AADSAS Essay

[billiken10]

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I am currently finishing up my essay for my AADSAS reapplication for 2005. Just thought I would get somebody's two cents. Do you think a whole new essay is necessary when re-applying? Is it advantageous or disadvantageous to mention in the essay that this is your second time applying? If you have parents in the dental field, is this a strength that should be emphasized or a weakness that should not be discussed at length in an essay?

Thanks to anyone who has some input or ideas.

John

 

[jes1ca]

I am currently finishing up my essay for my AADSAS reapplication for 2005. Just thought I would get somebody's two cents. Do you think a whole new essay is necessary when re-applying? Is it advantageous or disadvantageous to mention in the essay that this is your second time applying? If you have parents in the dental field, is this a strength that should be emphasized or a weakness that should not be discussed at length in an essay?

Thanks to anyone who has some input or ideas.

John

Dear John,

I think it really depends upon why you are reapplying (did you get in and withdraw or just not get accepted?). Have you drastically improved other defining characteristics of yourself in the past year (retaken DAT, gotten really good grades). If you didn't get in last year, I would hate to say that you should probably rework your essay a little bit at least if not rewrite the whole thing. If you have a chance to give an adcom a whole new outlook on you, you might as well make the most of it.

As for having parents in the dental field, I think it is something that you could use to your advantage definitely. Describe how much exposure you have because of your parents etc. I think this would be appropriate in the section where you describe your shadowing experience if this is not in your essay.
Good luck,
Jessica

 

[billiken10]

I was waitlisted at three universities and I am still waiting for final decisions from those schools. My essay from last year was alright I think, the problem with my application being a lower science GPA. I am planning on taking a year of biology and other science courses to pull that up.

I guess I could rework my essay and try to emphasize some things that I have done to improve my application for this next year, but I'm not too sure how to approach it. Do adcoms hold on to essays from previous years and compare them?

 

[billiken10]

btt

 

[jes1ca]

From what it sounds like, your essay might be just fine if you think it's the best thing that you can write. In fact, you might get in this year. A lot of schools have some last minute drops and slots opening up. What schools are you waitlisted at?

Instead of including it in your essay, I would add additional info in a section about how you have/are improving. Perhaps in the Has anything ever affected your academic performance section? Explain why your GPA is a little low and you are working on this by taking more science classes. How's your DAT score? How low is your science GPA? Did you apply early or late in the last cycle?

I'm not sure whether schools keep your info or not over the years. I think some do.

Hope that helps,
Jessica

 

[billiken10]

I am waitlisted at Southern Illinois Univ., Creighton Univ., and Univ. of Illinois. My science GPA is about a 2.80 having taking the minimum of organic, gen chem, gen bio, physics etc. I also played baseball for 4 years at my Div. I university. I just didn't make those classes a true priority at the time because I was always so whipped with practice and stuff.

I think I am just going to revise my application and be sure to include how I have/am improving myself as a candidate. I scored a 19/20 on the DAT which should be good enough to get me in somewhere. How is Nova? I am applying there this time around.

 

[HangOnSloopy]

biliken,

I am kinda in a similar situation as you, and I pondered the same question when doing my new app. I wasn't looking forward to changing my essay, but once I sat down to do it, I thought back to my interviews. Back then, a few things came up that I wish I had answered better, and forseeing them coming up again, I made note of them in my essay. I figure that If there's any chance that someone remembers me from before, it would be a way to show them that I am growing/maturing. Just my two cents, good luck 🙂

 

[blumnday99]

Back then, a few things came up that I wish I had answered better, and forseeing them coming up again,

Just out of curiousity, but what kinds of things came up that you wish you had answered better?

 

[HangOnSloopy]

to make a long story short, i originally applied for medical school and then had a change of heart and decided to go to dental school. when it came up in interviews i got kinda flustered and I dont think I articulated myself the right way, and I think it made me look like I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do. But having more of a chance to think things through, I think my new essay presents my intentions very well, and I feel more confident in my ability to put what I am really feeling into words this time around. Make sense?

 

[jes1ca]

I am waitlisted at Southern Illinois Univ., Creighton Univ., and Univ. of Illinois. My science GPA is about a 2.80 having taking the minimum of organic, gen chem, gen bio, physics etc. I also played baseball for 4 years at my Div. I university. I just didn't make those classes a true priority at the time because I was always so whipped with practice and stuff.

I think I am just going to revise my application and be sure to include how I have/am improving myself as a candidate. I scored a 19/20 on the DAT which should be good enough to get me in somewhere. How is Nova? I am applying there this time around.

Hey Bilkin,

Well, it sounds like you have a good shot at all of those places still. If I were you, I would write an essay about how baseball was your life and then you got your act together and got better grades. I don't know all of the details of your story but that sounds like it would probably make your application a little stronger. (putting all of your energy into baseball shows dedication too). Sounds like you have a strong DAT score. Just make sure you have several people read over your essay to make sure that it is not too whiny. I wrote an essay about some horrible things that happened to me my first two years of college and I think that it explained some low grades and helped adcoms to see me as a stronger person.

I would highly recommend applying to Nova. But I'm biased. 😉 It's a beautiful school. Good luck!
Jessica