because it gives you an idea of what you'll be doing for the next 4 years and how you'll be learning in a group setting.
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I really wouldnt suggest this school to anyone I care about! I know it sounds cynical but I had an open mind going into the interview and the cost to go there is simply not worth it, no matter how great the name USC sounds.
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If you really want to go to USC, be very active during the mock PBL session - but not too aggressive. I think they're looking for students who are not only involved, but also open and courteous to their peers. It was a very stress-free and relaxing day, but weird in the sense that you have no idea how they're gonna choose applicants.
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Great school!!! I hope I get in!!!
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The mock PBL really made me reconsider my negative views of PBL. I think it could work out okay. However, the cost is what made me decide not to attend.
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It takes a little luck to get a group where there are a few timid individuals. If you are naturally loud and love speaking, you'll excel at the interview and get in almost for sure. If you're in a group where everyone is really good then you better have good grades to get in. I'm pretty sure they evaluate your performance against others in the room.
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The admission affice people who are commeted to Judge us while they are not qualified to do that should admire our hard effort to get more education and they should know that we are speaking two or some of us speak three languages an we might have accent but we still more educated than any of them and they cann't laugh at us it is not OK
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Honestly, I have no idea how they selected me over other applicants. I feel like I sent them my AADSAS and that's it. Given my late interview date, I am not sure how they took the time to consider my supplemental app before accepting me. Everybody was happy, but few were friendly. I can honestly say I have no idea what the interview/pbl session was for - the whole day seemed worthless.
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It was an okay school...maybe PBL is not for me..
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In a group of ten you are given a really easy case study to solve together.
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PBL scenario where you work in a group of 10 students to solve a clinical case. You take turns reading/writing facts and ideas to try and figure out whats wrong. 2 admissions staffers watch you. Be polite and work well with your group and you should be fine.
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Overall i really liked the school and i didnt think i would. even though its in a bad part of town it is well guarded and taken care of. it is expensive but they offer a few options for reducing tuition or getting repayment scholarships from the military or the state.
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Sold on PBL.
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9-10ish = introduction/school info session 10-11 ish = PBL group activity/sample writing 11-1 ish = financial aid info/lunch 1:30-2ish = optional tour group of 8 for PBL activity- wasn't too bad, somewhat interesting. But not sure if 100% PBL would be an effective study method.
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Overall, I'm not sure how useful the interview process is for the admissions office. The only time that you're monitored is during a "case study" in order to simulate PBL. I have no idea how they evaluate your fit into the teaching style.
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Certainly nothing to worry about
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I really enjoyed my experience at USC. The students and staff there are wonderful and very down to earth. Not just the dental school, but the entire school as well. The guys there are also cute hehehe...(girls there are pretty also). But what I don't understand is why students from other schools hold such a grudge on USC. Is it jealousy? I mean during my interview there were interviewees that were just there to attack the SC students and not even give them a chance. I noticed the people from Arizona State and UCLA were behaving pretty rudely and arrogantly. As a Texan, I've never seen such behavior in my life. What really burned my heart was when we were having lunch with some of the dental students. I was having a conversation with a really tall sweet chinese student and during our conversation, a student from UCLA asked how old he was. He replied saying he was 28 and then the UCLA student asked, "Aren't you pretty old to be a first year?" That comment just crossed the line. I had an interview at UCLA also and the students there didn't seem very friendly to each other either. You see a big difference between students of USC and UCLA. I once vacationed in the LA area and was fortunate to attend both a USC and a UCLA game. The opposing team's visitors were treated with respect at USC but at the UCLA game there were UCLA fans that were just cursing at the opposing teams. I'm not sure what most pre-dental student's opinions are but I'm pretty fed up with all this competition and people trying to tear each other apart. I feel USC has everything that I like in a school and I hope I am accepted there.
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PBL IS A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. IF YOUR SELF MOTIVATED, REALLY, YOU WILL LIKE IT. IF NOT, NOT THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR YOU.
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This is the coolest school! The school ranked within the top 10 schools in the Board Exams. It was the most laid back and enjoying interview. PBL is pretty fun and you get more time to study with this curriculum.
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Great school =)
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Loved the location, hated the cost and the full PBL, if the program was a typical program with a little PBL it would be a lot better.
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They just want to see how you perform in a mock PBL session. I tried to be insightful, acknowledge others positively, and volunteer to read. It worked, I was accepted.
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The interview was very low stresss which is how they design it. The problem is there is never actually an interview. About all they could evaluate you on was the mock-PBL session but still I dont see how they could do based upon that. They really want to inform you of the PBL setup and say if its not for you then don't come here because you will not be happy.
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It was not worth going for the interview. you can pay less money and get a much better education elsewhere and be happier. students did not seem happy. it was depressing.
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Overall, I enjoyed the interview process. I was hesitant in the beginning about going to the interview because of the bad rep USC has been getting lately, but I was surprised that the school was quite nice. PBL seems like an interesting way to learn, but I'm glad their curriculum is not 100% PBL anymore. The mock PBL session was very relaxed. When they remodel the clinic I think the facilities will be top-notch.
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The day started with information about PBL and how the program is moving toward a hybrid approach. They told us that the first year dental students have some lectures in place (like radiology) and year long course in Dental Anatomy (new to the program). I was impressed with their approach to include lectures for amalgam, composite & head and neck anatomy (at USC's Keck school of Medicine). The school's facilities were very nice (especially the SIM lab). The 2nd floor clinic is bad right now, but they said that will be completely remodeled in the next year. USC's campus is really nice (huge George Lucas film school going in across the street). The PBL experience seems like it will be really beneficial now that they have integrated lectures into the curriculum. I would be really happy to be accepted (my wallet might hurt a little).
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Easy
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Well ... Everybody knows that USC has a price tag equivalent of a decent house. The only justification they provided for this is that they're "cheaper" than NYU when you combine both tuition and living expenses. They didn't tell us as to why they're so expensive. I mean, PBL curriculum sounds like a low maintanence, low cost approach to education, so why does it cost so much????
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There is no interview, PBL is not something I would like to try for my dental education. I am more into traditional lectures than teaching myself dentistry. Heck, for the amount they charge I should be able to get something in return and not having to find sources to learn the material. They are crazy.
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Overall the interview experience was enjoyable. USC has a long-standing tradition as a great clinical school and it seems that they've not lost site of that tradition. The SIM labs were great, the students and faculty were very encouraging and the overall vibe from the university created a very warm environment. The PBL curriculum is not for everyone, but it does seem to be an innovative way to approach dentistry in terms of clinically oriented cases. It helps build confidence and creates dentists who, I believe, might be better suited for critically evaluating a case. In any case, it's a great school.
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I came away from the interview with a great opinion of the school.
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I enjoyed the overall experience. I did not think there was anything wrong with the school that deserves negative comments... the only things that could cause problems are the cost and the program type if PBL is not suited to you.
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A groupd of 8 students are given a very simple, mock PBL case and 2 people watch you. I think it's completely pointless, that "interview" doesn't tell the admissions ppl anything about you.
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Very positive, my group did well on the PBL portion.
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It's not your typical interview. Basically a group session that reflects a PBL situation. All you have to do is yap like a hungry dog and you get the attention by the admissions people watching you like a lab rat.
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PBL was actually kind of fun, but I don't see how well I would learn with that. I prefer the traditional lecture format. Maybe if they change into a hybrid format, it would be better.
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Minimal stress, ample time to meet other applicants and some current dental students. I had hoped to at least hear the dean speak about the school's mission statement, etc. but no such thing happened. USC has a gorgeous campus, but then again you better get what you pay for...
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The interview was very casual and informative.
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If for some reason you really really want into this school, then in the mock PBL session use quality not quantity comments. Try to think of a different perspective or another point of view, use fellow interviewees names and branch of their comments, make sure you have addressed all the ideas, follow the steps, and dont overtalk..... Also volunteer to scribe and try to keep people organized when scribing.
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Aweful. The USC dental school thinks they are the number 1 program. They're not. They're expensive and have way too much free time. I really do not know what you pay for when attending the school. The only thing nice is the sim lab and it's way to big. I feel like USC dental is more of a production line atmosphere. Where the product is someone with debt and DDS. Very impersonal environment. 1st year students were happy...duh, they have 10 hrs of activities to do a week. The 2nd+ year students seemed very unhappy. I did not see one pleasant student in the clinic.
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Overall it was a very positive experience. PBL is an interesting pedagogey and while it isn't for everyone, it does appear to make you more prepared for the real world. It was pretty interesting to go through an actual PBL case. I was hesitant at first, but left the interview with confidence that this form of teaching really works. Also, the students are eased into dental school and have a lot of free time the first year, which is nice.
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The experience was great, and I have friends at the school who speak highly of it...but it takes a certain type of learrner to want to go there, and I'm not one of them.
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We began the day with lecture about the school and finances. Then we had lunch with students who gave us advice to attend other schools. Next, everyone were split into groups of 3 consisting of 8 each and did PBL. The interview ended with a tour of the school by a student who was very impatient. The day was relaxing but my impression of the dental school's program was negative. I do know their medical school is excellent, but USC is not well suited for dentistry.
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The over all expereince was good, faculity were nice and welcome. PBL is not as bad as people talked. It will work on some people, if they like to facing challanges and very self-motivating. The only concern is the cost of attending. One night spent at USC, which was not really good neighborhood. Its surrounding is really crapy and unsafe.
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You probably already know the two most important things about USC: they use problem based learning instead of traditional leactures and they are really really expensive. USC spends most of there day trying to explain those two factors. A one hour financial aid presentation, a one hour intro to PBL lecture from a professor, and a half an a hour observing a actual PBL session. The interview day did not "sell" PBL to me, it actually made it look worse while observing the PBL case....but in the end its a dental eduaction and you will still receive that DDS...The interview is a group PBL session that two members of the admission's staff observed...we also had a writing assignment...we all had different topics (it was random)..they say 15 minutes but people were handing them in at various parts of the day if they didn't finish...I don't know why they say "15 minutes"....most importantly, if you don't want to do any work or study for exams, then this is the school for you...it seems that slackers can still get by with doing very, very little....and I mean little...I did not get that feeling at any other school
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Pleasant experience. Met soooo many ppl!
