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[BigMedicalFailure]

**** YOU

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[Pigggy]

Hello there! I think you’re a competitive applicant for dental school. I know plenty of friends who were once pre-med and switched over to dental. You have another year to improve your application with more dental school experiences and take whatever prerequisite classes you need.

I’m an ORM like u and I had a similar trend when it comes to gpa, but it should all be okay. None of the schools mentioned a significant dip in my grades the first quarter of my senior year. But I was prepare to answer in case they ask during my interview. I also have a lower dat of 22. Although I didn’t apply to UPenn I got plenty of interviews this cycle and I’m so thankful since this is my second cycle. When you’re applying I would recommend adding a few safety schools and try applying in-state if tuition is cheaper. Also don’t be like me and apply early! Dental school tuition is getting more and more expensive each year so having the option to choose a cheaper school would be great. Don’t worry too much about your stats but build lots of experience and spend time with your friends/family and do the things you enjoy doing during your gap year while you can! I wish u the best of luck this upcoming cycle! ☺️

 

[macsak]

Hey guys. I graduated May of 2019 with just a BA in Biology at a Virginia university. I'm preparing to send my application in early June, and want to make sure I'm as competitive as possible, and maybe narrow down a list of schools I should apply to. I am currently in my first gap year, and thus will be taking a second gap year before I begin Dental School

DAT: 23
cGPA and sGPA: 3.65 / 3.62
Ethnicity: Asian (ORM)


*Clinical Volunteering
- volunteered for three years during undergrad in a hospital in-patient setting, about 3 hours a week throughout the school year, and some summers (about 500 hours total). My last year, I was the program director for the hospital unit volunteering and leading and keeping track of all the other volunteers
- volunteer medical assistant at a walk in clinic near my house for a summer (150 hours)

*Clinical Work Experience
- worked as a medical assistant for a summer camp for 1 month a few summers ago, around 150 hours total

*Non-Clinical Volunteering
- Involved in a plethora of organizations at my university including:
- Special Olympics: (1 hour once a week for three years)
- Accessible Education Organization (2 years as Treasurer)
-Cancer Prevention Fundraising Club (Vice-President)
- Participated in a Spring Break volunteering trip to an underserved part of the USA where we constructed buildings and did clean-up; another year I led a trip as a site leader to another location, where I worked throughout the year in planning, budgeting, and organizing the trip as well as led my team once we were actually there for spring break
-Throughout my gap year I've volunteered on Saturdays in a public library, organizing, sorting books, and tutoring middle and high school kids
-Volunteered occasionally at a homeless shelter thus far in my gap year (about 30 hours total)

*Non-Clinical Work Experience
- Worked in my college career center for a year, where I served as an advisor for kids in taking classes, doing well, setting them up with resources, tutoring, and organizing university-wide events (10 hours a week)
- Served as a TA one semester for a 1 credit - Career Class (class about choosing potential careers)
- Have worked as a substitute teacher full-time for the past year; during my school breaks I would be able to substitute teach for a few weeks, and after graduation I've been able to on days every day
-Will try to find a dental assistant job starting summer of 2020

*Shadowing
-50 hours shadowing a general dentist
-I will try to boost these hours until June. What is a good number to aim for?

*Research
-2 years working in a Biology Lab (one year was as a volunteer lab assistant, second year was taken for college credit (6-10 hours a week)
-No publications or poster presentations however

*Coursework
As a Biology major, I've had to do a ton of upper-level Biology classes, where I've gotten a good mix of A's,
A-'s, and B+'s, with a few B's.

For my pre-dental requirements, this is where there's a potential red flag; I got a solid D in Organic Chemistry II, and a C in a Computer Science course. I'm currently re-taking Organic Chemistry II at my local community college, where I will of course work as hard as I can to get an A; at this point, I only work full-time, so I have lots of time to keep up with this one class.

Is it a red-flag that I failed a pre-req, and am retaking it at a community college? I got an A- in first semester Orgo, as well as an A in both labs, but I just got a D in the second lecture series. As for the Computer Science class, should I retake it as well over the summer? (After my application has been submitted)?

