Another "Am I Competitive" Thread...

[uclawill]

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Hey guys,



PAT 23, Academic Avg 20, Science Avg 20:


What do you guys think? My application was turned in very late. Early November.

Retook DAT, got 22/28pat, raised gpa to 3.2, got in

 

[maksidaa]

i think your biggest problem will be your gpa. it is very low (you already knew that). you might consider a masters program, but first call up some schools and ask them for appointments to talk about your application. i'm guessing your addsas stuff is just now getting to the schools (maybe) so depending on which schools you applied to you might get an interview somewhere. good luck!

 

[uclawill]

I believe the schools received my application about 2 weeks ago.

My GPA and school has been affected greatly by my disability/injury.

The schools should be receiving my DAT scores over the next week or so.

 

[LIer2010]

Hey guys,

Back 1/2 a year ago, I really got hit hard with a hip disability that has been bothering me thru college. Ive worked hard through physical therapy and am now getting surgery tomorrow. Ive been significantly slowed over the last few years by by injury and have been registered at the OSD for 2 years and have been receiving care for 3. In any case here are my scores:

I am Asian American / Male (I know, the worst):


PAT 23, Academic Avg 20, Science Avg 20:

just taken last week, i cannot sit for long periods of time at the moment, so I did not as well on reading and math as I could have, but end result is pretty good.


GPA 2.7~2.8 Both Science and Non Science

Biology - UCLA - 5th year Senior



I am a concert Violinist having played for 12 years under private lessons until high school senior year.

Back in HS, i was an overachiever in sports, community service and extracurricular with 4.2.

Because of my injury my college has been limited to a few community service opportunities and a research program opportunity.

Before my injury affected me greatly, I was a host at olive garden for 5 months during freshman year of college. I also was a car audio/video technician/installer. I have excellent communication and presentation skills.

What do you guys think? My application was turned in very late. Early November.

You have to raise your GPA to be competitive. Especially for an asian male. You can't just call up a school and schedule an interview unless you were invited.

Also, not to be calleous or anything, but you would have to explain to the admissions committee, if you're invited for an interview, how you would compensate for your disability while studying in dental school. Dental school involves a lot of lab work while hunching over, so you would need to make it clear to them that your disability would not prevent you from doing lab work, or treating patients in clinic.

Also, for a guy with low GPA, you submitted your apps WAY too late.

 

[xxxTheDonxxx]

Hey guys,

Back 1/2 a year ago, I really got hit hard with a hip disability that has been bothering me thru college. Ive worked hard through physical therapy and am now getting surgery tomorrow. Ive been significantly slowed over the last few years by by injury and have been registered at the OSD for 2 years and have been receiving care for 3. In any case here are my scores:

I am Asian American / Male (I know, the worst):


PAT 23, Academic Avg 20, Science Avg 20:

just taken last week, i cannot sit for long periods of time at the moment, so I did not as well on reading and math as I could have, but end result is pretty good.


GPA 2.7~2.8 Both Science and Non Science

Biology - UCLA - 5th year Senior



I am a concert Violinist having played for 12 years under private lessons until high school senior year.

Back in HS, i was an overachiever in sports, community service and extracurricular with 4.2.

Because of my injury my college has been limited to a few community service opportunities and a research program opportunity.

Before my injury affected me greatly, I was a host at olive garden for 5 months during freshman year of college. I also was a car audio/video technician/installer. I have excellent communication and presentation skills.

What do you guys think? My application was turned in very late. Early November.

Did you mention your injury and how it affects your grades in your personal statement? Sometimes, that helps. I Wish you the best of luck!

 

[uclawill]

You have to raise your GPA to be competitive. Especially for an asian male. You can't just call up a school and schedule an interview unless you were invited.

Also, not to be calleous or anything, but you would have to explain to the admissions committee, if you're invited for an interview, how you would compensate for your disability while studying in dental school. Dental school involves a lot of lab work while hunching over, so you would need to make it clear to them that your disability would not prevent you from doing lab work, or treating patients in clinic.

Also, for a guy with low GPA, you submitted your apps WAY too late.

well i submitted my application because of my recent condition, it came to a point where i was going to physical therapy 2 times a week, in the stretch from june- october i had 6 mris, 2 MRarthrogram injections, 4 xrays and more doctors visits than i could count. im like radioactive man now. ive taken 2 quarters off prior to hardcore screening by my doctor. my disability was misdiagnosed 2 times prior to this. its took literally 2.5 years for them to realize it is my hip and not my back (they thought it was sciatic nerve pinch).

im considerably better now through diet, therapy, but still have sharp pain and fatigue throughout my day. the surgery is supposed to fix this, and in previous patients had reduced their fatigue and pain by 80%. i mentioned this in my ps. ive spoken to my therapist about my future career choice and they told me it would be ok with dedication to therapy, etc.

 

[uclawill]

anyone else has any thoughts?

is anyone in a similar situation or knows of anyone in a similar situation?

