Where to go from here

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Sbsox30

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Interviewed at 3 schools, waitlisted at all 3 schools.

-3.4 oGPA, 3.2 sGPA
-20 AA 21 TS DAT
-Over 200 Hrs shadowing
-Descent E.C.
-White Male

It looks like I will not be getting in this cycle, so looking for advice on what to do from here. Should I look into doing a 1yr masters? Any advice will be appreciated.

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Which schools are they? The reason I ask is because some of the bigger private schools will still be pulling from the waitlist even a lot later than this.
 
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Give it a while, most second deposits are due in March so there should be spots opening up soon
Good luck!
 
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I appreciate the glass half full outlook on these forums. I was waitlisted at NYU, Indiana, LECOM. I am guessing that two of the schools have some serious movement on their waitlist so there is still hope. I am the ultimate average applicant: Bio major, wanted to become a dentist since middle school, active member of clubs and community service, upward trend GPA, descent DAT, white boy. I'm just curious as to where to go from here because I can't take the DAT again, but my GPA is good enough to get an interview but not good enough to get accepted. THIS SUCKS!!!
 
There is not much you can do about wait-list. If you get in, you go to dental school. I would prepare to raise GPA in-case you do not get in. There is a good chance you'll make it into dental school this year, just can't leave things like this on chance.

Best of luck.
 
I feel your pain about being a white male trying to stand out, so much easier for an URM. It was my 24 AA that got me accepted.

The process doesn't seem very fair when my parents have paid taxes funding my state school system for 50+ years that I would have to go above and beyond the average applicant to get in because I'm a white dude...but luckily (via a few different dentists) the demand for caucasian males in the field is gonna be thru the roof, so we got that going for us.
 
when did you apply and how many schools? I have the same score but my GPA is lower so I am thinking about doing masters while applying in coming June.
 
I appreciate the glass half full outlook on these forums. I was waitlisted at NYU, Indiana, LECOM. I am guessing that two of the schools have some serious movement on their waitlist so there is still hope. I am the ultimate average applicant: Bio major, wanted to become a dentist since middle school, active member of clubs and community service, upward trend GPA, descent DAT, white boy. I'm just curious as to where to go from here because I can't take the DAT again, but my GPA is good enough to get an interview but not good enough to get accepted. THIS SUCKS!!!
How come you couldn't take the DAT again?
 
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Had everything in and verified by early July, so I was not late. Applied to around 15 schools (All within my scores range, OOS friendly, Private and Public). Only 3 ii so far and looking bleak from here. I haven't even heard from my state school and all materials were submitted by early July. I'd like to avoid having to pay an additional 20K for a meaningless degree so I can bump my sGPA by .1 but hey, gotta do what I gotta do!
 
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I feel your pain about being a white male trying to stand out, so much easier for an URM. It was my 24 AA that got me accepted.

The process doesn't seem very fair when my parents have paid taxes funding my state school system for 50+ years that I would have to go above and beyond the average applicant to get in because I'm a white dude...but luckily (via a few different dentists) the demand for caucasian males in the field is gonna be thru the roof, so we got that going for us.
The demand for white male dentists is gonna be through the roof? What? Haha. And also, you're completely delusional if you think dentistry isn't dominated by a majority of white males
 
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Hmm maybe your Personal Statement wasn't strong/reasonable enough?
 
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ITT: #checkyourprevilege
 
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Guys/Gals I'd like to keep this thread centered for my application and not around race, affirmative action or anything else associated. I don't want this B.S. tied to my name on SDN and certainly don't want to play the victim role. I only stated my race to give a better representation of my application. So PLEASE keep comments to yourself including the #checkyourprevilege B.S.; I take this highly offensive because you have no clue what trials and tribulations I have encountered in life......also #checkyourspelling
 
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Guys/Gals I'd like to keep this thread centered for my application and not around race, affirmative action or anything else associated. I don't want this B.S. tied to my name on SDN and certainly don't want to play the victim role. So PLEASE keep comments to yourself including the #checkyourprevilege B.S.; I take this highly offensive because you have no clue what trials and tribulations I have encountered in life......also #checkyourspelling

You say you want to keep this thread centered around your application and not race yet you listed "White male" in your first post. Anyways that's water under the bridge.

