I’ll say what I truly believe everyone asking your question needs to hear— only an admissions committee can tell you if you’re competitive! Maybe an 18 this year is killer, but in previous years where other people (who will respond to this post and tell you an 18 is too low) 19’s or 20’s were more common. If the rest of your application truly shines and your letters of rec are solid, it can go a long way in getting you an interview/acceptance. I think of GPA and DAT scores as flashy attention grabbers— they’re just there to get someone to notice the application, and then they’ll get into the meat of your app and start to see if you’re a real human with substance, not just a genius robot. It sounds to me like you’re a genuine human being who cares about others enough to do some hefty volunteering. Don’t underestimate how far that can get you. At the end of it all, you’ll never know if you were competitive or not for the cycle if you don’t submit the application! Give it a shot, you’ve got this!
