Admitted

Tell me about yourself.

Almost always the opener. They're assessing whether you can be interesting, organized, and human in ninety seconds under pressure.

How to structure your answer

Three to five threads that paint a full picture — where you're from, what you do, what you love, something unexpected — then land on how it connects to dentistry.

A strong answer

What lands
I’m from Boston, I still live there with my boyfriend and our golden retriever. I am naturally curious and I love working with my hands. I’m passionate about cooking. I actually took a Thai cooking class last month, and I can now make a pretty great pad Thai at home! I currently work at the front desk of a dental office just outside the city. I’ve really enjoyed being part of the dental team, and I’m excited to take the next step toward working directly with patients.

Threads that are actually hers — the cooking class, the dog, the front desk — with dentistry last.

A weak answer

What most people say
Sure. I grew up in Sacramento and went to high school there, then studied biology at the state university. In college I joined the pre-dental club and did research for two semesters. After graduating I took a gap year to work and study for the DAT. I've wanted to be a dentist since I was about six years old.

A resume read aloud, then the least memorable sentence in the room.

The trap

⚠Two classic wrecks. The chronological march from birth through college, which is a résumé read aloud. And opening with 'I've wanted to be a dentist since I was six,' which spends your most memorable moment on your least memorable sentence.

Reading it isn't the same as saying it.

Most people can explain a good answer and still fall apart saying one out loud. Admitted asks you all 100 questions in a faculty voice, records you, and scores your pace and filler words.

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More personal questions