Alright everybody, its the long-awaited and much anticipated UW interview post. This last Monday I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the University of Washington School of Dentistry campus out in Seattle WA. I took a flight out there from Dulles on Saturday and caught up on some sleep Sunday. It rained the whole time, which is soooo stereotypical of Seattle, but I'm used to it by now.

7:30 : Wake up, get all did-up and fancified
8:30 : Dying in Seattle traffic trying to get there on time
9:00 : barely made it on time to the introduction speech from the Dean
10:00 : Interviewed with Dr. Maebo and Nimitz
11:00 : Financial Aid talk
12:30 : Lunch with two 2nd years and two 4th year students
1:00 : Tour of the facilities
2:00 : Closing talk with 6 of the deans
3:15 : Home.... sleep

Overall, I thought it was a pretty good experience. The interview itself went well. I feel I presented myself well for the admissions committee. Still, I was happy with the enthusiasm shown by the staff there. As I have heard and seen for years, the Magnuson Health Sciences Center at UW has had a reputation for turning out the top professionals in pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and medicine for years, which is exciting. Great, knowledgeable staff and students. Nothing I didn't know before.
The Facilities were a bit blah though. I knew they were a little less than modern, but I was not prepared for a few of the dungeon-like hallways. That was the only con of the whole day though. Still, who cares about the looks of the place if you get a great education?
Financial Aid looks pretty good at UW. I knew it would be very cheap compared to other dental schools because I am a Washington resident. Average cost for residents is about 47k, but most needy residents get a nice little $6,000 grant. Also, there are a few disadvantaged loans and grants that I can look at there. Cost is a huge part of choosing a dental school and this is a main draw of possibly coming to UW.
Since UW is a bit slow with the admissions process, they admit only a few applicants in December. They usually wait until "January" to have half of their class filled. This is a bit alarming because if I get a December 1st acceptance from another school, I will have until January 15th to put an expensive deposit down to hold my place. Hopefully, I will be able to weigh my options in a more convenient manner this winter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Also, VCU interview this Tuesday! I'm excited.