Advice on rejecting an acceptance or reapplying

[bahboh]

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This past year I applied late around Sep for the 2013 cycle and interviewed at UCSF, UTSA and LECOM. I was rejected from UCSF and accepted to LECOM. I submitted my deposit hoping to hear back from UTSA, but I don't think I will be hearing back now.
I have reservations attending LECOM for several reasons--the hefty price tag for teaching yourself and the lack of any graduating class/people to take the boards. I am wary about taking on a lot of debt because after graduating I would like to get involved in dental missions or working in poverty stricken areas, and if I have a large debt load I think I will have a hard time being focusing on working for the underserved over trying to payoff a a mountain of debt.
Additionally I thoroughly enjoyed my lecture classes and learn well from lectures and the lack of research and discouragement of specializing makes me 🙁 .
I've been debating for weeks and weeks with myself, friends and family on whether or not to reapply or just go to LECOM.

Being from Houston, I would much rather go to a Texas school (close to home, much much more affordable, established, and Texas is just a great place). And I know a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. My family worries that if reapply I might not get in anywhere, but I'm wondering if i submitted my application early this time for the 2014 cycle, I'd have a better chance at getting in.

My GPA was a 3.33 from a top 20 uni (I got caught up in the social life and freedoms beginning college and didn't decide on dentistry until later...)
I was working this past year, so I didn't have too much time, but I took a couple classes from a local uni and got As (though it probably won't do much to raise the GPA) and got involved in doing some dental research with a professor from the UT Houston dental school.

DAT: AA-23; PAT-24 science-24
(My mother believes I should retake the DAT and score like a 25 or above if I am to reapply.)

Your input is much appreciated

 

[aznboi89x]

your stupid if u retake the DAT....

your application is great, bite the bullet and be in debt like everyone else.. 83k-86k a year isnt bad... (i was accepted to LECOM as well but declined).


UTHSCSA accepts few in june so keep your hopes up.

never type UTSA ever again... (never associate UTSA with UTHSCSA)


UPDATE: be glad to have 1 acceptance on hand and many others wish they had an acceptance.

 

[bahboh]

Sorry, but are you suggesting reapply or just stick to LECOM?
UCSF is also around the same price, but I would go there in a heartbeat. It's more of the combination of the newness of the school, PBL, and the pricetag.
Also UTHSCSA is so much longer :x What's so bad about UTSA?

 

[aznboi89x]

Sorry, but are you suggesting reapply or just stick to LECOM?
UCSF is also around the same price, but I would go there in a heartbeat. It's more of the combination of the newness of the school, PBL, and the pricetag.
Also UTHSCSA is so much longer :x What's so bad about UTSA?

lol never compare undergrad teenie boppers with the all mighty UTHSCSA med center

You applied to LECOM for a reason and YOU got in. if u dont accept, then why apply in the first place? LECOM will be a good school in the future and it already has its first class so u DO have someone to help or guide u. Its not like your the inaugural class to LECOM. Sarasota is a nice place btw.


STICK TO LECOM

 

[Teeths]

Of course you're the only one to ultimately decide what you want to do in this so other people's opinions shouldn't really matter. With that said, you have astounding DAT scores so retaking is just silly, GPA is on the lower side but nothing crazy. It's really if you want to risk not being accepted somewhere else and if you have thousands of dollars to spend waiting another year that you could have had a year of dental school already down. I understand that PBL isn't for everyone, and that's the thing to consider most here I think for you, but price isn't all that bad. I mean, yes of course it's one of the higher priced schools and in the perfect situation you wouldn't have to pay that, but at the end of the day, it's an acceptance. I would say take it. I think we all sort of do a form of PBL already... I mean, don't you learn the most when studying either by yourself or in a study group? Maybe it's just me, but I don't really get much from listening to a lecture... after all I can read myself. 😛

 

[bahboh]

But if I were to reapply early this year, do you think I would have a chance at getting into another school (namely a Texas school)?

 

[Hawkteeth]

But if I were to reapply early this year, do you think I would have a chance at getting into another school (namely a Texas school)?

You have a chance but that won't mean you will be accepted, the process is unpredictable. Just give up your acceptance and let someone who will appreciate it have it.

 

[user101]

I think you should go to LECOM..

I'm very confused as to why you even applied if you didn't want to attend. With such a low gpa I'm sure applying early isn't going to be what you need for a Texas acceptance.

I also made a deposit at LECOM and was fully planning to attend until Temple accepted me. So if you aren't getting your top choice school ..you should just go enjoy Bradenton

 

[Rubberpulp]

Don't go to lecom. It's clear that you don't want to go there, so give the spot to someone who really does. Next cycle apply to the schools that you know you want to go to.

 

[azimmer]

Don't go to lecom. It's clear that you don't want to go there, so give the spot to someone who really does. Next cycle apply to the schools that you know you want to go to.

I agree, I mean if your heart isn't into this school's curriculum, turn down your offer and re apply. If i were you, I would call the deans of the TX schools and ask how I could improve my application. Also, don't give up on UTHSCSA, I'm sure they'll offer a few more acceptances as applicants usually flip-flop between schools at the end of the cycle. I really don't think you should go to LECOM just because it seems like you think you would be settling if you go there. Turn down your offer and take some classes to boost your gpa up for the next cycle, do not retake your DAT.

 

[Baba Yaga]

If you didn't want to attend after fully being made aware of LECOM's details during the interview, why didn't you withdraw after the interview but before the acceptance?

I honestly think it'd look bad to turn down an acceptance only to apply again, unless you have a strong and legitimate reason for not attending the school.