If i dont get in, should I retake some classes at a 4 year college (say Cal State LA becasue its cheaper and close to my house) that I did not do as well in to bump my gpa up to say 3.1-3.2 total? I had some Cs in sciences and could probably do very well now that Im feeling a bit better and better adapted to my disability.

Im not very interested in getting a masters becasue dentistry is what I want to do. I have pretty good DAT scores, and alot to offer in terms of personality and work ethic/experience. Ive had a very trying 5 years after high school and I know I've worked harder physically and mentally than alot of candidates out there.

My goal is to get into NYU. I really want to attend nyu becasue of the city and becasue of their facilities and recent dedication to turn things around.

If I get a interview, should I mention it to the interviewer that they are my top choice?

Thanks

 

[aggie-master]

My honest, unprofessional opinion is that you will not be competitive.

You submitted your app three to four months too late and your GPA is well below the average of students that are accepted.

I think you should work on improving your GPA through more undergrad science classes or a masters program.

btw, you seriously need to consider whether or not dentistry is right for you. If you are easily tired and have lots of back pain now I can only see that making things much harder on you in dental school and through your career as a dentist. If I had a problem such as yours I'd be looking for a career that wouldn't make my physical problems worse.

 

[uclawill]

my back pain stems from hip dysplasia and compensating for my torn labral pain. It already has subsided 90% since september due to physical therapy. My back is 100% fine. Its my hips that are injured/compensated.

im not a weak/complaining individual. I am fairly built 5'10" 170 and have worked extermely hard and long physically in pouring rain, cold, heat wave, you name it. In high school i woke up at 5am to run 4 miles and came back at 9pm from yearbook as editor. I have worked double shifts at work during school just to meet financial aid. I am and have been very dedicated to my physical training in order to sustain as normal of a lifestyle as possible with my injury/disbaility.

My body is going to hurt and feel beat up when I wake up, everyday, regardless of my profession. Dentistry at least, is one where I can move around, sit, stand and work in relative comfort. Theres no other job that I can possibly imagine where I would be more comfertable doing. I grew up around my uncle who is a very successful dentist, I used to run around that place every week when I was a kid, so I know the clincal setting very well.

But thank you for your opinion and concern in any case.

I have excellent manual dexterity and learn extermely fast. But i guess its all chance from here.

My weakest subject in college was Chemistry - I recieved a 23 in Ochem and 20 in Gchem, so maybe that would help?

Im not trying to squeeze any positive statements out of you guys, i just need to know as much information and insight from my peers as possible.

 

[DDSY]

The big question to me: Do you have a chronic or acute condition? If it's chronic, then it's better to consider another career, unless you feel that you are fully capable of functioning as a dentist. If it's acute, then I believe it's more reasonable for you to consider dental school

 

[uclawill]

surgery is supposed to fix it by up to 95%. people have had very good success with it. as long as i dont go jumping off stairs, I wont reinjure.

so, its more of an acute thing that has been misdiagnosed to become chronic during college.

im much better already and have improved my grades of recent.

by the end of graduation i will have a AADSAS 2.9-3.0 for sure.

 

[maksidaa]

i think your injury is not an issue. regardless of your career, you'll have to deal with it, so why not dentistry. don't retake your sciences at undergrad level if you did well on the DAT. obviously you know the material, you just had some rough times during the classes. seriously, call up some schools and ask to have a chat w/ the admissions director/counselor. that's what they are there for. right now they might be pretty busy, but if you don't hear from any schools in the next month or so, then call them up and go ask them what you should do. it won't be an interview for a seat in the class, but they'll get to know you and your situation and they'll remember you. best of luck and let us know how it turns out.
p.s. even if you don't enter a masters program, add a second major and get A's in some upper level science courses. that'll make up for your core science C's

 

[DDSY]

Keep it up. Don't let anyone discourage you from becoming a dentist, if you really feel that is what you want to do. I'm a believer that dental schools will understand how your health has affected your undergrad academic performance.

I know that it's not only physical but also a lot of it is psychological as well--assuming that you are a young person who has never been sick before. I'll guarantee you that most dental applicants, given a circumstance like yours, who have to face a health condition like that and believe it to be chronic will also suffer mentally thus affecting academic performance. To be young and to suddenly think you have a chronic condition is a big blow. Fortunately, it is mostly acute.

 

[DDSY]

Keep it up. Don't let anyone discourage you from becoming a dentist, if you really feel that is what you want to do. I'm a believer that dental schools will understand how your health has affected your undergrad academic performance.

I know that it's not only physical but also a lot of it is psychological as well--assuming that you are a young person who has never been sick before. I'll guarantee you that most dental applicants, given a circumstance like yours, who have to face a health condition like that and believe it to be chronic will also suffer mentally thus affecting academic performance. To be young and to suddenly think you have a chronic condition is a big blow. Fortunately, it is mostly acute.

Do well academically and on the DATs and I believe you will be fine. 👍 👍

Most posts suggest that you take a Master's, which I believe would be helpful. I made a mistake before--you've already taken the DAT and you already have your GPA. Given your circumstance, I think dental schools may see you as a unique candidate and give you some leeway.