Are you in state for IU? That could help. Also to make you feel a little better I'm interviewing this coming Monday at NYU so much later than you. Plus I'm sure lots of movement will happen at the private schools you're wait listed at. Given your GPA I'm not sure a 1-yr masters is necessary. What sort of ECs do you have? Any red flags on your app that you can think of?
 
Guys/Gals I'd like to keep this thread centered for my application and not around race, affirmative action or anything else associated. I don't want this B.S. tied to my name on SDN and certainly don't want to play the victim role. I only stated my race to give a better representation of my application. So PLEASE keep comments to yourself including the #checkyourprevilege B.S.; I take this highly offensive because you have no clue what trials and tribulations I have encountered in life......also #checkyourspelling
if i was born white and not as an urm, maybe I would have had a proper education for my spelling but alas...
 
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I appreciate the glass half full outlook on these forums. I was waitlisted at NYU, Indiana, LECOM. I am guessing that two of the schools have some serious movement on their waitlist so there is still hope. I am the ultimate average applicant: Bio major, wanted to become a dentist since middle school, active member of clubs and community service, upward trend GPA, descent DAT, white boy. I'm just curious as to where to go from here because I can't take the DAT again, but my GPA is good enough to get an interview but not good enough to get accepted. THIS SUCKS!!!

I dont think it has anything to do with color..trust me. Email those schools and keep showing interest once in a while. Keep your head up, you got this.
 
I dont think it has anything to do with color..trust me. Email those schools and keep showing interest once in a while. Keep your head up, you got this.

As I stated above, gender/ethnicity was only given to paint a better picture of who I am as an applicant and what was on my AADSAS application. But thanks for the kind words
 
Guys/Gals I'd like to keep this thread centered for my application and not around race, affirmative action or anything else associated. I don't want this B.S. tied to my name on SDN and certainly don't want to play the victim role. I only stated my race to give a better representation of my application. So PLEASE keep comments to yourself including the #checkyourprevilege B.S.; I take this highly offensive because you have no clue what trials and tribulations I have encountered in life......also #checkyourspelling

You got 3 interviews...and 3 wait-lists. Which makes me think maybe you stumbled during your interviews. How did you prepare?

Most schools don't seem to weigh GPA heavily once you get into the interview stage, so I'm wondering how you did. How did you communicate why you're unique and should be part of their school? Maybe do a mock interview with a few smart, trusted friends/family. Let them research SDN for interview questions and then mock interview you. Afterwards, ask them for their brutally honest opinion. You were able to get the interviews (and your stats are pretty decent), so I wonder if perhaps you had a weird nervous twitch, or answered something strangely. Try to think of something memorable to mention so your interviewer is later like "OH! Sbsox30! That kid who does ____; he should definitely come here!". It could be a childhood story... weird and interesting hobby.. anything that makes you unique and dynamic. Don't be a cookie-cutter candidate!

