Applied to 11 schools with a 24 DAT, haven't received 1 interview

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futuredentist420

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Title says it all. Should I be worried?
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futuredentist420 said:
Mid July
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It is concerning that you haven't received any responses yet, especially considering your excellent DAT Score. However, I'm unsure about your individual scores. Another important factor is your GPA, which you didn't mention. Have you received confirmation from the schools that they received your information?

Nancy
 
DAT Destroyer said:
It is concerning that you haven't received any responses yet, especially considering your excellent DAT Score. However, I'm unsure about your individual scores. Another important factor is your GPA, which you didn't mention. Have you received confirmation from the schools that they received your information?

Nancy
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Hello Nancy, Thank you for your reply

PA 23
QR 26
RC 21
BIO 20
GC 28
OC 26
TS 23
AA 24

My GPA is around 3.2. Most of my coursework dates back around 6 to 9 years ago at undergrad.

Yes I received confirmation
 
futuredentist420 said:
Hello Nancy, Thank you for your reply

PA 23
QR 26
RC 21
BIO 20
GC 28
OC 26
TS 23
AA 24

My GPA is around 3.2. Most of my coursework dates back around 6 to 9 years ago at undergrad.

Yes I received confirmation
Click to expand...

What about volunteer work, shadowing, do you think you had good LORs?
 
Mr.Smile12 said:
Still waiting for a template.
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forums.studentdoctor.net

► TEMPLATE: How to Format your WAMC Thread ◄

How to format your WAMC thread: Suggested information to include when creating a WAMC thread are as follows: Date of submission: Overall GPA: Science GPA: Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: DAT score (include AA and all sections): It is very hard for people to give you feedback without a score. State of...
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Date of submission: mid July
Overall GPA: 3.24
Science GPA: 3.09
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.09
DAT score (include AA and all sections): PA 23
QR 26
RC 21
BIO 20
GC 28
OC 26
TS 23
AA 24
State of Residence: PA


Major: Biology

Minority? Yes but is this even relevant since AA is over?
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? Yes

Shadowing Experience: 100 hrs at General dentist
Volunteering Experience: Dog walking for 160 hours, tutoring for 40 hours
Employment: Worked at lab, piano teacher, Marine Corps Reserves
Research: none
Other Extracurriculars: Marine Corps Reserves
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? networking, volunteering in a D-school clinic, shadow faculty, etc. No
Relevant Honors or Awards: Deans List
LOR type and strength: 2 from Professors, 1 from dentist. I've only seen the dentist letter which basically just says that I showed up
 
Case Western
Creighton
MUSC
USC
Temple
UNMC
Rutgers
NYU
Tufts
Western U
Touro
 
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macsak said:
forums.studentdoctor.net

► TEMPLATE: How to Format your WAMC Thread ◄

How to format your WAMC thread: Suggested information to include when creating a WAMC thread are as follows: Date of submission: Overall GPA: Science GPA: Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: DAT score (include AA and all sections): It is very hard for people to give you feedback without a score. State of...
forums.studentdoctor.net forums.studentdoctor.net
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I have done it now
 
futuredentist420 said:
Date of submission: mid July
Overall GPA: 3.24
Science GPA: 3.09
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.09
DAT score (include AA and all sections): PA 23
QR 26
RC 21
BIO 20
GC 28
OC 26
TS 23
AA 24
State of Residence: PA


Major: Biology

Minority? Yes but is this even relevant since AA is over?
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? Yes

Shadowing Experience: 100 hrs at General dentist
Volunteering Experience: Dog walking for 160 hours, tutoring for 40 hours
Employment: Worked at lab, piano teacher, Marine Corps Reserves
Research: none
Other Extracurriculars: Marine Corps Reserves
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? networking, volunteering in a D-school clinic, shadow faculty, etc. No
Relevant Honors or Awards: Deans List
LOR type and strength: 2 from Professors, 1 from dentist. I've only seen the dentist letter which basically just says that I showed up
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do you have an upward trend in grades?
 
How many hours have you served with the MC reserves?

Year by year GPA will help. Your BCP GPA is not going to help you, and you need to show you have that upward trend. This is not hard to calculate if your AADSAS has been verified, but this is one of the fundamental things all applicants need to do so you don't get surprised if the GPA does not match your calculations. Not all undergrad schools count all of your grades, but AADSAS will.

Looks like you have 100 hours of dental experience, correct?
 
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Mr.Smile12 said:
How many hours have you served with the MC reserves?

Year by year GPA will help. Your BCP GPA is not going to help you, and you need to show you have that upward trend. This is not hard to calculate if your AADSAS has been verified, but this is one of the fundamental things all applicants need to do so you don't get surprised if the GPA does not match your calculations. Not all undergrad schools count all of your grades, but AADSAS will.