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I really thought USC would seem like a prestigous dental school since its undergrad has a great reputation. But you walk in and learn that its one of the most expensive schools in the country but yet you don't have a single class. You teach yourself and other students in your PBL group teach you what they found in independent research. What psycho would pay that much money to do independent research is beyond me. This school needs to get off their high horse and start EDUCATING and CARING about their students.
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I would like to post this feedback from the perspective of some one who would not do well in the PBL program, because I don't feel like I would. I have no negative feelings toward PBL as a system or the school, I just don't think it's for me. I think lots of people could do very well in this system. However, I do very well in class lectures. I do very well with structured material. And I don't do well studying in groups. Basically I really don't think I would learn a whole lot if I didn't have some one expecting something of me. I wouldn't learn a whole lot if I didn't know what to spend the time learning and what not to. I asked a lot of questions and they really seem to be more interested in whether or not you can go through the process of learning for yourself through a "problem" than whether you actually figure out the problem or not. I asked whether some students slacked off even though members of their group were counting on them. One student replied "of course!" Then do you just miss out on the material that he was supposed to look up? I asked. "The material is all there if you WANT to look it up, but you don't have to." he replied. I was really confused by this mentality. I guess you just learn whatever you want to and retain as much or as little as you want to. I should probably rephrase that. I would probably just learn whatever I wanted to and retain as little as I wanted to in this kind of system. I just don't think I would be motivated enough to always be looking up what I'm missing because of other students in the group who slack off. Also, it doesn't seem like there is a whole lot of potential to set yourself apart as a good student. It seems like no one would know if you were busting your butt to learn all of this stuff because you don't really have an opportunity to prove it. Again, this would lead to me being very unmotivated and not becoming a very good dentist. If you are a person who learns well from textbooks and doesn't like being pushed, and is very self-motivated, you would probably do really well here. If you're very social you would also do well here. Again, this is not a knock on the school, it's just not for everyone and not for people like me. I'm sure they turn out great dentists, but they just wouldn't be able to make one out of some one like me. So make sure you know everything about the school and the program before you commit to it.
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There is no interview only a PBL case so its very relaxed. Just enjoy the experience. Really makes sure PBL is for you. Unfortunately my interview group did not get to see a real PBL case. We saw the evaluation portion where the groups members spent an hour basically complimenting each other. It was bizarre just having to sit there and watch these dental students tell each other how great they were. I really wished they could have shown us a real case. Even so, PBL seems like a really fun way to learn. Working as a team to learn seems effective and fun. Really, make sure that PBL is what you want. There are no text books, no lectures, so if you don't understand something, its all on you to somehow find it. The tuition at this school is also very expensive. About 87,000 the first year and second year. Third year is 90,000, and the 4th year i think is around 70,000. Plus LA is an expensive place to live.
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There seems to be no real reason to attend the interview other than to learn about the PBL and financial aid. I really don't see how they pick their applicants, I came home very dissappointed
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Interview was long and involved a group problem-solving exercise..there were too many people at the interview itself...but when we divided up it was a smaller, more manageable group. I actually thought the interview was creative, but the school was unimpressive and the students seemed very unhappy and unsure of their skills.
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PBL is not for everyone, mostly for very independent and self-motivated learners. I love USC, but I really disliked this interview process.
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It was a really great way to prep you for dental school. it was a no bull-shit approach to their school and I liked that. Unlike other schools, they didn't try to present a glossy image of their program. You really walk away with a true sense of how your days are going to pass by in the next four years. I left with a positive impression.
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The day is long. Starts at 8:30 and lasts til 4:00, so eat breakfast and wear comfortable shoes. But since the day was so low-stress, it wasn't bad at all.
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I had a really good time at this school. I was impressed by pretty much everything except for the financial aid session, in which I was completely stunned by the numerous loans that I'll have to be taking out, but that is typical wherever you go.
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It sucked.... USC is a reputable school but the way they carry out the mock PBL & shit was just disgusting... once you get interviewed, it all depends on how LOUD you were during PBL... stupid PLUMBING question.... what is it all about..??
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The interview is not stressful, but if you want to look good just act professional and courteous to your peers.
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Great interview. Finally a school that you can commute to without getting stuck in L.A. traffic. Great campus and IMPRESSIVE facilities. No one can argue with that. The students are very friendly and they are not competitive nerds I met at other schools. the program seems felxible your first year, while the second year gets really tough. Great location and its very safe and easy street parking. Cost is going to be around 230K if you live at home. So, it is pricy, but the students seemed to love their experience. I got their in ten minutes, parked on street and walked to the school. Arive on time!!!! The admissions girl made a note of who was coming in late. The group interview was cool and regardless of what people said I did cut off and overspeak a little over the other students, but I would not recomend that.
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Overall, it was a favorable experience. I even met some pretty cool applicants of all types. We pulled together during the interview process. Although the PBL-sessions are not for everyone.
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The location is not that bad, Just stay close to the school. I like the idea that you gain good hands on experience on clinical procedures. Hoewever, specializing is pretty difficult at this school. Their board scores are at about average since they have no faculty teaching the students on material necessary to pass the boards with high scores. The campus is nice and flat. Not too much walking.
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I had a very positive experience at USC. It is different in that it is a PBL method, and is not the perfect choice for everyone. However, the overall experience was very nice.
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Advanced standing students with perm residency may apply there with a lot of confidence..... but this is not the place for candidates who have faith in fairness of selection procedures.....
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USC uses Problem Based Learning (PBL) as their curriculum. So basically students seemed to have a lot let stress and much more free time, especially in their first 2 years. If it wasn't for growing up in LA, and the cost of education, I probably would have liked USC more. The day is very long, beginning with an introduction, an hour of watching the students in a class, then coming back and doing a writing sample for 10 minutes. Then an hour speech by a professor (which was very interesting) about the program and dentistry. Then an hour financial aid presentation. Then you eat lunch with dental students, which is the best time to learn about the program, the pros and cons of USC and any real questions you want answered. Then you have your "interview" with 7 other applicants, where you are given a dilemna and you work it out together. It has nothing to do with science, some problems like deserted on an island or a question about problems with the house plumbing. Then you have a tour of the school. Overall, I really liked the program, as it seemed more in tune with how education should be taught and the students seemed to have a life. The campus is beautiful, but it located in poorer neigborhood. On the plus side, you're ten minutes away from santa monica and beverly hills.
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Complete waste of time. the day started out with a brief introduction of the admissions staff, then observation of a student group of 8 working on a case. then we went back to rutherford hall on the fourth floor for a financial aid info talk, brief writing sample, and one of the faculty- i forgot his name, spoke to us about the PBL: apparently they teach their students how to think. that was a bit disconcerting, if the students couldn't think prior to their enrollment into the dental school, they probably should pick another profession. maybe it was the early morning, but i almost fell asleep. students that I spoke to all seemed to reflect positively on the school, other than, of course, the cost. and the tour was decent, the facility was clean and spacious, definitely a place that I felt I would want to work in. Then we went back to the dental building for a mock PBL, two admissions staff sat in the room to observe us and made their little notes. Then they laid the bombshell, they told me I lacked some things in my file and I needed to complete them. Needless to say, I was absolutely FURIOUS. the admissions staff could have mailed me the paper informing of the info that my file lacked. But, instead they invited me to the school, THEN they gave me the bad news. again, I have to stress, COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!! for the fellow applicants: probably a good idea to ask them about the specifics of your file prior to the interview.
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On the day of the interview all of the applicants, about 30 total, were gathered in a lecture hall on the fourth floor of the dental school. There was a presentation about the school, the history of PBL (Problem Based Learning), an overview of financial aid, lunch with dental students (we were given a $5 voucher for the school cafeteria - bring some extra cash for parking and additional food as the $5 doesn't go very far) a tour, and an 'interview.' The interview consisted of a mock PBL session. About ten students were brought together in a group and given a mock case. Two admissions officers (in my case no professors or students were present) presided over the session, which consisted of being presented with a problem and the group trying to work through it. There was a fact gather phase, an 'ideas/theory' phase, and a 'what we need to know in order to proceed' section. This was repeated three times, with each time more information being presented about the case. At the end we were given the outcome of the case (it was based on a clogged drain in an old home). The facilitators told us that they were interested in seeing how we interact in a small group. It was also a chance to find out if an independant-study format would be a good fit for each candidate. The key to doing well in the session is to be courteous, don't speak over others, and don't be loud and domineering. There was no other interview other than the mock PBL session. The school is very nice, the area is not that bad, and the students were all very friendly and willing to talk. One thing that I liked about the format is all of the time that is available to students: at USC students only attend school three days a week. The rest of the time is spent doing research for class. Each of the students said that they have plenty of time, don't feel stressed, and said that they are learning just as much, if not more, than their friends at other schools (such as UCLA and UOP), and that is reflected in their high board scores. In addition, the school stated that finding patients is never an issue and as well as scheduling time in the operatories. I feel that the PBL format would be a very good fit for me, although the one thing that is hard to swallow is the very, very high tuition at USC. They do offer some rather generous scholarships, but they don't use them as recruiting devices - thus students are notified of them until well into their first year (it sounded like winning the lottery).
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Initially, I considered USC as my "back-up" school. After talking to the students, spending an hour in an actual PBL session and listening to the financial aid counselor crack a few jokes about the $300,000 debt I would accrue, I realized that I was in desperate need of another back-up school. At lunch, after enduring a long wait in the kitchen smoke, I had the opportunity to speak to 2 dental students. Afterwards, one pulled me aside, looked me sternly in the face and said "You can go here. But if I were you, I would go to a cheaper school." When we joined the other applicants, she continued to talk about how happy she was at USC. Hmm, contradictory? Or perhaps happiness doesn't equate to money. Yeah. Haha, I know. The interview wasn't actually an interview. You're placed in a group of 8-10 people and given a scenario, divided into 4 scenes. The plot is not dental nor medical related. In fact, its pretty ridiculous. I'm not sure if I gave the best impression as I was so dissuaded by the curriculum and cost, I literally wanted to run away. So, I think I came off silly and blase. Although this didn't occur during the interview, I thought I should share something from someone in the admissions committee. So, I have this "connection" who is on USC admissions. Although he is currently on the admissions board, he told me that, based on my stats and background, I would not gain anything from USC. He actually told me to go to UCLA instead. Keep in mind, this guy is looking out for my best interest. He's not someone who would point me in the wrong direction out of spite. In any case, now I know why suggested UCLA over USC.