You're waitlisted at NYU and LECOM, both of which I believe has a relatively mobile wait-list, so you still got a chance this round! However, if you wanted to start thinking about next round, consider your interview -- and also ask schools that rejected you about what you can improve. The way I see it, you got decent stats, so now you need to make yourself seem unique and interesting.

~~~
Lastly, this bothering me: You dismissed an SDNer with #checkyourspelling, but you spelled "decent" as "descent" twice. Just a heads up.

Over 200 Hrs shadowing
-Descent E.C.
-White Male
I appreciate the glass half full outlook on these forums.....upward trend GPA, descent DAT, white boy. I'm just curious as to where to go from here because I can't take the DAT again, but my GPA is good enough to get an interview but not good enough to get accepted. THIS SUCKS!!!
 
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I was also thinking that it likely had something to do with your interview.
 
I always thought that a waitlisted status meant..."We liked you enough during the face to face interview to offer you a spot, but the stats just aren't good enough to get in on the preferred list" Maybe I'm wrong in my thinking but I feel like I did well in all interviews. I even had one interviewer tell me that they would write a strong recommendation on their comment card. If I had the stats and a bad interview, then why wouldn't they just reject me Dec. 1st? Maybe it's just my thoughts but maybe someone could shine some light on this assumption of mine.
 
or may be the fact the DAT is taken 3 times?. regularly or most of the time applicants stops at the 2nd time.may be this is why? what you got on the first 2 DATs?


Given that most schools accept more than 50% caucasian, you are not at an disadvantage race-wise for sure.
 
Email Lecom showing your interest! As far as the wait lists, it might be your interviews like stated above. Best of luck
 
I always thought that a waitlisted status meant..."We liked you enough during the face to face interview to offer you a spot, but the stats just aren't good enough to get in on the preferred list" Maybe I'm wrong in my thinking but I feel like I did well in all interviews. I even had one interviewer tell me that they would write a strong recommendation on their comment card. If I had the stats and a bad interview, then why wouldn't they just reject me Dec. 1st? Maybe it's just my thoughts but maybe someone could shine some light on this assumption of mine.

Schools don't tend to interview for the wait-list unless far out in their cycle, when they are full -- otherwise, they would be wasting their time on someone when they could be interviewing a better candidate. Hence, I think they felt something was off during your interviews. Now, I don't think your interviews were *bad* -- otherwise you're right, you would've gotten a rejection -- but it's possible that they didn't feel it was a good fit. They might've thought you were a decent guy, but didn't stand out, and might've not fit their school's program. Perhaps they didn't think you were interested in their school/PBL curriculum/NYC... Interviewing is a two-way street. Either way, something caused them to WL you. Did you write thank you emails/letters? It's good you've been in contact with the schools, because schools like to know who on the WL is still interested in them. Hopefully you'll hear back from them this year... and if not, you can improve your application and interviewing skills (if you're worried about GPA, take some informal post-bac classes), and perhaps get into your top choice next year. Good luck!
 
I'd strongly suggest contacting NYU. Call the admissions office, have them put you through to Dr. Mejia. Let her know that you are still very much interested in attending, and also ask if there is anything you can do to improve your chances of getting off the waitlist. Also, ask what you could/should do to improve your chances at acceptance if you wind up being rejected and reapplying.


NYU's waitlist moves a LOT. I got accepted off the waitlist in mid-May. People are intimidated by the price tag and often choose cheaper schools.


I'll tell you one thing for sure. When it comes to taking people off the waitlist, NYU prefers to go with the people who they know are very interested in NYU who will definitely attend. They don't want to offer someone off the waitlist a spot, only to have them get accepted somewhere else a week later and back out.
 
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I would suggest getting in touch with the admissions at your 3 waitlisted schools. Your stats seem decent enough, but how are your interview skills. It wouldn't hurt to do mock interviews with trusted advisers like LOR professors, the dentist you shadow, dental students, anyone who can really help you to highlight your skills and attributes during the actual interview.
 
I feel your pain about being a white male trying to stand out, so much easier for an URM. It was my 24 AA that got me accepted.

The process doesn't seem very fair when my parents have paid taxes funding my state school system for 50+ years that I would have to go above and beyond the average applicant to get in because I'm a white dude...but luckily (via a few different dentists) the demand for caucasian males in the field is gonna be thru the roof, so we got that going for us.


Very interesting perspective, and I beg to disagree.
I know a URM - black male, 22 on DAT in all subjects and 3.7aa, 3.6 spga, and he got waitlisted at the 4 schools he interviewed with.

URM does not equal acceptance.

But good for you you re: "demand for Caucasian males in the field"
 
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Just an update but I got accepted at NYU earlier this week. Thanks for all the advice, and I look forward to starting at NYU in the fall. As I said though, lets not make this into a URM debate PLEASE!!!!!!!!! So there is no need to resurrect this thread just to share anecdotal evidence
 
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