Advice on Schools to Apply to

[Halltl0]

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Junior applying upcoming cycle, any advice will be greatly appreciated
Overall GPA: 4.16
Science GPA: 4.23
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 4.23 (Sewanee has an A+ (98%-100% equivalent to a 4.33)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): AA:25 TS:23 Bio: 21 GC: 22 OC: 30 PAT:22 RC:24 QR:27
State of Residence: TN

Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Business
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: ~200 hours at multiple clinics (seeing both general dentistry and various specialties)

Volunteering Experience: I am the Student Chief of one of two University, student ran fire departments in the country. As a result, I volunteer roughly 100 hrs per week being "on call,' and have done so now for 3 years. I have also volunteered through RAM clinic.
Research: None

Other Extracurriculars: President of my school's Pre-dental group, academic chair of ATO, tutor for molecular and cell biology, general chem, org. chem, and accounting

Relevant Honors or Awards: Currently 1st in class rank, Recipient of memorial scholarship ship for outstanding pre-health rising senior, dean's list all semesters at school, AED Honor society, University of the South Honor's Society

School list:
UT Memphis
UNC
UAB
Harvard
Columbia
Tufts
Louisville
Kentucky
T A&M
UT Houston
UT San Antonio
VCU


Thanks again dental fam!

 

[asdfhhadsf234]

You'll definitely get in somewhere but maybe not UT/Harvard/Columbia. Also plz convert your GPA to the one dental schools use for a better response (you PROBABLY need to just convert the A+ to 4.00)

 

[TopDog]

Apply early and you should have a great shot anywhere. And the above poster is correct, dental schools don't consider an A+ as a 4.3 so your real GPA in terms of your application is less than or equal to a 4.0

 

[ab117]

Honestly, with those stats you don’t need advice on individual schools since you’ve got a really good shot pretty much anywhere you’re interested in. Texas schools are dirt cheap compared to most others so you’re smart to apply to them, otherwise look at all schools that offer in state after the first year and if you’re interested in an Ivy education they may offer you enough scholarships to bring CoA down to the same or less than the other schools you get accepted to.

 

[Faefly]

Awesome stats.

Why don't you add Penn and UCLA as well?

Anyway, with these stats, you will get into many places unless you have a problem with your personality

Either too arrogant or too shy. If you are like this, work on your personality so it does not mess things for you.

 

[Faefly]

As a result, I volunteer roughly 100 hrs per week being "on call,' and have done so now for 3 years.

How is that even possible?

 

[Halltl0]

How is that even possible?

The hours are recorded as "volunteer hours." The 100 hours a week is an estimate of the average time we (each of us on the student department) spend "on call." When on call we are subject to respond to emergencies including structure fires, brush fires, high angle rescues, land searches, vehicle extrications, etc.

 

[ucd2018]

The hours are recorded as "volunteer hours." The 100 hours a week is an estimate of the average time we (each of us on the student department) spend "on call." When on call we are subject to respond to emergencies including structure fires, brush fires, high angle rescues, land searches, vehicle extrications, etc.

If it were me, I would not list the 100 hours per week. My opinion is that could be interpreted as being disingenuous. Rather, I would only list the hours that you actually spent doing the things that you were on call for.

 

[Halltl0]

If it were me, I would not list the 100 hours per week. My opinion is that could be interpreted as being disingenuous. Rather, I would only list the hours that you actually spent doing the things that you were on call for.

I see what you're saying; however, the issue is that there is no way to accurately measure that. Emergency calls, as one might imagine, are extremely variable in their frequency. It is definitely hard to explain to someone what being "on call" looks like as a college student. But, I can assure you that it certainly feels like you're volunteering your time even in the absence of a call, as you are required to be within a two minute radius of the station and be ready to drop whatever it is you may be doing at any given time. Nevertheless, I see how 100 hours a week can be misinterpreted, and I agree that I need to articulate the strange situation during the interview/ application process!

 

[Faefly]

The hours are recorded as "volunteer hours." The 100 hours a week is an estimate of the average time we (each of us on the student department) spend "on call." When on call we are subject to respond to emergencies including structure fires, brush fires, high angle rescues, land searches, vehicle extrications, etc.

This is gonna be 14,400 hours. What you did was amazing and thank you for your service, but you don't want them to question that or mar what you did with a huge overestimate.
If it was 3000 or even 5000 hours for 3 years, that is more convincing and believable and still this is way more than 90% of what other students with way below average stats did.
See when you volunteer 14,400 hours, your GPA and DAt suffers, but school will see that oh he was volunteering all the time, we might forgive him on his low GPA or Low DAT.
But when you have 4.23 GPA and 25 DAT and have been volunteering, shadowing and being involved in clubs and on top of that 14,400 hours in fire department. That is a huge RED FLAG

You always want to underestimate when you are not sure. Trust me even if you didn't put any volunteering hours you will get in in maybe 7 schools out of the 11 you are applying to except maybe VCU as they want something else.

VCU mostly looks for well-rounded students, and you are an over-acheiever for them ( which is great, stay like this!). They look at your stats and what you did!
They will probably say this kid is going to Harvard or Columbia. End of story.

 

[Halltl0]

This is gonna be 14,400 hours. What you did was amazing and thank you for your service, but you don't want them to question that or mar what you did with a huge overestimate.
If it was 3000 or even 5000 hours for 3 years, that is more convincing and believable and still this is way more than 90% of what other students with way below average stats did.
See when you volunteer 14,400 hours, your GPA and DAt suffers, but school will see that oh he was volunteering all the time, we might forgive him on his low GPA or Low DAT.
But when you have 4.23 GPA and 25 DAT and have been volunteering, shadowing and being involved in clubs and on top of that 14,400 hours in fire department. That is a huge RED FLAG

You always want to underestimate when you are not sure. Trust me even if you didn't put any volunteering hours you will get in in maybe 7 schools out of the 11 you are applying to except maybe VCU as they want something else.

VCU mostly looks for well-rounded students, and you are an over-acheiever for them ( which is great, stay like this!). They look at your stats and what you did!
They will probably say this kid is going to Harvard or Columbia. End of story.

I sincerely appreciate the feedback, and I will take the advice.