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It was an all day experience. After spending the morning going over all the info and learning the philisophy behind PBL we had a chance to watch current students doing PBL. Then we broke off into groups and practiced the exercise ourselves. It was a lot of fun, and the people there were great. Despite the riduclously high tuition I thought the school was great. They had great facilities, staff and facultly. Personally I am a big fan of PBL. Many school are already copying the cirriculum, but I think it is best at the source. Thumbs up for USC
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It's a different interview format. Not any less stressful than other traditional interviews, but different. The rest of the day will allow you to get a good feel if PBL is right for you. They take you to a real class, give you a lecture on PBL, let you talk to students in PBL, and put you through a mini-PBL case during your interview.
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Screw this...... but if USC accepts me, I am going there cuz I can't wait another year
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Absolutely no logic or common sense needed during the interview. The interviewer only wants to find out if you have a loud voice. Be prepare to say ANYTHING as loud and fast as you can. The PBL is only for research minded, talkative people. Don't even bother to apply if you aren't able to talk non-stop for 90 minutes.
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Spent whole day there. they tried very hard to waste our time in order to make it a "whole day"
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Boring case observation - too long tuition too high - crazy
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The lecture introducing PBL was informative, however I felt like the prof giving the PBL introduction looked down on traditional learning methods, and was very narrow minded in assuming all students of the traditional learning method aren't able to motivate themselves to learn and all of us only study for a good grade. The PBL mock session was extremely weird as well. I just gave up trying to compete with 2 loud mouths in my group of 10. We had a writer, up at the board jotting down our ideas, I kept giving him time to write our ideas down before I say the next thing, but the 2 people in our group just won't shut up, shouting out every single remotely related thing that comes to their heads... stealing my ideas and putting the writer in a writing frenzy. This is not how I ususally work in a group, I don't think it fully assessed my communication skills.
-
Some people saying that PBL mock interview is a competition, but people in my group said all they want to say and it was not a fierce competition. I got admitted and will defenitely attend this dental school since their teaching method is unique.
-
Great. The atmosphere at USC (the dental school being on the main campus) is a plus 10!!! You will be on a great and integrated- very exciting college campus, so its NOT like your doomed to some dark dungeon in a building away from the rest of the school. The program seemed great, administration people were really nice (obviously), and LA is just bustling. So, it seems like a great place to be. Also, the PBL program eases you into the workload of a dental education, so that your not hit hard with mounds of work the very first year. Great interaction between faculty and students in classes. Each group of 8 students has one faculty mentor to guide them. So its a great atmosphere. Also, the dental building being in the heart of CALIFORNIA, is very bright and airy because of the many windows- adding a happy environment.
-
I thought just the opoposite of some of the other interviewes because our session was very calm and anyone who had something to say said it. We tried not to interupt each other and part of the evaluation is how you interact with others not how many answers you blurt out. Just be yourself, but your better self for the session.
-
If you are a quiet personality, don't even bother applying to this school. PBL interview is like a Jeopardy show without the buzzer. You know the stuff, but other students already say it first leaving you desperate to find other things to say next. So if you have PBL interview coming up for you, practice saying things as fast and loud as they come to mind. Students in the program don't seem to utilize PBL to its intended purpose. Yet the interview itself is very well-coordinated. Great facility, I gotta admit. The students are friendly too, allowing you to ask pretty much anything during lunch.
-
I really enjoyed the PBL program that USC has to offer. Its not for everyone though. Check it out for yourself.
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The pbl session we had to participate in (basically our interview) was about plumbing. It's just to get a feel as to what PBL is like. the only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that I felt I was competing with other students to say something as quickly as possible. (That's how you're assessed in the interview). And, one of the students I talked to during lunch said the same thing. So even though you're supposed to be in this noncompetitive enviornment, I still feel like it would've ended up being a race as to who can say the first learning need first.
-
In defense of USC, I felt that grading of 130 typodonts was nicely done. It is obvious to a trained eye to tell who is capable and who is not. No need to analyze under a microscope. It was a fair amount of time to evaluate. They didn't waste our time or theirs, unlike other schools who shall remain nameless.
-
This feedback is for the advanced standing students. there was no interview, only a group discussion on problem based learning.
-
Very easy going interview.
-
I give usc a 10...i like the pbl program ALOT
-
USC is on the PBL program. If you are not self-motivated to study than this is not the school for you. Its completely different from undergrad and seems to be more difficult than traditional teaching.
-
I have always thought of SC as a great school with a great reputation in the dental community but unfortunately don't feel that way more. I've heard a lot of negative comments about PBL (or USC's way of implementing it)but went to the interview with an open mind expecting to be impressed by the school and the new program. Unfortunately the opposite happend. I just don't think spending $300K on a dental school whose primary learning tools for the first two years are giant sticky-notes and magic markers is a wise choice for me. But that's only my oppinion.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
🕐
Length:
47 Minutes Average
🔄
Number:
2.5 Interviews Average
👥
Interview Type (Interaction):
3% One-on-One
97% Group Interview
📁
File Type:
13% Open-File
87% Closed-File
💻
Interview Modality:
0% Virtual
100% In-Person
🏫
Interview Location (for In-Person):
100% At the School
0% Other Location
USC-COMP interviews are an average of 47 minutes, with an average of 2.5 interviews. 3% of interviews are one-on-one, 100% are in-person, and 87% are closed-file. Of the in-person interviews, 100% are held at the school.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools based on user responses were scenario-based questions related to Problem-Based Learning (PBL), such as analyzing case studies in groups, discussing ethical principles, and sharing personal experiences or preferences like accomplishments or travel choices. Some respondents mentioned participating in a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format where questions were drawn randomly from a basket, while others noted a non-disclosure agreement during the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
Interview was PBL style, so we were assigned a case study and worked on it as a group
-
Why should we accept you?
-
Why USC?
-
If you could travel to any year, what year and why? (Icebreaker)
-
If you had a time machine and could travel to any time past or future, what year would you travel to and why?
-
At the beginning of the group activity they pass around a basket of questions. My first was "what person past present or future would I like to meet?"
-
We each were asked to pick a paper out of a basket, read the question aloud and answer it in 90 seconds or less. My first question was "what was the last book you read or play you saw and would you recommend it?"
-
If your house was burning down, what 3 things would you save?
-
Which of your five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing) would you choose to give up if you had to pick one?
-
If you were an Admissions Committee member. what qualities would make an ideal candidate? Please Explain
-
Are you aware that USC uses the PBL (problem based learning) system?
-
What is the last song you listened to on your itunes?
-
They didn't ask questions. We just did a PBL case.
-
If you could travel anywhere it the world, where would it be and why?
-
How do you cope with stress
-
Randomly taken from a basket full of questions: What is your biggest accomplishment?
-
Picked q out of basket-if you could travel anywhere, where?
-
We were divided into groups of about 10 applicants to do a PBL exercise. We also picked 2 questions out of a hat (very easy questions!) and answered in front of the group. Lastly, there was a brief 15-minute writing sample. Very laid back "interview"!
-
No Questions - just observed 10 of us discussing a case.
-
They passed around a bucket with interview questions. We read the question aloud and then answered them in front of our group.
-
If you could talk to anyone, past or present, who would you talk to?
-
Prompt to discuss
-
PBL Section with evaluator/moderator grading you; Active Participation Recommended
-
A little fact that isn't in your application
-
60 minute PBL session.
-
USC's interview is somewhat different. Instead of having a one-on-one interview, 7-8 applicants are grouped together and they conduct a mock PBL session, where two faculty members are present and they evaluate your performance in the group.
-
You dont have an interview. You have a mock PBL session with a group of about 7 interviewees.
-
Nothing
-
PBL case study - know the process of generating Facts, Ideas, Learning Needs
-
PBL involving a sick girl traveling... why do you think she's sick?
-
It is a mock PBL case. They observe how you interact with other students
-
PBL Mock session
-
Non around a case not hard at all
-
Girl gets sick pbl situation. why is she sick?
-
About a case, no personal interview and had an essay (best invention)
-
PBL
-
Given story about someone getting sick and we had to brainstorm why the person was feeling sick.
-
First section was a group PBL with 10 students and 2 faculty observers. They just guided the PBL but never gave any input into the discussion. Very easy.
-
Mock-PBL
-
None
-
CASE QUESTIONS. GAVE ME A SCENARIO ABOUT AN OLD MAN WHO DRANK LEMONADE DURING A LIGHTING STORM AND GOT SICK AFTER HIS WIFE HAD MADE MEATLOAF AND LEMONADE FROM LOCAL WELL WATER.
-
Do you have any questions?
-
None Just PBL, and 4 mock scenarios
-
No questions at all.
-
N/A
-
None.
-
No interview.
-
Zip
-
No questions, just a mock PBL session. But here's a tip. If you are really interested in the program, during the mock PBL session, make it seem like you are good at going through the process and not just good at getting to the cause of the "problem".
-
There was no individual interview. It was a mock PBL session that you are grouped with 8 other students to work on.
-
Like I said before... no questions, just a group interaction evaluation.
-
No questions asked
-
There were no specific questions...a mock PBL session was used.
-
Writing sample: What are 1 or 2 ethical principles you live by?
-
No specific questions asked. Just general stuff when talking with them.
-
Do you have a quarter million dollars in your bank account? And can we, USC, share some of yours?
-
Discussion quistions are not related to dentistry, no need to prepare. they only want to find out if you have a voice in a crowd
-
FACTS
-
PBL interview structure: They will give you a storyline over 3 pages. Each page will contain more information than the last and your group's task is to evaluate each page and just discuss ideas. It is very simple and straight forward. There is very little you can do to prepare. My only advise is to BE YOURSELF! I can't stress that enough. Just enjoy.
-
Pbl session
-
What have you heard about USC?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry discussed the MMI format through a mock PBL session where no direct questions were asked, but instead, participants engaged in group problem-solving activities. Respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement as specifics regarding questions were not disclosed due to the unique interview format.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Ethics question, MD vs DDS
-
(To someone else) What was a situation in which your participation was necessary?
-
Refer to "specific questions"
-
What is my opinion on the Dental Post-Bacc program?
