"I have formed a three-pronged plan to tackle the stressors that may come up for me during dental school. These three approaches will address my academic stress, the emotional strain of adjusting to my new surroundings as I relocate, and the financial strain I will experience due to paying for dental school. For academic stress, I plan to create a study schedule that I will stick to closely. I will join study groups to help me gain a broader perspective from others, and I have made arrangements for a part-time tutor if needed. For the strain that will result from uprooting myself, I have planned to join a couple of university clubs to get to know other students and make new friends, avoiding feelings of loneliness. I also plan to Facetime my family every week to prevent myself from feeling homesick. The financial expectations of becoming a dentist are a reality that I have come to terms with. I have created a solid financial plan to pay back my loans, and I enlisted a financial advisor to help me create a student budget that I will adhere to closely. I feel well-prepared to cope with and address the immense workload and other expectations ahead of me as a dental school student."

The interviewers want to gain insight into your time-management, analytical thinking, and stress-management skills. They do not want to accept students who do not have a plan to work with the immense workload and expectations and may quit partway through school. Assure the interviewers that you have a solid plan in place.

"I plan to utilize time-management software to plan my school and study time, which was effective while attending graduate school. I also want to join study groups with fellow classmates and hire a tutor if needed for a particular subject. I received a financial gift from my grandparents to attend dental school, so I will not have the additional stressors of finances to worry about. I am mentally prepared for the expectations that will be required and ready to tackle a heavy workload."