Also, this has made my GPA trend somewhat weird: I went to a different four-university my first year, where I had an average of 3.8. Then I transferred to another university, where it dipped down significantly (from the C in CS, D in Orgo, and B's in other science classes). My next two years I average around a 3.8ish again, finally ending with my 3.65 cGPA.


I know my GPA and DAT scores are competitive, however do I have sufficient extracurriculars? All of them were for the most part related to when I was pre-med, however I now have about 50 hours of dental shadowing, and I will find a dental job to start this summer (after my application has been submitted). My dream school is UPenn, do I have a chance to attend there?

Thank you all for reading

what is your full DAT breakdown?

 

[deleted903013]

Why Ivy?

 

[BigMedicalFailure]

Why Ivy?

It's always been my dream school to attend UPenn specifically, and I would have considerable assistance with finances

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hey guys. I graduated May of 2019 with just a BA in Biology at a Virginia university. I'm preparing to send my application in early June, and want to make sure I'm as competitive as possible, and maybe narrow down a list of schools I should apply to. I am currently in my first gap year, and thus will be taking a second gap year before I begin Dental School

DAT: 23
cGPA and sGPA: 3.65 / 3.62
Ethnicity: Asian (ORM)


*Clinical Volunteering
- volunteered for three years during undergrad in a hospital in-patient setting, about 3 hours a week throughout the school year, and some summers (about 500 hours total). My last year, I was the program director for the hospital unit volunteering and leading and keeping track of all the other volunteers
- volunteer medical assistant at a walk in clinic near my house for a summer (150 hours)

*Clinical Work Experience
- worked as a medical assistant for a summer camp for 1 month a few summers ago, around 150 hours total

*Non-Clinical Volunteering
- Involved in a plethora of organizations at my university including:
- Special Olympics: (1 hour once a week for three years)
- Accessible Education Organization (2 years as Treasurer)
-Cancer Prevention Fundraising Club (Vice-President)
- Participated in a Spring Break volunteering trip to an underserved part of the USA where we constructed buildings and did clean-up; another year I led a trip as a site leader to another location, where I worked throughout the year in planning, budgeting, and organizing the trip as well as led my team once we were actually there for spring break
-Throughout my gap year I've volunteered on Saturdays in a public library, organizing, sorting books, and tutoring middle and high school kids
-Volunteered occasionally at a homeless shelter thus far in my gap year (about 30 hours total)

*Non-Clinical Work Experience
- Worked in my college career center for a year, where I served as an advisor for kids in taking classes, doing well, setting them up with resources, tutoring, and organizing university-wide events (10 hours a week)
- Served as a TA one semester for a 1 credit - Career Class (class about choosing potential careers)
- Have worked as a substitute teacher full-time for the past year; during my school breaks I would be able to substitute teach for a few weeks, and after graduation I've been able to on days every day
-Will try to find a dental assistant job starting summer of 2020

*Shadowing
-50 hours shadowing a general dentist
-I will try to boost these hours until June. What is a good number to aim for?

*Research
-2 years working in a Biology Lab (one year was as a volunteer lab assistant, second year was taken for college credit (6-10 hours a week)
-No publications or poster presentations however

*Coursework
As a Biology major, I've had to do a ton of upper-level Biology classes, where I've gotten a good mix of A's,
A-'s, and B+'s, with a few B's.

For my pre-dental requirements, this is where there's a potential red flag; I got a solid D in Organic Chemistry II, and a C in a Computer Science course. I'm currently re-taking Organic Chemistry II at my local community college, where I will of course work as hard as I can to get an A; at this point, I only work full-time, so I have lots of time to keep up with this one class.

Is it a red-flag that I failed a pre-req, and am retaking it at a community college? I got an A- in first semester Orgo, as well as an A in both labs, but I just got a D in the second lecture series. As for the Computer Science class, should I retake it as well over the summer? (After my application has been submitted)?