 

[uclawill]

lets say i do not get in by around june, is it still possible then to apply for a masters to a school

and what kind of masters would i apply for

is public health the most dental oriented?

 

[bruinpredent]

lets say i do not get in by around june, is it still possible then to apply for a masters to a school

and what kind of masters would i apply for

is public health the most dental oriented?

try oral biology...many schools which have dental schools offer this and you'd ultimately be doing your masters through the dental school (i know a few people doing this, and i know for a fact that USC and UCLA offer these programs)

 

[DDSY]

lets say i do not get in by around june, is it still possible then to apply for a masters to a school

and what kind of masters would i apply for

is public health the most dental oriented?

If I remember correctly, NYU has a masters program (very MPH-like) that focus on dental. Many of the MPH programs are only one year--so that is a reasonable route. You can also try some programs that are more science focused (probably more than a year), ie Chicago medical school's applied physiology program, which is pretty much like first year dental/medical school.

 

[uclawill]

Well that is a option, I hope that admissions will realize the amount of hard work and dedication it took for me with my disability to go through college, take DAT, apply and still do some extracurricular/work. It might not seem like much but losing those few hours a day and feeling 90 yrsold waking up every night and day is very taxing mentally and physically. I guess you are right when you say they might see it as somthing positive becasue I was able to deal with, correct and overcome such a significant injury/disability.

Other than my Sub-Par GPA, I have good DAT scores, and have alot of accomplishments in my life time.

I guess I will have to wait and see what happens.

Thanks guys. Any more advice or input would be great as well.

 

[lgwdnbdgr]

June might be too late to apply to start a Masters. However, many schools will allow you to take classes even if you aren't officially in a degree program. My fiancee did that with her MPH. If you want to go that route, start taking classes next Fall no matter what. If you miss the deadlines to apply to a degree program, apply as soon as you can and get them to transfer the credits. (They almost certainly will if it is the same school).

 

[collegeboy30000]

I think you are not too bad, for the ones that have posted saying that you are not competitive need to chill out. Schools look at every part of your application, not just GPA. GPA does not tell you crap about an applicant, (my opinion); high or average, I think if a grade is important is the DAT. An AA of 20, and PAT of 23 is a good score, the numbers that you see here on SDN are representative of nerds (like myself) that flaunt there numbers, and it is a small population of all the applicants. If I were on the Admissions Committee I would want you in my d-school b/c throughout all of your physical ailments you have continued to pursue your passion. That is something that cannot be taken from you; grades do not tell me anything about a personality. Your commitment for dentistry will be conveyed in your personal statement, LORs, and after your interviews. Submitting your application in Nov. is a bit late; however, if you did it before their deadline then you are ok. You must remain positive. I have seen people on predents.com that submitted their application in June and have been rejected. You said you were Asian, that is a minority correct? Forget about masters or post-bacc or whatever they call it. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with the applying early stuff; I think that applies if you want to improve your chances to get into your #1 d-school.
To me, my #1 d-school is all of the ones that accept me (two so far, I too have a low GPA). During your interview, show them that you are physically capable to be a dentist; say how pt will help be at 100% come next summer.
👍

 

[bevzi]

You will get in a school for 2007. Good luck and prepare for the interview process. 👍

Hey guys,

Back 1/2 a year ago, I really got hit hard with a hip disability that has been bothering me thru college. Ive worked hard through physical therapy and am now getting surgery tomorrow. Ive been significantly slowed over the last few years by by injury and have been registered at the OSD for 2 years and have been receiving care for 3. In any case here are my scores:

I am Asian American / Male (I know, the worst):


PAT 23, Academic Avg 20, Science Avg 20:

just taken last week, i cannot sit for long periods of time at the moment, so I did not as well on reading and math as I could have, but end result is pretty good.


GPA 2.7~2.8 Both Science and Non Science ( still have 3 quarters to go in which i plan to have a final gpa of around AADSAS 3.0), my true UCLA gpa right now is 2.85 but becasue of the way they calculate it adasas is lower.

Biology - UCLA - 5th year Senior



I am a concert Violinist having played for 12 years under private lessons until high school senior year.

Back in HS, i was an overachiever in sports, community service and extracurricular with 4.2. Leader and cofounder of 200 member community service club. Concertmaster Orchestra. Yearbook Editor in Chief.

Because of my injury my college has been limited to a some community service opportunities and a research program opportunity at UCLA.

Before my injury affected me greatly, I was a host at olive garden for 5 months during freshman year of college. I also was a car audio/video technician/installer. I have excellent communication and presentation skills.

What do you guys think? My application was turned in very late. Early November.

 

[shortset]

Don't listen to these nerds on here. They only represent a small population of the applicant pool. I say that you've got what it takes to get in. Nobody can tell you that you're not good enough to get in except the ADCOMS. Follow your dreams!

 

[kappa505]

I think that you applied too late. You will be ok if you can get your gpa up to 3.0.