The AADSAS specifically asks whether the applicant has ever applied to dental schools previously and then asks the applicant to list the name of the schools and the year(s) of application, as well as to indicate if they were accepted/enrolled at a particular school.

I think that indicating that you have been accepted and chose not to attend LECOM would be a red flag on your application next year. Schools don't like to be rejected. They want to know that you are serious about becoming a dentist and that includes attending the one school that extends you an acceptance (if only one school extends an acceptance to you). If you turned down LECOM to reapply next year, how will the schools you are applying to next year know that you won't turn them down to reapply a third time?

You are one of the lucky few who were offered spots to attend dental school next year. Many people were not so lucky. I would try to look at it from that perspective.



This is from the MD forums. I wonder if anyone here could let you know whether something similar applies for dental schools. It is interesting to say the least.

To answer the original question since I actually called AMCAS last year before applying to med schools.

Medical schools will know if you were accepted into medical school and declined ONLY if you apply to the same school twice. When you apply to a school, they make a file about you. Come May 1st (I forget the exact date) each school that you applied to will have access to where you have been accepted (not rejected, waitlitsted, or merely applied). If you then apply to that same school again, they can look you up in their database and see this acceptance data from the previous year. Thus, if you apply to Harvard during year 1, get rejected but get into another school, turn it down, and apply to Harvard again the following year, provided they kept your file, they will see that you turned down an acceptance the previous year. This will look REALLY bad.

So...technically, if the second time around you applied to a whole new slew of schools, they would have no way of knowing whether or not you declined any acceptances.

 

[doc toothache]

For a moment, it looked like you were getting good advice, until your Mom suggested you retake your DAT and grab yourself a 25. Incidentally, the formula SA uses/(used in the past), suggests that the AA score does not significantly impress them.

 

[jeffity]

For a moment, it looked like you were getting good advice, until your Mom suggested you retake your DAT and grab yourself a 25. Incidentally, the formula SA uses/(used in the past), suggests that the AA score does not significantly impress them.

Solid information since you DAT is the hottest thing going for you. If you apply again and don't get in, your mother will be on your back forever about not getting a 25. How about you try for NHSC? Maybe just for the last three years. Is anything in your background or are you doing anything now showing commitment to working with the underserved? If you're a good candidate for that, you have less debt, you get to work with the underserved as desired, and you get some good sun in FL. Price is the only think I'd worry about. Don't worry about it being new or whatever.

 

[bahboh]

If you didn't want to attend after fully being made aware of LECOM's details during the interview, why didn't you withdraw after the interview but before the acceptance?

I had never intended on applying to LECOM, but I was pressured by my parents to apply to it because I wasn't receiving much word back from other schools and it was one of the few that still had its deadline open for applying.
I had no time to withdraw my application because after my interview I was busy traveling and the day after my interview I received an email saying that I was accepted.

I was asking about reapplying because I noticed in some other threads that a couple people did end up reapplying after an acceptance. .

I'll look into the NHSC and give a call to UTHSCSA.

 

[jeffity]

With your scores and applying in June instead of September, I'd bet on interviews. It's convincing any other school that you won't bail on them next May. TX is tough, so the gamble is big. Are you going to be forced to retake if you reapply? Hopefully not.

 

[Hawkteeth]

I had never intended on applying to LECOM, but I was pressured by my parents to apply to it because I wasn't receiving much word back from other schools and it was one of the few that still had its deadline open for applying.
I had no time to withdraw my application because after my interview I was busy traveling and the day after my interview I received an email saying that I was accepted.

I was asking about reapplying because I noticed in some other threads that a couple people did end up reapplying after an acceptance. .

I'll look into the NHSC and give a call to UTHSCSA.

I have an idea, stop letting your parents decide your future... They might be footing part of the bill of applying and think they should have a say, but it's your life. Call LECOM today and give up your acceptance and good luck next year. By the way, what does your mom want you to do?

 

[chronicman]

This past year I applied late around Sep for the 2013 cycle and interviewed at UCSF, UTSA and LECOM. I was rejected from UCSF and accepted to LECOM. I submitted my deposit hoping to hear back from UTSA, but I don't think I will be hearing back now.
I have reservations attending LECOM for several reasons--the hefty price tag for teaching yourself and the lack of any graduating class/people to take the boards. I am wary about taking on a lot of debt because after graduating I would like to get involved in dental missions or working in poverty stricken areas, and if I have a large debt load I think I will have a hard time being focusing on working for the underserved over trying to payoff a a mountain of debt.
Additionally I thoroughly enjoyed my lecture classes and learn well from lectures and the lack of research and discouragement of specializing makes me 🙁 .
I've been debating for weeks and weeks with myself, friends and family on whether or not to reapply or just go to LECOM.

Being from Houston, I would much rather go to a Texas school (close to home, much much more affordable, established, and Texas is just a great place). And I know a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. My family worries that if reapply I might not get in anywhere, but I'm wondering if i submitted my application early this time for the 2014 cycle, I'd have a better chance at getting in.

My GPA was a 3.33 from a top 20 uni (I got caught up in the social life and freedoms beginning college and didn't decide on dentistry until later...)
I was working this past year, so I didn't have too much time, but I took a couple classes from a local uni and got As (though it probably won't do much to raise the GPA) and got involved in doing some dental research with a professor from the UT Houston dental school.

DAT: AA-23; PAT-24 science-24
(My mother believes I should retake the DAT and score like a 25 or above if I am to reapply.)

Your input is much appreciated

hmmm

Korean and Rice U Class of 2013.

trying to figure out who this person is