-
The entire experience itself was very distinct and interesting.
-
I really enjoyed the PBL and found it interesting to be able to work on a mock case with other pre-dents.
-
Standard questions... nothing really interesting.
-
PBL Section with evaluator/moderator grading you; Active Participation Recommended
-
Group PBL session. There are four pieces to the case. Work on one part at a time. Everyone got a chance to participate by either reading aloud, or writing on the board. There are two people evaluating.
-
Person traveling is sick. Figure out what is the reason why.
-
You do the asking during the info session at the very beginning.
-
Nnnnnnnnn
-
PBL
-
N/A
-
None
-
No question.
-
What do you think the problem is? Remember USC doesn't do a interview it is a mock PBL session
-
My name and major during introductions.
-
What was the most recent current event your read?
-
Where I see myself in ten years (essay question).
-
FYI: WE HAD NO FORMAL INTERVIEW.
-
None.
-
No questions, this was a mock PBL session; very odd and not something I was pleased with
-
It is a mock PBL session
-
Because this was not a typical interview, there were no questions asked. We just introduced ourselves to the group.
-
No questions asked
-
They don't ask any questions.
-
What was the last book i read and would i recommend it to others and why.
-
None, it was a group session simulating a PBL session.
-
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
-
None. Only a mock PBL session, NO Personal Interview
-
PBL Trial, the only question asked was, "Please introduce yourself; name, undergraduate institution, major, what are you doing now?"
-
Not a real interview. You arrive and they give you a writing sample to do for 15 minutes. Then you listen to speakers and videos about PBL and how to do PBL for an hour. Then you get a financial aid lecture that is really blunt and very helpful. After that, you spend 50-60 minutes in a group of 8 interviewing students doing a mock PBL Case (very simplified). The 2-3 "interviewers watch and evaluate you as you go through it. After that you take a tour and have lunch with students and faculty.
-
PBL session. No questions asked
-
There is no typical interview took place, only a mock PBL practice.
-
The PBL questions had to do with some person who was feeling sick while on a cruise and each part of the case reveals more information. Then you all throw out ideas of what the possible problem could be...
-
No specific questions. Only mock PBL
-
None, there were no questions asked. How, you might ask, do they choose who they accept if they don't ask you questions? I still haven't figured that out.
-
NA
-
No Questions Only a PBL case, I had the lemonade one.
-
Wasn't asked any questions.
-
No questions whatsoever. I could have been a bank robber for all anyone knew.
-
The school seems to be pleased with themselves that they do not do "interviews". Instead, they watch you in a group of about 10 people discuss a mock PBL case (unmedical related). I'm not sure how they can narrow down who they want to accept for students by just watching the group PBL case.
-
No questions asked, but do be polite with the dental students who have lunch with you during lunch. They will ask you general questions so keep in mind that you have your name tag hanging from your lanyard.
-
None, since there is no formal personal interview.
-
None. it was a case based interview
-
A question that had to do with glycolysis
-
"Why aren't you talking?????" "If you want to get an acceptance letter from us (i.e. if you wanna sell your house to afford your tuition here), you should be talking!!"
-
No questions were asked of the students interviewing at USC... their analysis of you is based on group interaction.
-
No direct questions asked.
-
No questions by the staff, all the quesitons came from the students during the PBL session, in order to help us out as a group
-
There were no direct questions asked, as there was no interview conducted.
-
There was not a formal interview at USC. It was a mock-Problem-Based Learning Session. It was interesting to see how this approach works...it is not for everyone, but it left me with a very positive imporession.
-
Onlyt people who want to gamble and try their luck can go here....this is regarding the international dentist program interviews.....
-
PBL, so no personal interview
-
There were no specific questions directed at a particular student.
-
Where did I learn spanish.
-
Essay question: What do you think is the greatest invention?
-
None but the financial assistant was mentally asking me "Can you afford this education? Due dates for financial assistance have been passed. But I need your money."
-
None. Just a group PBL session
-
There was no actual interview, just a group discuss session
-
What is the Kreb's cycle? (during orientation session by the faculty member, Dr.Shwal.. how do I spell his name?)
-
None.. just a mock PBL session.
-
Nothing it was PBL
-
PBL learning session, very interesting
-
No questions were asked. We were put into a group setting and given one problem to discuss.
-
This was a group PBL interview. This was an interview for their international student program (ISP).
-
No question only PBL case. 3 part PBL a person read the first part, the group try to find fact, then ideas. after that another person read the second part, do the same thing as before and so on.
-
There wasn't any questions. just a mock pbl group session. It was pretty interesting.
-
PBL interview.. very easy going
-
There are no one-on-one questions. The whole interview is conducted through a mock PBL case. A group of applicants are monitored by a member of the admissions staff as your group fumbles through the rediculous PBL case they give you.(Kind of scares me that they don't interview each applicant individually)
-
How is the air in your cars tire?
-
No questions asked, our group participated in a mock PBL.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as the school's website, SDN forum, and mock interviews. Some focused on understanding the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) process, while others emphasized being themselves and staying calm during the interview.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
Talked to current students
-
Rehearsed with friends, videos, internet search
-
I just did some practice ethical questions for the MMI part of the interview. You can't really prepare for the group interview.
-
Website information, SDN forum
-
SDN, USC's thread
-
SDN, their website,
-
SDN, mock interviews, etc...
-
SDN. School website.
-
PBL is very difficult to prepare for as you are not given the case ahead of time. It is important to contribute to the group and also try to help facilitate discussion. It is best to make sure to read the information provided about PBL and the steps that you must go through during a PBL session.
-
SDN
-
Nothing can prepare you since everyone has different questions from the basket. You get 2 questions: 1 is non-dental related and the other is dental-related
-
I did a mock interview with the dentist I work for.
-
SDN and PBL site. Read about how to generate facts, ideas, and learning needs. Other than that all you can do is be yourself.
-
Read up on PBL by the link given by USC pre-interview.
-
Read the school's website, went to a nice dinner the night before
-
SDN/ being yourself
-
Read the website about the PBL process and looked at this site for interview feedback
-
I didn't prepare much, just reviewed info about the school and thought of questions to ask the current students and reviewed information about PBL.
-
Just looked through my application and SDN but none of those made a difference and I didn't need to do that.
-
Nothing really
-
Nothing
-
Be calm and understand the format of PBL. Keep an open mind to this style and don't show any hostility to this format because they can sense it. Relax and enjoy it.
-
SDN! (thank you for everyone who posted before me)
-
Read the USC PBL website.
-
Read over the PBL website
-
SDN, PBL info
-
Read USC PBL website
-
Read about PBL
-
-SDN reviews -USC's PBL website
-
SDN and school website
-
Read over the PBL booklet.
-
Just read the PBL flyer and school website.
-
SDN, read the PBL website
-
Practice speaking loud
-
Read sdn (especially tried to focus on the positive feedbacks to perhaps suade my already negative views)
-
Sdn, read book and had another interviews
-
Asked friends, visited sdn interview feedback
-
SDN, this website..no real way to prep for it
-
Filled out student survey, read about PBL, pressed my suit, slept.
-
Student doctor interview feedback, read through PBL info, read through web site
-
SDN, PBL website, and USC packet of info
-
SDN, school website, packet that came in the mail.
-
Did their survey application check out the school's PBL website info, can't really prepare for PBL
-
No preparation needed
-
SDN, schools website, pre-health advisor, friends and family
-
You don't need to prepare. The school evaluates on how well you cooperate with others. If you're anti-social and selfish then go to another school. Just don't be a jerk.
-
Read over my application, my personal statement, and sdn.
-
Went out drinking the night before
-
Didn't, no way to prep for PBL session.
-
SDN, website
-
Read SDN interview feedback section.
-
Read SDN (albeit a lot of negative feedback) & USCSD's website.
-
N/a
-
I read about PBL from SDN forum and USC website.
-
Website and SDN
-
SDN, learned about PBL & reviewed the USCSD website.
-
Didnt really do much
-
Read the SDN website
-
Did similar interview at a different school
-
Didn't really prepare/no need to
-
Read over PBL information that was set to us, but I didn't really prepare. they give you enough PBL information before the mock PBL. no preparation really needed.
-
None, the interview isn't really an interview. It is in a group and you discuss a problem based learning problem.
-
Read school website, SDN
-
I just read over what PBL is and read over interview feedback on SDN.
-
SDN, looked up PBL format on the internet
-
SDN, Apps, and Schools Website
-
SDN, AADSAS Application.
-
Please do not do anything to prepare for this interview....it is not an interview...it is a joke mock PBL session that has nothing to do with anything...just participate...other than that I don't see how they chose their candidates from something so dumb...
-
School's website and sleep
-
Read up on USC and PBL.
-
I didn't
-
Tried to research on what PBL was like.
-
SDN, school's website
-
Filled out secondary application
-
Read the USC Dental website and read over stats and mission statement
-
Completed their secondary.
-
Very little
-
Read SDN feedbacks.
-
None. I read SDN.
-
Read up on the school's website thoroughly and SDN
-
Didn't
-
Read about USC on SDN and tried to get a good nights sleep.
-
After reading these threads all i had to do was "show up"
-
Party, go out with my cousins and friends, came home and answered their questionier at one a.m.
-
Looked over my application.
-
A good night's sleep, reviewing the SDN files
-
None done knowing it was a group interview
-
Looked over SDN, read information posted on their website.
-
Read through online information and learned about the PBL program
-
Went through posted interview feedback
-
I didn't prepare for the interview at all.
-
Looked at some dental exams but it was no use for this interview
-
I didn't prepare AT ALL
-
None... you couldn't.
-
Nothing much, just trying to relax as much as I can for that day.
-
Read SDN, spoke w/ friends, USC website, google'd-PBL
-
SDN, School website, PBL website
-
None
-
Sdn, looked at their website
-
Practised at home, read up the SDN,the school website
-
Read usc website, sdn, talked to people in pbl...
-
SDN and spoke to a current D1 at the school
-
Relaxed
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry discussed multiple scenarios, including appropriate punishment for misconduct and personal fears in dental school. The interviews were in a group setting, possibly an MMI format with nondisclosure agreements, where questions ranged from ethical dilemmas to personal reflections and problem-solving exercises.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
None
-
I don't remember exactly, but it was something like "What would be the appropriate punishment for a 4th year dental student if he/she said something hurtful or offensive about another classmate on social media?"
