Another School List

[bnestman]

Sorry to beat a dead horse here. I'm trying to make sure I have a good list of schools. My goal is to maximize the quality of schools I apply to while maintaining the best chances of actually getting in. All the while I have to be realistic and only apply to about 10 schools due to cost. Quick stats:

DAT: 21 AA (19 Biol 22 Chem 22 oChem 20 QR 20 RComp) 24 PAT
sGPA: 3.82
oGPA: 3.76
I did do 19 credit hours at a community college (Physics I and II, Gen chem II and Cell Bio)
Shadowing: ~100 hrs
Volunteer: 300 + hrs with Big Brother/Big Sister

I was considering these:

Loma Linda
University of Pacific
UCLA
University of Colorado
University of Utah
University of Iowa
Creighton University
University of Washington
UNLV
University of Oklahoma

Are there any that stick out as completely hopeless or do they seem, for the most part, a healthy (but achievable) challenge? Also if there are any schools that seem like a bit of a long shot but perhaps obtainable I would love to know if anyone has an opinion about that. I've ruled out schools that seem totally unattainable (Harvard, Tufts, Columbia, NYU) but if any really good schools seem remotely attainable I'd love to at least have one real stretch that I just go for. Any ideas would be great. Thanks so much for your time and good luck everybody!

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[jeffity]

What kind of residency are we talking here?

 

[morning92]

For Washington, if you're not in the five-state area listed on their website, I wouldn't really bother applying. Great school, but your chances would be very low no matter how great of an applicant you are.

 

[bnestman]

What kind of residency are we talking here?

I don't know if I understand your question.

 

[larrylu]

why all the state schools?

 

[bnestman]

I don't know if I understand your question.

Okay I'm dumb. I'm a Utah resident.

 

[bnestman]

why all the state schools?

Honestly I don't know. Is that a bad thing? Are there some better ones I should be considering?

 

[larrylu]

Honestly I don't know. Is that a bad thing? Are there some better ones I should be considering?

According to ADEA guide 2014.
Colorado: 52 IS, 28 OOS.
UCLA:117 IS, 15 OOS.
Iowa:57 IS, 23 OOS
Washington: 56 IS, 8 OOS.
Nevada: 48 OO, 36 IS.
States school are not usually that much OOS friendly. So its up to you to choose if you really want apply to these. But with your stats you have a decent chance with Utah.

Considering you only have 10 spots, I would take off some of those state schools and add more private schools. But thats just me.

 

[Glimmer1991]

NYU is not an "unattainable" school. It's just outrageously expensive. The admissions standards aren't particularly high, IIRC.

For Loma Linda... are you very religiously inclined?

The deal with state schools is that as an OOS student, they are VERY competitive. Even though you have great stats, they are still a bit of a gamble.

I'd add Case Western. I really liked the school, and it would add a private school to your list.

 

[bnestman]

Okay, so what I'm seeing is that I need to apply to more private schools. Honestly I don't know much about the private options out there that are solid. If these were your statistics would you be applying to more than ten schools? Should I just substitute private for some of these or do I need to bite the bullet and make this a larger list?

 

[xatlasb]

I would agree with Glimmer, NYU is in no means unattainable with your stats. Tufts as well. From my past cycle, applying to state schools as an OOS applicant wasn't the best idea, so I'd also echo the opinion of replacing your public OOS schools with private ones. But definitely apply to Utah since you're a resident!

 

[wb1]

LLU was a robbery for someone who isn't their religious . I'll add AZ schools. They take OOS folks with welcome hands.

 

[Glimmer1991]

Okay, so what I'm seeing is that I need to apply to more private schools. Honestly I don't know much about the private options out there that are solid. If these were your statistics would you be applying to more than ten schools? Should I just substitute private for some of these or do I need to bite the bullet and make this a larger list?

It increases your chances a bit more to throw a few privates in the mix. They're expensive, but if cheaper options were to fail, you could potentially have those options. You might even get a scholarship, too.

Ten schools is a good number for you. Your stats are great, but I wouldn't want to risk it with any fewer. I would substitute some privates for a few of the other schools. Specifically, I would get rid of Loma Linda and Washington and substitute Case Western and another private school in their places.

 

[bnestman]

It increases your chances a bit more to throw a few privates in the mix. They're expensive, but if cheaper options were to fail, you could potentially have those options. You might even get a scholarship, too.

Ten schools is a good number for you. Your stats are great, but I wouldn't want to risk it with any fewer. I would substitute some privates for a few of the other schools. Specifically, I would get rid of Loma Linda and Washington and substitute Case Western and another private school in their places.

So is the main disadvantage to private schools the fact that they cost more? Or are you sacrificing quality as well? Is the distinction between public and private the same as being accredited vs. non-accredited? Sorry I feel like I'm asking way too many questions. Are there any obvious schools you think I should be applying to with my stats?

 

[Glimmer1991]

With the exception of one or two schools, the quality is basically the same across the board for all dental schools. Some might just happen to be more research oriented, clinically oriented, etc.

Private schools are expensive, but they aren't always more expensive than going to a state school as an OOS student. Basically, unless you go to your state school, anywhere is going to be expensive (unless you get a merit scholarship... but they're rare).

It's definitely okay to have lots of questions. However, it sounds like you REALLY need to put in more research before applying.