You are given the opportunity to write your past self a letter. What would you write to yourself?
Writing stations give the dental school admissions team a chance to gauge your ability to think on your feet and write clear responses. While they have seen your writing skills in your application materials, they know you've had weeks to prepare those documents, and this new scenario will give them a new perspective on your writing skills. A unique scenario like this will shed some light on you as a candidate and the personality you will bring to the program.
While many dental skills utilize essay writing stations during the multiple mini interview process, they can differ in the amount of time given to complete the essay. Some stick to the same 10-minute timeframe of other stations, and others allow more time, even up to 20 or 30 minutes. Make sure to practice varying timeframes before your dental school MMI.
Success in an essay station during your dental school MMI will come down to having a solid answer structure that enables the person reviewing the submitted essays to understand your response clearly. Before your interview, prepare for an essay writing station by practicing responding to different questions in a format that includes an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Since this question will shed some light on who you are as a person, your response should be creative and memorable.
"Dear John,
This is your future self, now applying to some of the top dental schools in the country. You have worked your tail off for many years to succeed in the classroom to get to this point, and that will be something to be proud of. But I'm writing you today to shed some light on some things that will happen in the future, in hopes that you can take advantage of moments in time that I reflect on every day.
This may be a bit hard to digest right now, but Grandpop won't be around much longer, and I want you to spend as much time with him as possible. You know that he loves to fish and loves to have help picking berries in the spring, cleaning his garden in the summer, and doing yard work in the fall. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I had spent more time helping with those things or spending Saturdays and Sundays watching the big games with him. You should also encourage cousins Joey and Maddie to do the same. While there is no way to change his fate, those moments with him may not seem like much, but they are unmatchable memories that you'll hold onto forever.
I would also be remiss if I didn't advise you to back our beloved Clemson Tigers football team starting in about 2015. They go on quite a run, and you could surprise your friends, and even your wallet, by betting hard on them.
Take care,
John"
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