-
None were difficult. It was just hard answering to a room full of people.
-
Do you have any questions for me? [This was following an all day session. I really had no unanswered questions, but felt like I should as SOMETHING].
-
What is your greatest fear in dental school?
-
The PBL case required us to think critically.
-
There were no difficult questions :)
-
All of them, mostly because it's a group interview and it can be a little awkward.
-
PBL Section with evaluator/moderator grading you; Active Participation Recommended
-
For writing sample people got some weird questions like who would you have lunch with? describe a previous job, time travel.
-
Tell me something about you that is not on your AADSAS application.
-
NA
-
Nothing
-
Nnnnnnnnnnn
-
PBL
-
N/a
-
None.
-
Wasn't asked this, but the biggest decision I had to make that day was the type of pizza I wanted.
-
Nothing.
-
None. There is no one-on-one interview at USC. This was actually a relief for me.
-
We had into, writing sample, [would have been Financial Aid, but he was sick], Tour, Q&A with students during lunch.
-
Actually the question was addressed by a Senior student during lunch: Are you sure you want to come to SC? and Don't Let Them Brain-Wash you!!
-
Same as above
-
None. They gave us a scenario to discuss
-
PBL session. No questions asked
-
The most difficult part of the PBL session was not getting up to leave in the middle, or make fun of it...they are sooooo pointless...
-
None. You just talk to the group and discuss about a particular problem they give you.
-
Would you like a juice box.
-
Not Applicable
-
No questions were asked. At all. They know nothing more about you when you leave the school than what they knew before you got there. Except if you are shy or outgoing.
-
None-
-
The whole case was stupid. something about a house pipline issue.
-
??? I don't remember having any difficult questions.
-
This school is such a JOKE
-
...
-
See the above.
-
They didn't ask any questions.
-
See above
-
The most stupid thing is that there were only group interviews whixh were given the maximum weightage.....the problem to be discussed was non dental ie:plumbing.... it just did not make any sense to me that the fin aid group or the administrative staff were made to supervise the PBL session instead of the adcoms..... its like the person who is the dumbest and loudest gets in...... no weightage seems to be given to practical test...(atleast thats what the results showed.....as people who had done the wrong exercise got in.....:(
-
----
-
I wish I was asked "a" question
-
No questions were asked
-
Nuh
-
Nothing...again, it was just a mock pbl group session (you're in a group of say, 7 people, and there are two admissions staff people...i guess they just want to know how you work with a group like setting, etc etc)
-
There were no interview questions asked.
-
Pretend im a child and explain to me why you are going to drill a cavity.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendly and welcoming staff and students, the beautiful campus and facilities, the emphasis on clinical experiences and hands-on learning, the unique PBL curriculum, and the overall positive atmosphere at the school. Suggestions included providing more detailed information about the program, ensuring that all questions are answered during the interview day, and offering more insight into financial aid and tuition costs.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
Very laid back interview
-
How big the school is
-
Loved the campus and the camaraderie between classmates.
-
The campus in beautiful
-
Students and facilities
-
Location, friendliness of students and staff, large clinics
-
The students and faculty were amazing.
-
The campus is AMAZING. They also have a huge amount of school spirit.
-
The faculty seemed very enthusiastic but no more than any other schools. The PBL is very interesting and there were some positive aspects of the format. However I could not obtain any more information that the vague answers about the program provided by staff and students. It is very important to make sure you feel like all of your questions were answered before leaving.
-
The staff and students were really welcoming and friendly
-
Students seem happy.
-
Questions are different and unique to each applicant rather than everyone having to answer the same question (LECOM). They also have the world famous dental anesthesiologist teaching.
-
The entire interview [the group interview, as well as the 1:1 interview] were both very casual. It appears as though the admissions commitee works hard to put everyone at ease, and really get to know us, versus asking us generic, cookie-cutter questions that everybody with any sense will have already prepared answers for.
-
The brand new clinic was amazing. Everything is state of the art and so beautiful. Everyone there was so nice and so willing to answer any question.
-
The early clinical experience. The honest and comprehensive tour. The honest financial aid talk. The USC family is real. Top facilities and USC connection.
-
The vibes
-
Friendly staff
-
Campus and friendliness of everyone
-
The students all seemed very happy, had positive opinions of PBL and the curriculum, and seemed to have low stress levels.
-
The school has a good reputation for graduating very good dentists.
-
USC is amazing- the facilities and the students are fantastic. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the curriculum (heavy emphasis on clinical experiences) and on PBL.
-
Friendliness of staff/students, beautiful campus, positive attitudes of students, mobile clinic, chances for dental missions
-
Patient Pool, specialty program, school is on the main campus
-
Remodeling clinic, everyone was very friendly, clinic seemed busy even though people say school has a hard time bringing patients in, beautiful school.
-
I enjoyed the PBL session and liked that the school is able to accommodate for their class size. Their passing boards stats are also pretty high.
-
Lots of community outreach
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Where do I start, PBL seems effective and requires self discipline. The atmosphere was friendly and USC has a wide variety of extracurricular activities available: assisting, community service, research, etc. Exposure to many specialized fields; if you want to specialize, USC is highly favorable for specialization.
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Hm..
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Clinic
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The mock PBL session was very interesting and I enjoyed it very much.
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The faculty and admissions office were very friendly. Brian is a pretty awesome assistant director of admissions, he really makes you feel welcome. The school definitely does what it sets out to do and thats to make the interview day as relaxed as possible. Definitely one of the most relaxed interviews I've had so far, which is kind of a welcome change of pace.
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The campus, the people, and surprisingly the new PBL curriculum
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The staff were very friendly and financial aid was honest about the high cost of attending. A lot of helpful information was given during the financial aid session. Facilities were nice and lots of clinics
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It's warm even when it's raining. It's expensive but this school produces some of the finest dentists in the field. I was intimidated by PBL but it's just meeting in a group to do work together rather than doing it alone. I really don't think it's that big of a deal, either way. The school works, obviously.
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World class faculty. They will be updating their clinic in the next couple of years. They have a very strong alumni base, and you can probably get a job working with one of them right out of school.
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The food at lunch was yummy. pre-clinic/clinic were pretty nice but i've seen better.
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Nothing
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Modern building/facilities
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Their facilities are great
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PBL turned out to be fun and not very stressful at all. The admissions people were all super nice.
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Facilities, student morale
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Great school, i loved the PBL because it fits my learning style, good facilities and plenty of opportunities to get hands on experience throughout, lots of specialties to choose from and work in during 4th year, location - close to the beach
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New(er) facilities, students were generally happy, less competition b/w students with no class ranking.
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Nice, enthusiastic tour guide, the admission staff are nice and friendly
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They have numerous specialties at USC and you get to experience them in your 4th year.
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Everything! Students there are really satisfied. I've been to other schools and I met a number of students who had regretted not going to USC. In the previous post, the person mentions that the first years have all this time and in the 2nd they are really stressed. But think about it, all other schools are stressed out to the point where they want to blow their brains out. I really like the balance this school offers. The students perform well academically and maintain a social life. You make your own decision there with the free time. I hope I get into USC b/c I would like to use that time studying for the boards, doing research and volunteer work; which are opportunities you don't have much time for in other schools. Also, USC is known for their great hand and clinical skills. I didn't hear this from any of the people from USC. It's from testimonies of patients getting treatment from USC graduates.
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NO CLASSES
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The staff was very nice and helpful.
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Upfront nonglamorized view of the amazing tuition cost
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What makes this school great is that everyone treats each other like family. Beautiful campus on sunny days!
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New facilities, Digital X-Rays
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Pretty much everything. I love the school, I love the PBL program, and I love the fact that it seemed like a family.
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The unique curriculum, only all PBL school.
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PBL format, facilities, Trojan Pride
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The SIM lab, ortho dept. (interested in ortho) and the integration of lectures.
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I was impressed with the SIM lab and with their plans to remodel the 2nd floor clinic. The 2nd floor clinic will be modeled after ASDOH's clinic. I was also impressed with the fact that the program is more hybrid than 100% PBL.
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The PBL session was fun... but
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Nice facilities, sunny weather
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The campus is nice; however the dental clinic seemed old and runned down
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The schools facilities, the curriculum, the outstanding faculty and the resources available at both the dental school at the unviersity.
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Everyone was friendly and happy to be there. The facilities are nice as well.
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The facilities, the happy nature of everyone there, the program
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Friendly students and staff, good facilities, the school pride
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The sim lab, nice facilities.
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Digital X-ray machine. That's it.
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Lots of chairs, happy students, clinical, lots of chairs, well-known name,
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Students generally seemed to enjoy the school, modern and spacious facilities.
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The location of the school is great and all the people were friendly.
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Little. Digital Xray setup and PBL was fun
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How close all of the students are. Everyone is very happy to be there and is like a very close-knit family. Also, the PBL works as the students do very well on their boards.
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People are very nice, very beautiful school right next to a bunch of museums, lots of free-time to study
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Not much
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Great facillity.
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Even though PBL is pointless, you are in class three times a week for 4 hours at a time. The student I ate lunch with said there are AM sessions (8-12) and PM sessions (1-5), so you will be assigned one or the other and then switch at the end of each semester. POSITIVE = only 12 hours of "class" time a week....meaning you have plenty of free time to learn the material....or plenty of personal time if you don't want to learn anything....
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The smell of the sim lab~ like the smell of the lab I volunteer at, which relaxed me a bit.
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The specialty facilities are nice, the rest are average.
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The beautiful campus. All of the school spirit.
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The facilities. I had no idea how big this school actually is. The 3rd floor has all the specialty clinics, very impressive. You'll be blown away by the hot co-eds that go here. Unfortunately, the female dental students don't look anything like the female undergrads here.
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Very friendly, interesting way of learning, sunshine, nice campus (within the school that is)
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I loved the campus, tons of people everywhere and it seems you would really get to know many people
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The facilities were nice and there seemed to be a broad range of post-doctoral programs.
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I love the campus and the facilities are very nice. The financial aide session was very detailed and informative.
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Great facilities, relaxing program, lots of hands on experience. i believe this might be the best school for clinical training. Lots of research opportunities. Also great location, both in terms of trafic and afordable living.
