Any Dental School Applicants from this cycle or last years cycle?

[ayed22]

Hey! Glad everyone here had a successful December 1st! I got into my dream school--UCSF! I'm just glad this whole process is over. What an emotionally and financially draining experience. How is everyone killing time until the fall?

Congratulations!! For me, I'm still trying to figure out a plan for next year so maybe ask again in a month. haha What about everyone else?

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[deleted836285]

Congratulations on UCLA!! And it was your first choice. Plus a scholarship, Nice! Are you from CA? Wondering how early everyone plans to move to the state where their schools are?

I'm not from here, but I go to undergrad here right now. I will still have to go home for the summer before I start school in the fall, unfortunately.

 

[deleted836285]

I don't know why my response was in your quote, at least I know I'm not meant to be a computer scientist lol

 

[mintysweet]

I'm applying next cycle- any advice for a nontrad?

 

[chasing5ym]

I'm applying next cycle- any advice for a nontrad?

That's exciting! What are your stats looking like so far?

 

[mintysweet]

That's exciting! What are your stats looking like so far?

I have a ~3.3 sGPA from my bachelors in 2015 but I don't have all of the prereqs (not a biology major) so I'm trying to figure out what to do to get them. I need 12 courses so I'm unsure if I should just DIY postbacc for those at a state school and/or do a formal program that doesn't have all the prereqs I need just to increase my odds of acceptance.

I was going to take my DAT this summer (before taking gen chem II, o chem II or biochem) but after seeing so many posts on these forums emphasizing how important it is to take all of the prereqs first I'm considering maybe delaying my application to next cycle and taking it next summer. Maybe I'll be a stronger applicant since I will have all of the prereqs covered when the schools see my app? If you have any advice on this matter I'd really appreciate it!

 

[yaya97]

I have a ~3.3 sGPA from my bachelors in 2015 but I don't have all of the prereqs (not a biology major) so I'm trying to figure out what to do to get them. I need 12 courses so I'm unsure if I should just DIY postbacc for those at a state school and/or do a formal program that doesn't have all the prereqs I need just to increase my odds of acceptance.

I was going to take my DAT this summer (before taking gen chem II, o chem II or biochem) but after seeing so many posts on these forums emphasizing how important it is to take all of the prereqs first I'm considering maybe delaying my application to next cycle and taking it next summer. Maybe I'll be a stronger applicant since I will have all of the prereqs covered when the schools see my app? If you have any advice on this matter I'd really appreciate it!

I personally say wait until you have all your prerequisite done! Taking the DAT without having had those classes will put you at a SERIOUS disadvantage. You only want to take it once and with you GPA, you want to do really well when you take it. Since you still have quite some classes left, try to get A’s on all of them because it’ll prove that you’ll be fine at handling harder science classes and it’ll be a nice boost for your GPA and it’ll help you have a good science GPA. What are your EC’s looking like?

 

[mintysweet]

I personally say wait until you have all your prerequisite done! Taking the DAT without having had those classes will put you at a SERIOUS disadvantage. You only want to take it once and with you GPA, you want to do really well when you take it. Since you still have quite some classes left, try to get A’s on all of them because it’ll prove that you’ll be fine at handling harder science classes and it’ll be a nice boost for your GPA and it’ll help you have a good science GPA. What are your EC’s looking like?

I personally say wait until you have all your prerequisite done! Taking the DAT without having had those classes will put you at a SERIOUS disadvantage. You only want to take it once and with you GPA, you want to do really well when you take it. Since you still have quite some classes left, try to get A’s on all of them because it’ll prove that you’ll be fine at handling harder science classes and it’ll be a nice boost for your GPA and it’ll help you have a good science GPA. What are your EC’s looking like?

I'm assuming EC means extracurricular? I have 2.5 years of research, two semesters of TAing for upper-level biology courses, and I was president of two student clubs (all back in undergrad).

Since graduation, I have ~300 hours of shadowing/assisting, but it was at a practice in a foreign country so I dont think it counts. I've arranged to start shadowing another dentist (in the US) this month so hopefully I can get my hours done before starting school again. I have volunteered as a grant writer for a local non-profit and I've also edited 3 scientific papers which were accepted for publication (unrelated to dentistry tho) but I'm unsure if I could even list that since my name isn't technically on those papers.

Thanks for the input about the DAT, since I've been out of school for a few years I guess I'd be doing a lot of redundant studying if I took it before finishing the prereqs.

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[yaya97]

I'm assuming EC means extracurricular? I have 2.5 years of research, two semesters of TAing for upper-level biology courses, and I was president of two student clubs (all back in undergrad).

Since graduation, I have ~300 hours of shadowing/assisting, but it was at a practice in a foreign country so I dont think it counts. I've arranged to start shadowing another dentist (in the US) this month so hopefully I can get my hours done before starting school again. I have volunteered as a grant writer for a local non-profit and I've also edited 3 scientific papers which were accepted for publication (unrelated to dentistry tho) but I'm unsure if I could even list that since my name isn't technically on those papers.

Thanks for the input about the DAT, since I've been out of school for a few years I guess I'd be doing a lot of redundant studying if I took it before finishing the prereqs.

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I’d add everything you listed to your app even if it’s non dental related. You can find a way to work some of that stuff into your personal statement if you don’t want to add it to the extracurricular portion of the app. The only dental related EC I had was shadowing and even with that I only had about 90ish hours when I applied (but they were spread over 2 years in undergrad). All my other stuff were stuff I had passion for like tutoring/ mentoring immigrant kids, president of ASA club, working...they jusy want to know that you’re involved and not a robot that only does school so adding your life experience in, I feel, helps even if it’s not related to dentistry. You do want to have some current stuff that you’re doing when you apply so besides getting back into shadowing/ assisting, I would start doing like 2 or 3 more things that you will still be doing when you apply.

 

[toothlover23]

I'm applying this cycle, do anyone have any tips/advice? Also what dental schools are the most diverse (minus meharry and Howard)? I would like to go a dental that values diversity.

 

[yaya97]

Update- got into Columbia as well this week but will be sticking to my Penn acceptance.

 

[yaya97]

I'm applying this cycle, do anyone have any tips/advice? Also what dental schools are the most diverse (minus meharry and Howard)? I would like to go a dental that values diversity.

What's your school list looking like so far? For schools that say they are diverse that aren't those two...they usually aren't. lol

 

[toothlover23]

What's your school list looking like so far? For schools that say they are diverse that aren't those two...they usually aren't. lol

That's what I'm trying to work on is my list of schools. Do you know of any schools that are diverse?

 

[chasing5ym]

I'm applying this cycle, do anyone have any tips/advice? Also what dental schools are the most diverse (minus meharry and Howard)? I would like to go a dental that values diversity.

Interviewed/accepted by 9 schools (USC, Western, UNLV, ASDOH, Midwestern, Colorado, Pitt, Temple, UCSF)

From these, the most diverse was UCSF (which is a major reason why I chose to attend). The least diverse was Pittsburgh.