Also, this has made my GPA trend somewhat weird: I went to a different four-university my first year, where I had an average of 3.8. Then I transferred to another university, where it dipped down significantly (from the C in CS, D in Orgo, and B's in other science classes). My next two years I average around a 3.8ish again, finally ending with my 3.65 cGPA.


I know my GPA and DAT scores are competitive, however do I have sufficient extracurriculars? All of them were for the most part related to when I was pre-med, however I now have about 50 hours of dental shadowing, and I will find a dental job to start this summer (after my application has been submitted). My dream school is UPenn, do I have a chance to attend there?

Thank you all for reading

Why Ivy (again)?

Your GPAs seem too low IMO for Ivys (at least 3.75+), and you didn't indicate shadowing specialists. You also have to repeat classes you got C's or D's in. Have you done any networking with students at those schools? You hint that at Penn you can access resources there (considerable assistance with finances), but why only there? Legacy tie?

Any dental clinic hours? Your 150 hours in medical clinic helps but you also need to contrast with dental.

Sent from my SM-N960U using SDN mobile

 

[BigMedicalFailure]

Why Ivy (again)?

Your GPAs seem too low IMO for Ivys (at least 3.75+), and you didn't indicate shadowing specialists. You also have to repeat classes you got C's or D's in. Have you done any networking with students at those schools? You hint that at Penn you can access resources there (considerable assistance with finances), but why only there? Legacy tie?

Any dental clinic hours? Your 150 hours in medical clinic helps but you also need to contrast with dental.

Sent from my SM-N960U using SDN mobile

UPenn has just always been my dream school to attend, I am in love with it. I don't have any direct familial ties to it (no legacy), however my parents have said they would assist with the finances substantially. If I shadowed specialists the next few months, and looked for a dental assistant job to start this summer that I'd be able to work at during the interview cycle, do you think that would boost my chances of acceptance at UPenn / of comparable caliber?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

UPenn has just always been my dream school to attend, I am in love with it. I don't have any direct familial ties to it (no legacy), however my parents have said they would assist with the finances substantially. If I shadowed specialists the next few months, and looked for a dental assistant job to start this summer that I'd be able to work at during the interview cycle, do you think that would boost my chances of acceptance at UPenn / of comparable caliber?

Okay, that's at least twice that (when given the opportunity) you've said it's your dream school without going into specifics. Have you visited their new preclinical facilities? What about their research opportunities? How about living in Philadelphia (lots of mixed bag responses I get)? What do your references tell you about Penn?

 

[BigMedicalFailure]

Okay, that's at least twice that (when given the opportunity) you've said it's your dream school without going into specifics. Have you visited their new preclinical facilities? What about their research opportunities? How about living in Philadelphia (lots of mixed bag responses I get)? What do your references tell you about Penn?

Yes, I've visited their preclinical facilities and I love them and the research opportunities. I've always loved Philadelphia, and my fiance currently attends UPenn as well so I don't want to be apart from her for 4 years

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, I've visited their preclinical facilities and I love them and the research opportunities. I've always loved Philadelphia, and my fiance currently attends UPenn as well so I don't want to be apart from her for 4 years

Okay... now you're being honest. Is there any reason why you couldn't target dental schools near Philly like Temple? Rutgers? Maryland? Engaged status is an "important to know" fact when it comes to application review, but it won't give you brownie points if you're not what they're looking for.

 

[BigMedicalFailure]

Okay... now you're being honest. Is there any reason why you couldn't target dental schools near Philly like Temple? Rutgers? Maryland? Engaged status is an "important to know" fact when it comes to application review, but it won't give you brownie points if you're not what they're looking for.