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The facilities are really nice. Students are friendly and laid back. The first 2 years of school are relaxed and relatively stress-free. Each PBL group meets 3 times a week. The rest of the time is spent in clinical rotations or on independent research for your PBL case. Third and fourth years are like any other school where your days are spent in clinic. There is no class ranking and everyone has a high GPA since the lowest grade you can make in your PBL groups is a B. That, along with USC's prestige, provides lots of opportunities after graduation.
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I love the school, because I went there for undergrad. The dental labs very really nice and clean.
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The nice and clean facilities. The use of digital X-rays. The campus is beautiful!!! The staff was very professional. The students were really nice. They did not seemed stressed at all. And..most importantly they appeared, from my observation, to be honest in all the questions that were asked of them.
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None... the weather...? maybe... living in LA isn't that great... flood or Tsunami here... man it's 500% possible...
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The school is very nice... as are the students and staff.
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The flexibility, AWESOME FACILITIES!!! I can't say that enough. The fact that every student I talked to on the side said they were sooo happy and would never go to any other school. None of the students had any regrets about their choice and some of them had got into UCSF, UOP, all the east schools, and UCLA. The school is really flexible and has a great reputation for its clinical skills. And the USC license plates looks really cool. The school itself is a really prestigious and exclusive school in CALI. The entire PBL program is ten times better than anything esle on earth. It teaches their students to think on their own. I mean really to be independent.
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They immerse you in the the clinical protocol right away, rather than other schools that start you after 2 years into the program
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The area is not that bad. I know the east side is ghetto, but the school surrounding was not equivalent to the horror stories I have heard. The orthodontics facility was very new. Your first year is realxed.
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I was really impressed with the PBL methodology. The facilities are top-notch, and the staff was incredibly friendly. Perhaps the most important thing was when I spoke to a group of students who were not the cheerleaders for the program, but average students going through the program, and they appaered to be genuinely happy.
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Nothing.(except that it has a large patient pool).....during the 3 day interview i did not have a chance to meet up with any faculty meber/student.....nobody gace us a school tour or anything.....they invited 140 candidates for 32 seats...... and nobody on the ad coms even appeared in front of even a single candidate on the day of orientation......that was extremely unproffessional
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Laxed feeling of the school, closer mentorship with professors
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Facility
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The PBL format, the nice facilities at the school, all of the time the students have to study, and the L.A. weather.
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The diversity, homeless clinics, a few technological perks...
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The PBL seemed like a great way to learn!
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The way I was treated. Everyone I met there was great! The cirriculum and facilities are great.
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They make sure you have a good sense of what PBL is throughout the day.
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Facility, weather (too hot but better than cold)
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Beautiful weather
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The presentation given by a faculty member was very cool. he is super smart and funny. and it is the only positive part about this interview
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Facility, students
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Nice campus, nice ppl, PBL sounds very interesting "on paper" but not for everyone.
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Great facility, location of the dental school
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School's PBL program is impressive. For the first time I have seen a school focus on what is important instead of cramming mounds of information into a brain that will soon forget it anyways. PBL allows students the space to pick up and actively learn material by researching on their own and then coming together to share ideas. It's very similar to what engineering students go through and in my personal opinion an excellent way to learn.
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I loved the PBL learning session
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Campus, school, students were really nice and friendly.
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PBL seems like a great way to learn. It's actually not as unstructured as I thought it would be. There is some structure to it, and a faculty member is there to help the group guide you in the right direction.
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Very nice and updated dental school facility. Nice faculty, on time delivery of all documents prior to interview.
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Nothing that impressive really.
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Very nice facility
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The facilities are nice
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Even with all the negative things people say about USC, you have to remember SC is still a respectable school
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Very nice facilities in the campus
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were consistently concerned about the high cost of attendance at the school, with many feeling that the tuition did not match the educational experience provided. Additionally, the heavy emphasis on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as the primary teaching method raised doubts among applicants, who expressed a preference for more traditional lecture-based learning and a desire for clearer information on board exam pass rates. Suggestions included improving faculty interaction, addressing the dated facilities, and providing more transparency on outcomes and teaching methods.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Should have had more students available to visit with at lunch/give tours after. Not every table had the same amount of time to ask questions, and the tour groups ended up being larger
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They are in the process of upgrading, so construction
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Smug attitude from faculty
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Nothing really. Clinic seemed a little old though.
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The building was somewhat dated.
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PBL
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The building felt a little old
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Nada
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The curriculum. PBL just isn't for me...
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PBL is very unique and has its merits. It allows one to work closely with others and promotes a collaborative environment. I think this would be best suited for those who enjoy research. I was very concerned with the reluctance to provide board exam pass rates. I was able to ask a few students during lunch who explained that USC provides a lot of clinical experience which will be beneficial for part 2 of the board exams, but they are lacking in terms of content preparation. Also I could not obtain a straight answer on if there are supplementary lectures for the PBL sessions or not. Some student said no, some said yes and some didn't understand what I was asking.
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It was hard to get a word out during the interview-everyone was competitive and talking over one another
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I felt like they were trying to sell the school and make sure that this school was your top pick. They even asked you at the end of the interview when you fill out your interview evaluation. There are not a lot of lectures during the first two years which is scary. The cost for the 1st year is $114,000. The group interview doesn't give you an opportunity to elaborate on your AADSAS application.
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Long presentation and assistant dean was blabbering about how great the location is and how great the name "USC" is.
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The 1:1 portion is only for members of the Post-Bacc program or for reapplicants, and I was bothered by that. As a post-bacc student, I had to already interview, so I feel like I've already been able to allow the admissions staff to get to know me. If I weren't in the Post-Bacc, I think I would have felt like the application did not get the chance to hear me out, or to know me as a person.
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The only thing I didn't like was my lunch. The sandwich made me sick.
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The high price. The new dean is making dynamic changes.
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Nothing
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Some people in our PBL case were very aggressive which hinders other people from talking and being able to voice what they think of the case... which kinda blows... hope they take that in consideration!
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Lunch was a decent assortment of subs, but the beverage selection was lacking... ended up with only one 8oz bottle of water, which left me quite thirsty
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The current pre-doctoral students bad mouthed other schools. I don't think that speaks very highly of them or their confidence in their own program. Also, we didn't get to meet or speak with a single faculty member.
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I personally wanted to know some stats like: What percentage of students pass the boards? What percentage of students pass the boards with 90% or higher? Etc. I had a hard time getting answers to these types of questions.
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Still not sure how effective PBL is, wasn't given a clear answer about board passing rates
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Tuition cost, weird class schedule, no lecture
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The cost of tuition and the lack of an one on one interview.
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Insane school costs in an area that's already expensive to live in
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The cost of tuition is high, very similar to NYU and BU.
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Cost
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COST!!
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1-The cost of attendance ~430,000$/4years!!!!!!!! 2-You're pretty much on your own under the PBL system. I prefer to have a defined schedule. That way I know what I'm supposed to do. Whereas, with PBL they give you a case and then you have to figure out how you wanna use your time to conduct research on the given topic.
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Quite a bit! First off, cost of attendance is through the roof! THe financial aid guy was super friendly and completely honest and pretty much said its not really possible to pay off your debt before 20-25 years when most other school graduates are paying theirs off in 10-15. Living expenses and average debt of a graduate right now is around $420,000! So, for what you get and what you pay, it doesnt even compare. They have a low student to faculty ratio and pretty much state that right away. They had a lot of problems recently that are slowly being worked out and on several occassions during Brian's presentation, I was thinking, should you really be telling us all of this? He likes the school but would say things to make you believe its not the greatest school at all. Current students kind of had a false confidence about the school. I asked what they liked about the school and the one student said name recognition. He says when he tells people he goes to USC dental school that they just assume its a great program. That definitely did not peak my interest. Also, its so laid back there that you have entire days off and it seriously sounds like you practically teach yourself, which may sound like an exageration but thats definitely the feeling I got, which made me feel like well what the hell are you paying so much tuition for then?! School's location is not a great location, right near a bad area. Cost of living is ridiculously high! Overall, its not that the school is that terrible, unless you dont like PBL cuz they have A LOT of PBL and it sounds like most of the students are too fond of it. Its just that for what you pay and what you get, no offense but its a joke. You can pay half and even a third of that for a better education, better equipment, better location, cheaper living expenses, more faculty, etc... Definitely no bang for your buck! Lastly, when they hand out your folder in the beginning, I looked through some of the papers and one of the first ones was a disclaimer about dental school rankings and that the ADA doesnt approve of any rankings and to discredit them if you come across them. Ive been to a lot of interviews now and have never come across that, ever. That screams to me that they are already getting defensive because lets face it, they are probably at or near the bottom of any ranking, not that I put a lot of stock in any kind of "ranking" but when a dental school gives you a disclaimer on it, that shows me they have some major issues going on there.
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The cost of tuition is outrageous, and no, or limited on campus housing for the dental students. Most have to live just off campus in the bad neighborhood.
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Almost 500k in debt after graduating; the tour
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Just the cost-
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Estimated debt at graduation: $468,366.73 If you pay it off in 10 years, you pay a total of $671,888.21 If you pay it of in a more realistic 25 years, you pay a total of $1,064,794.52
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Idiots who try a lot while not contributing to the mock pbl interview
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Wow, where do i start? 1. this school is expensive, but at least the admissions/financial aid rep was blunt and honest about the cost. additionally, i don't understand why the tuition is so high considering you teach yourself for the first 2 years... especially with the economic crisis, i can think of tons of dental schools that i'd rather attend and not face as much debt. 2. pbl. i wonder how effective this "learning" technique is especially since the majority of dental schools have failed to adopt pbl. i also heard that this school got SUED in recent years because the students couldn't pass their boards and that is why the school is trying the hybrid lecture. also, if you get a slacker in your group... sucks to be you! i don't hate pbl, and i think it could work well to the students' advantage in limited amounts but this school has way too much of it, which seems to not work well with professional students. 3. which brings me to how shady the admissions reps or whoever spoke to us continually bypassed questions concerning usc's board exam pass rate. they told us, "we don't have that information for the part IIs, but the part Is have really high passing rates." well, i heard that their part II average was like a 74, which is a FAIL. 4. i didn't meet one faculty member. 5. which also brings into account the "interview" itself was a mock pbl. that was fun, BUT what boggles me are the people who were assessing us... they were incredibly young and looked like students. so i wondered if they could even properly gauge us. 6. LACK OF PATIENTS. one girl said that she's competing with classmates to get patients. another said that "there is no harm for students to stand on the street advertising discounted dentistry" 7. kinda nitpicky, but um they don't require textbooks at ALL. so you can graduate school not buying anything. although i am against buying textbooks that are unnecessary, this school has online subscriptions, but my question is, well what if you are practicing dentistry and get stuck and need to refer to something in a book? i've shadowed a few dentists and they ALL have bookshelves with stuff from years in ds. maybe that's just for show, but i mean at least they have them.
