New York, NY
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2014-15
⭐ Overall Impressions
How did the interview impress you?
No change 😐
What was the stress level of the interview?
4 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
5 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
5 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What are your general comments?
Great school in a great location (lots of patients; lots of things to do; safe neighborhood), but with a large class size, people can and do get lost in the shuffle. Expensive Cost of Living is a deterrent that they fully acknowledge.
As for the interview: I just acted like myself, except a bit more gregarious. You need to think of reasons of "why NYU" and be able to clearly communicate that, as well as show that you have some original thought. Don't be a robot who only wants NYU for its name and location.
💬 Interview Process
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
Why NYU (other than being located in NYC).
What was the most interesting question?
The moral question (something like "did you ever do anything morally ambiguous?"
How did you prepare for the interview?
SDN predental.
What was the most difficult question?
The moral question (something like "did you ever do anything morally ambiguous? What happened?"). I sat there thinking and couldn't come up with an answer, but I still got accepted.
What impressed you positively?
The interviewer. He was gruff and curmudgeonly, which ironically I get along with (me = bubbly and perky). He clearly spent some time at NYU, loved the city and the school, and wanted to find someone who might fall in love with NYU as well. I like faculty who care about their students, and he communicated that most faculty *do* care, even with the number of students -- but students need to take the initiative to contact professors.
What impressed you negatively?
This is a plus and a negative: Financial aid presentation. It felt like they were trying to justify their high cost by pointing out how tuition itself wasn't high, and how it was the COL that drove its final price tag to astronomical heights. They even mentioned SDN as perpetrating some negative rumors. However, while I appreciated the information, it came across as tired and defensive. We were told NOT to ask for more money, and to not use our acceptance to other locations as a leveraging point.
Also, the student tour guides raved for several minutes about their student store where they can buy plastic teeth. however, I've toured at other schools where this was possible, and it was mentioned as an addendum, so it made me wonder about the school. The student lounge was small, and couldn't have actually fit all 300 students.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
How expensive is the rent around the school. It made me understand the COL and the overall tuition.
🤝 Campus and Facilities
How do you rank the facilities?
6 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this school's location?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
9 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
This is weird -- but I would say to change the lighting fixtures. I was really excited about NYU, but I interviewed on a cloudy day and everything looked dim and dark. In retrospect it seemed to really affect my perspective, especially after the financial aid talk. Also, I wanted feedback on how alumni liked NYU -- basically, more information about "why NYU" and how well NYU prepared them.
📍 Travel and Logistics
Who was the tour given by?
Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Enthusiastic
What is your in-state status?
Out of state
What were your total hours spent traveling?
7+ hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Airplane
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
$401-$500
What airport did you fly into?
La Guardia
Where did you stay?
Hotel
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
Americana Inn (really cheap hostel-like location).
How would you rate the hotel?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
yes
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