I mean, I'm definitely applying to those schools too haha. It's not like UPenn is the only school I'm going to apply to. My entire OP is a big breakdown of my application, I just wanted to know if I was competitive enough to apply to dental schools this cycle (especially if I shadow more these next few months and get a dental assistant job to start over the summer). And I wanted to know if my stats were good enough to apply to UPenn as well

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I mean, I'm definitely applying to those schools too haha. It's not like UPenn is the only school I'm going to apply to. My entire OP is a big breakdown of my application, I just wanted to know if I was competitive enough to apply to dental schools this cycle (especially if I shadow more these next few months and get a dental assistant job to start over the summer). And I wanted to know if my stats were good enough to apply to UPenn as well

Earlier you were asked for a DAT breakdown. If your question is whether your metrics are desirable, I think they are for dental school in general though your pending dental assisting hours may wind up holding your interview date back a bit in the cycle for those that want to interview you (note: I can totally be wrong about it if you submit early). You could have a good shot at Penn if your DAT's are all 22+ and have strong GPA's in your last 4 semesters IMO, though again I don't know about your dental experience hours (recommend 100+ hours by the time you apply). That said, they will read into your activities, essays, and recommendations, so you have to be solid with what you provide. Again, having someone at Penn is nice but not compelling for an offer, but it gives you a chance to talk to other students and administrators there before you apply.

I'm just saying be realistic. The advice given in the premed forums on posted class averages for schools applies in dental as well: you should be at least 0.1 GPA points above the public class GPA average for a strong shot.

 

[samantha199669]

Earlier you were asked for a DAT breakdown. If your question is whether your metrics are desirable, I think they are for dental school in general though your pending dental assisting hours may wind up holding your interview date back a bit in the cycle for those that want to interview you (note: I can totally be wrong about it if you submit early). You could have a good shot at Penn if your DAT's are all 22+ and have strong GPA's in your last 4 semesters IMO, though again I don't know about your dental experience hours (recommend 100+ hours by the time you apply). That said, they will read into your activities, essays, and recommendations, so you have to be solid with what you provide. Again, having someone at Penn is nice but not compelling for an offer, but it gives you a chance to talk to other students and administrators there before you apply.

I'm just saying be realistic. The advice given in the premed forums on posted class averages for schools applies in dental as well: you should be at least 0.1 GPA points above the public class GPA average for a strong shot.

stop bringing this guy down. UPENN literally accepted my friend with 3.2 GPA so please stop it. it is on their ADEA page their class profile page GPA is 3.2-3.9 which averaged 3.7. I am sick of people like you bringing people like him down.

 

[samantha199669]

I mean, I'm definitely applying to those schools too haha. It's not like UPenn is the only school I'm going to apply to. My entire OP is a big breakdown of my application, I just wanted to know if I was competitive enough to apply to dental schools this cycle (especially if I shadow more these next few months and get a dental assistant job to start over the summer). And I wanted to know if my stats were good enough to apply to UPenn as well

go ahead and apply to all IVY schools and especially Harvard they value research sooooo freaking much and their GPA bracket is 3.6-4.0 on their area website. do not listen to them just shadow more and you will be fine. you can literally apply this cycle and still get in. good luck

 

[SirBrotherJam]

stop bringing this guy down. UPENN literally accepted my friend with 3.2 GPA so please stop it. it is on their ADEA page their class profile page GPA is 3.2-3.9 which averaged 3.7. I am sick of people like you bringing people like him down.

He posted on WAMC. The OP wanted honest advise and looks to be that Mr.Smile12 has some experience in this area. It's great that your friend got in, but I am willing to bet that there are not that many 3.2 GPA applications that do. Are we also taking in some personal hardship/broken barrier etc. that may have boosted their chances? Each applicant is case by case, albeit most acceptances great GPAs, DAT scores, shadowing, and a better reason than "it's my dream and I like the facilities" (every applicant says that). Better to be up front and truthful then to lead someone on and have them waste their hard earned time and money. ADEA can also be misleading with stats etc.. End of the day the goal is being a dentist right? I think people are trying to say that OP is a strong candidate and is trending in the right direction and could save A LOT of money to reach the same goal. Lastly, don't forget that his finance is there too. Does she have financial help as well?
To the OP, best of luck and I hope that you find contentment wherever you end up!