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The rude unfriendly atitude from every body
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COST (all loans are unsubsidized, which leaves a graduate 600k in debt - according to the financial session). organization - I felt very uninformed and lost. lack of personal interview. Seemingly ubiquitous discontent among students for lack of patients to treat and chairs to use.
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Some unorganizied aspects of the admission committee
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The location of the school is not very nice or safe looking. USC is insanely expensive and the financial speaker was brutally honest about it! Tour guide was blahhh
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Lack of a personal interview, and not being able to meet a single faculty/dentist/dean
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I wasn't too sold on the PBL idea
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Location - downtown LA is a ghetto, but campus is a well guarded island in the middle of town, expensive!
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#1 USC lost to unranked Oregon State that night. Are you serious?
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Cost, low faculty/student ratio, school not big on research.
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The students were not enthusiastic at all. Some of them recommended for me to seriously consider other schools. The school is almost 100% PBL, which isn't the greatest fit for me now that I know what it really means. ITS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE!!!
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PBL, DIFFERENT WAY OF LEARNING DENTISTRY
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Same =)
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The PBL program. Although the interview was very low stress, I was in dismay over the curriculum. I don't see how it's possible to learn without lectures and a textbook list. Everything learned is purely from the cases! I don't see the point of paying 68K in tuition per year to teach myself. It's ridiculous.
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The tuition but in the grand scheme it's worth it once you are a part of the Trojan family.
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Tuition. But it's worth it! Ask any Trojan Alumni.
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Just the fact that it was a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong interview. I got there at around 7:30 and didn't leave til 4:30. Big part of that was due to the fact that during the tour, the group that I was in, asked probably a hundred questions (no joke), and each answer was probably 5 minutes long. So do the math =(
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The CO$T and Full PBL
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PBL, it's not for everyone and definitely not for me.
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Left a little more confused than when I came. There never was an actual interview
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Their high cost and their pbl program sucks. also, downtown la is not a great place to live.
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The cost and the student clinic, but they mentioned they were remodeling the clinic next year.
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The cost (really expensive) and Los Angeles.
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It didn't feel like we were given the whole PBL experience. You basically listed anything you thought couldve been wrong with the patient. In school, you have to research every possible thing on that subject and know it for the test [lots of individual cramming]
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Price, PBL introduction by a faculty member
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Almost everything, Tuition, the Faculty seemed very unfriendly, the students where pissed and not happy at all.
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Cost is a major factor, but it should never deter you from a school if it fits your personality.
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The cost of the school.
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The cost
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A lot of the students are nasty/jerks, I think they were mad b/c of the amount of $ they have to pay b/c they didn't get high enough scores to get into a better, AND cheaper school. : (
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Very lousy school, overpriced, located in a bad ghetto area and the dental students were not satisfied with their education. In fact I spoke to two dental students who highly encouraged me to attend a different dental school. There were also some jerk dental students who had this cocky attitude toward me. The faculties also didn't seem to be friendly and were cold and distant.
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Cost, PBL, location surrounded by a not-so-good area, anatomy is taken in the summer (when med students aren't using that bldg)
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No chance to meet/interact with faculty, bad neighbrohood in the immediate vicinity of the school, huge emphasis financial aid since the school is so costly to attend.
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The cost.
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Everything. Price tag was enormous, year round curriculum (PBL), students cant get enough time in clinic to fulfull requirements so over 1/2 graduate late. Faculty seemed distant and uninterested. They did not even have people talking to us, they showed us videos of people explaining curriculum etc. Oh, and they fed us fruit punch juice boxes and candy bars for breakfast and crappy pastry with wilted lettuce for lunch. YUCK
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The students have way too much free time. "It is really easy to just get by without trying AT ALL. You can get an extremely low grade on multiple exams and they will say nothing" As quoted from some students. I have little confidence in their graduates. They have a high specialization rate but maybe that's just due to the lack of skill of the GPs. The place was a bunch of nutcases for admissions staff.
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Very expensive.
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PBL isn't really my thing after seeing it and trying the mock PBL. Cost of school is insane. Traffic around school on the freeway crawls.
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Tuition, students were admitting their regrets to attend the school.
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Cost too much, comparing to other d-schools.
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I think PBL is helpful, but should not be used to competely replace lectures, textbook, and class notes. Either way, as long as you are self-motivated and want to learn about science/dentistry I don't think PBL will affect anyone's learning. And of course tuition.
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The tuition!!!
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The rude woman who was in charge. The lack of contact or intimacy with applicants. The failure to interview the applicants. The 1 hour session on how expensive the school is but the 0 minutes they spent interviewing you.
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The nearly $90,000 price tag to go read textbooks and "learn for yourself".
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South Central LA is depressing. It like Temple with sunshine. Get used to bums asking you for change and what not. The aparments around here are in bad condition, and you'll be living off fast food for 4 years. And with the smog, its not a very healthy living. But hey, who cares, SC has the best football program in the country. Too bad Reggie Bush will be in the NFL by the time we get there.
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Very expensive, didn't let you know any requirements are missing till end of your interview
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I hated the group PBL, in the real class situation it would be different, but when people are all talking out and writing things on the board, the only way to get any attention to yourself is by interupting and talking over other people. There is no one on one interaction, no one comes up to you and introduces themselves or says anything to you directly
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The staff was extremely arrogant and boasted to rather than informed candidates. The PBL curriculum seems more an excuse to take people's money while not offering basic services one should expect such as professors, books, required and suggested reading. Not only do you not get any of these, but you will be charged the nations highest tuition...brilliant....The student who I talked to openly told me NOT to attend this school.
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The woman facilitator who watched our group PBL case was rude and short with us. She seemed irritated that she had to do it, even though its been her job for 6 years. She seemed like she hated life and left a bad taste in my mouth! I don't feel like the school got a real sense of whether or not I was a good applicant just from the mock PBL case. You don't really have teachers. You rely more on the other students for help and information. There were about 30-35 people at the "information session"! That is way too many. Also, the day was about 8 hours long. Seriously. Also, there was one guy that the whole admissions staff seem to know already and gave special preferences and privilages to. It was strange and rude to the rest of the applicants, most of whom were dying to go to USC.
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The financial aid presentation got me depressed for a good hour or so.
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The cost of attendance, obviously. $312k for the 4 years of tuition, fees and living expenses.
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EXPENSIVE. it come down to ~400K.
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Everything...
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The area of LA where the school is located is a dump! Students told me that most of them lived out of the area, paid for their trimester parking pass and drove to school. I concur.
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During the financial aid portion, when the counselor said that i'll be eating poor man's pasta and top ramen for four years... i beg to differ ...
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I'll be honest. The cost is a little high, On campus food sucks, and I went to UCLA for undergrad so the area is a little bit shabby, but at least no pretentious west side losers acting rude to you. I like to eat a lot and I don't think I will have great choice of eateries at USC in the next four years.
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The fact that you have to pay about 60 gran a year to study on your own. I talked to several students and they said the way they survive is by relying on their older classmates helping them out. NO FACULTY AT THIS SCHOOL! The board scores were about 86%, which for the price you pay is pretty B.S.
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The cost...USC is the most expensive dental school in the nation, a fact that the financial aid office seemed to be proud of.
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Same as above.....
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Ofcouse the cost, and the fact that you might feel like you are teaching yourself in dental school
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PBL, cost, lack of efficiency from the admissions staff
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The high cost of tuition and over-all cost of attendance.
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The cost!! Learning is nearly 100% PBL and independent-study. Very few students from USC Dental get into a residency program.
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Tuition is outrageous
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I think they should have a personal interview as well.
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Tuition, PBL session, case observation, orientation, lunch with current students who insist that USC is the best - basically everything
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The whole PBL program (no lectures, no text books, lots of unhappy students). Observing the 1st year students' PBL session was extremely boring. Very hostile staffs and admissions officers. Outrageous tuition at $75000 ~ $80000 a year
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The time spent for observing the 1st year student discussion session was long and boring. make us feel very stupid for being there sitting for about an hour, not making any noises and staring at those people constantly. even worse than watching the monkeys play in the zoo!
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Weather - too hot! (it's good and sunny but just not used to that hot temp)
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The interview itself... it was a free for all melee battle between 10 ppl. whoever shouts out the loudest, and the fastest wins.
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Tuition
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Not enough current students seemed to have the openness and courtesy/personalities to speak with the interviewees to ask them how their day is going, if they have any questions, or if they like the school. I have seen this a lot at other schools and I think it makes a huge impression on those interviewing when they can relate to the current student body.
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THE COST!!! MOST EXPENSIVE DENTAL SCHOOL IN THE NATION. Also it has been about 3 weeks since my interview and I still have not heard back from them.
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Their board scores did apparently rise b/c of PBL, but a student told me that what they actually do is have students take a practice board exam. If you don't score above an 80, then you can't take the boards yet. That kinda skews the statistics a bit. Also, the price tag that came along with the school for pretty much teaching yourself the material!
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We had to buy our own equipment for the test. It was very expensive.
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The selection process wasn't fair enough. They graded preparations for 130 students in one hour.So u can imagine how fair the process was!!!
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Nothing much really
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The lack of organization on the part of the admissions staff. Some of them were unprofessional at times and seemed as though they were being burdend by having to conduct the interviews.
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PBL. It just wasnt for me. I think i was a little prejudiced because i've always like SC. Surrounding neighborhood is "workign class" meanign rough.
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The admissions people were a bit disorganized.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Most applicants wished they had known ahead of time about the MMI component in the interview process, the relaxed and stress-free nature of the day, and the high cost of attendance. Additionally, some mentioned the neighborhood surrounding USC, the lack of lectures in the curriculum, and the need for appropriate attire and preparedness for the lengthy interview day.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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They have MMI before PBL
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That USC is insanely over rated.
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That they incorporated MMI. I didn't know until a week before my interview.
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That they added MMI interviews in addition to group interviews
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That the whole day starts at 9- we sat there for an hour.
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How fantastic their interview process is.
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I got the impression that the school was 85-90% PBL and 10-15% lecture. PBLs are not supported by lecture material.
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How long the presentation is? I've been through 6 interviews before this and it was a grueling long intro.
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I wish I knew how genuinely laid-back the whole day is. I'd heard this from previous interviewees, but I still stressed WAY more than I needed to.
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That I didn't have to stress out as much as I did. The whole day was pretty relaxed and I got a good feel for what USC is all about.
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Financial aid arrangements.
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That it would be so comfortable and not to worry
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How aggressive people might be.. LOL
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How relaxed and fun it would be
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That you can't really prepare for this interview at all so don't sweat it. Also don't let my opinion bias you because you may love the PBL style of learning, I just don't think it's for me.
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Heat waves in LA suck, mock PBL was pretty easy/simple (no stress)
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N/A
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PBL will probably work for me, how nice students would be. A better answer to my writing sample question.
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It was a really stress-free, relaxed interview day so do not worry!
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The neighborhood is not as bad as many have stated. It seems to me that the "dangers" of the neighborhood has been exaggerated.
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Look in your folder as soon as you get it to see what your writing sample question is (blue paper). Also second time interviewees, you have a one-on-one interview. Side note: if you're looking for a last minute hotel try the Millennium Biltmore. Cheap rates if you book within 72 hours of your arrival.
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That the mock PBL session isn't really as stressful as some people make it sound.
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That cost of attendance is really that high!
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That I was going to have no idea how they would choose students from the way the interview is conducted.
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PBL is not a deterrent.
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How impossible it would be to get out of debt if you go there!
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Just talk a lot and contribute to the discussion. Don't say random things that are not on topic. Here's an example, when discussing the "learning idea," say relevelant information like studying the mechanism of birth control pills not something like "she got pregnant."
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Watch out what folder you get when they pass them out. each one has a different essay question ranging from like... describe a current event, why dentistry, to where do you see yourself in 10 years, etc. bring a pen or writing utensil for the essay. some people in our group didn't. also i'm pretty sure they group people by their stats... i noticed that one group had all (or well the only) students who went to top undergrad universities. for the pbl you do a case study on why some girl gets sick in africa. it's really, really easy. finally, i wish i just apply to this school or go to the interview. i was familiar with the idea of pbl before the interview but ended up being so disgusted with the school's heavy reliance with it. i don't think i'll get accepted, but i do hope that somebody who really wants this type of learning will.
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That this school is the last school I will attent so I would safe my money
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I still don't know!
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That the card they give you to write your name on during your PBL session is to be folded in half and your name needs to be on both sides (I ended up having my name upside-down on the side facing the admissions staffers).
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I had a little difficulty finding the room where the orientation was being held
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Traffic is a beast and it's super easy to get lost
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Wear something other than a black suit; everyone wears black suits.
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None
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A USC dental student wrote the Trojan theme song, "Fight On"
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I have heard stories about USC. Everything people have said about the curriculum is completely true. However, I didn't think the area was that bad.
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NOTHING
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The area outside of USC is not so great. Most students decide to live at least 20 minutes away.
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Very relaxed day until the mock PBL...
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A lot of students have a hard time finding the right patients to fulfill their clinic requirements
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Nothing.
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Extremely low graduation rate, but major work is being done regarding the issue.
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They have no lectures
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I would need to write an essay.
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I wish I had more questions for the students at lunch. The first, second and third years at my lunch were very energetic and happy they had chosen USC.
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That they give you absolutely NO LECTURES in this PBL curriculum.
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Since people had been posting the graduation rate situation I wish I had known this. I was accepted but withdrew immediately.
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You will need to write an essay.
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If you are a girl, prepare appropriate shoes because this interview process is a lot longer than other interviews so you don't want to be in shoes that are very uncomfortable.
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Nothing. I was very familiar with the school and program before the interview.
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That a ton of students get interviewed on the same day.
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The attitude of some of the dental students and how cold the instructors are at USC's dental school.
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The neighborhood surrounding USC is as bad as they say it is. PBL session does not offer a chance to reveal your capabilities to faculty with whom you would work as a student. Only the admissions staff are evaluating you during the "interview."
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I should not have bothered making the trip...I would not go there.
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The actual location of the dental school on campus. The admissions letter did not include a campus map.
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How much traffic there would be at 7 in the morning on the 101. Ugghhh!
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If you go during the morning rush hour (interview starts at 8:30am) it takes 30 minutes of stop and go to move through the last 4 miles of the 110 North before USC's exit
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I did not like PBL or the tuition before the interview...Afterwards, I still do not like PBL or the cost of tuition, but I did realize that if you want to learn/excel in dental school you will (probably just like most other schools just less structured)...PBL will not make a difference...and if I don't get into schools X,Y, and Z, then i would pay the ridiculous tuition to teach myself for a couple of years...
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More about PBL.
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Nothing unexpected.
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Taxi's are expensive
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This school was highly overrated and I would not go there.
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Nothing, I went to SC so I knew a ton about the school already. Many of the applicants there with me that day had only gotten interviewed at this school so far and seemed somewhate desperate since they hadn't heard back from any other schools yet.
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Its not that expensive compared to other dental schools. If you take just the cost of going to school, then it comes out about 210-220K dollars which isn't that bad compared to the cost of UCLA and UCSF. The catch is you have to be willing to live at home with your parents. i guess that's why i was really excited.
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That traffic wasn't going to be bad driving to campus. I arrived an hour early from west LA. Also, a short 10-15 minute writing sample is required.
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I should have been more positive during the interview. I think I got pissed when I heard the financial aid presentation and that changed my attitude about the school.
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That it was going to be nice weather that day. I think I was the ONLY person that brought a jacket!!! Obviously I'm not from L.A.!
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Tuition increases every year & the financial guy was mentioning "mac & cheese or instant noodles for 4 yrs" what the fuck is the matter with this guy? is he trying to attract students or what..???
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I finally was able to find out what the board scores were... for those of you also concerned they are a respectable 86-90% for both 1 and 2. That puts them in the top 10 in the country.
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Nothing really
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Really I wish I knew the interview was going to be tiring. Infact this might be one of the lengthiest interviews of all dental schools. UCSF was like only 4.5 hours, while USC lasts until 5 PM. SO get a good night rest so you can enjoy and stay awake during the interview. Don't get shocked if they tell you-you are lacking a requirement. they probably made a mistake. The cost should not scare anyone. The program is deffinitely worth it.
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They had not even double checked that I had taken a biology course, and so I got a stupid letter saying that I had not finished one of my requirements. I told them later that I had finished the course two years ago.
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Taxis are difficult to get at USC, it is best to arrange for one at the school.
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I wish i would not have applied here......as they seem to be bothered only about moneyyy......nothing else.... preference is given to green card holders......atleast that is what the results showed..... worse part.....i still havent seen the people on the adcoms who have (or may be havent )made the so called selection of candidates....
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Nothing out of the ordinary
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That I had to make up some absolutely meaningless classes just to fulfill their "requirement", I wouldn't have gone to the interview if I had known.
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That the interview day would actually go on until 3:30-4 pm (Most schools let you leave early). Bummer.
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No interview, just PBL session with 8 other students
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The details of PBL.
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Tuition has increased, so now it's really the HIGHEST in the whole nation!
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PBL is only for the loudest
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The black woman in the admission office is a monster! you will belive me once you see her. the financial person was so proud of the highest tuation they requist in the nation while i doubt if he is aware of the fact that usc is not the best school in the nation.
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Writing sample, pre-requisite courses that I haven't taken, the fact that 100% of admitted students had their bachelor degree
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I have to write an essay.
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The day was pretty long and I wish I had gotten more sleep.
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That there was no interview...just a mock pbl session
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Just how rough the working class can be
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should streamline the financial aid presentation, provide more information about the MMI portion of the interview, update documents sent pre- and post-interview, and improve communication by sending confirmation emails for interview dates. Additionally, applicants recommend having one-on-one interviews, addressing traffic considerations, improving staff friendliness, providing earlier tours, and offering solid acceptance letter dates.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Reduce time for financial aid presentation. Most of the information is more necessary for those who have been accepted
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Advise students about MMI portion of the interview
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...
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Got to update some of the documents they send out pre- and post-interview.
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Please accept me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I did not get to interact much with the admissions office other than when i called in to schedule in the interview. They didn't seem very friendly however they handle thousands of applications. I would suggest that they send confirmation emails to the invited applications to confirm their interview date. The woman who scheduled me abruptly ended the call and I did not feel confident that my interview had been scheduled.
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One-on-one interview would be helpful i think!
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Traffic is very bad in the morning. You should leave no later than 6:50am if you live ~20 minutes away via freeway.
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Not speed through the tour. Spend less time going through their powerpoints on intro and financial aid
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Warn about LA morning traffic for those driving.
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Have the tour earlier in the day, especially if that is going to be a question on the feedback form
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I would highly suggest having the tour early on in the interview process.
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Solid dates for acceptance letters
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The admission office staff were very rude I am not sorry to say that they were laughing at an ukrani
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Make yourselves more easily available.
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Some students need a personal interview to address concerns on their applications..
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
LAX
82% interviewees used LAX (LAX), with 2% using SNA (SNA) and 2% using Oak-Bur (Oak-Bur) and 2% using NO (NO) and 2% using BUR (BUR) and 2% using -LAX (SLC) and 2% using -DIA-LAX (OKC) and 2% using lax (lax) and 2% using Orange Country (Orange Country).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
✈️
61% Airplane
🚗
30% Automobile
🚆
5% Train or Subway
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4% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Vagabond Inn (average ranking 6.8/10), with some staying at Radisson near USC (average rating 8.7/10). (Top 3 displayed)
🏨
Vagabond Inn
6.8/10
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Radisson near USC
8.7/10
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Radisson
7/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (41%)
Faculty member (3%)
Other (3%)
Student (54%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (4%)
Enthusiastic (72%)
Neutral (24%)
All Responses
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