Looks like you have 100 hours of dental experience, correct?
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I've been with the MC for 6 years

I've attached my transcript

Yes I have 100
 

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Mr.Smile12 said:
How many hours have you served with the MC reserves?

Year by year GPA will help. Your BCP GPA is not going to help you, and you need to show you have that upward trend. This is not hard to calculate if your AADSAS has been verified, but this is one of the fundamental things all applicants need to do so you don't get surprised if the GPA does not match your calculations. Not all undergrad schools count all of your grades, but AADSAS will.

Looks like you have 100 hours of dental experience, correct?
Click to expand...
Hello sir I hope you are able to see my reply
 
Mr.Smile12 said:
How many hours have you served with the MC reserves?

Year by year GPA will help. Your BCP GPA is not going to help you, and you need to show you have that upward trend. This is not hard to calculate if your AADSAS has been verified, but this is one of the fundamental things all applicants need to do so you don't get surprised if the GPA does not match your calculations. Not all undergrad schools count all of your grades, but AADSAS will.

Looks like you have 100 hours of dental experience, correct?
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Do you have a response, Mr smile?
 
futuredentist420 said:
Do you have a response, Mr smile?
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Not really other than the fact you have the calculated GPAs. Your BCP is 3.09, which includes classes like botany. I don't see many recommended courses like microbiology, biochemistry, or histology which more desirable applications have. Let me know if I'm overlooking anything.
 
Last edited:
I think that the way you write up your experiences and personal statement are just as important as your stats. You want to present yourself as a genuine and compassionate person to the admissions committees beyond being just smart. Take it from me: I applied last cycle with 23 DAT and 3.93 GPA / 3.94 sGPA and only got 2 interviews. Rewrote my application and personal statement and currently have way more interview invites with the same stats and basically all the same experiences. Really gotta sell yourself to the schools I guess.
 
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dentaldude7 said:
I think that the way you write up your experiences and personal statement are just as important as your stats. You want to present yourself as a genuine and compassionate person to the admissions committees beyond being just smart. Take it from me: I applied last cycle with 23 DAT and 3.93 GPA / 3.94 sGPA and only got 2 interviews. Rewrote my application and personal statement and currently have way more interview invites with the same stats and basically all the same experiences. Really gotta sell yourself to the schools I guess.
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Many students tend to overlook this great advice. It's important to note that schools consider more than just scores and GPAs.
 
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I made sure that the schools that I applied to were alright with the classes being that old before I submitted my application. I contacted their admissions office before submission so I don't believe it is for that reason.
 
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futuredentist420 said:
I made sure that the schools that I applied to were alright with the classes being that old before I submitted my application. I contacted their admissions office before submission so I don't believe it is for that reason.
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Maybe. But if your last lecture took place in 2018, there will likely be faculty questions about adjusting to a 25-credit schedule of science-heavy and health-focused coursework. This includes more virtual course delivery.
 
Mr.Smile12 said:
Maybe. But if your last lecture took place in 2018, there will likely be faculty questions about adjusting to a 25-credit schedule of science-heavy and health-focused coursework. This includes more virtual course delivery.
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Yes but hopefully my ability to handle that kind of load would be judged by my recent DAT scores rather than my college work that I completed as a young adolescent who, 9 years ago, wasn't even aiming to go to dental school. I really hope I won't have to do too many additional courses besides biochemistry because I actually took too many credits as an undergraduate just because I was taking classes for fun rather than for a specific goal in mind.
 
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Should I have applied to more schools? Or is 11 schools about the average number of schools someone would apply to with my stats?

I think it's too late now though, right?
 
futuredentist420 said:
Yes but hopefully my ability to handle that kind of load would be judged by my recent DAT scores rather than my college work that I completed as a young adolescent who, 9 years ago, wasn't even aiming to go to dental school. I really hope I won't have to do too many additional courses besides biochemistry because I actually took too many credits as an undergraduate just because I was taking classes for fun rather than for a specific goal in mind.
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I wish that my faculty would follow this logic sometimes. However, they want to make sure that you really are ready for the courseload when dental school starts. Doing well on the DAT just means you have the ability to buckle down and write a standardized exam. It gives us no idea how you do when it comes to passing Dental Anatomy, like a Class 1 or 2 Prep.

Biochemistry is also really hard. Students with 3.5+ GPA's struggle with biochemistry in dental school, partly because the volume of information is much larger to process compared to undergraduate biochemistry. We want to make sure you are in a position to succeed, because dental schools are limited in resources in time to remediate you if you struggle or fail out of a class.

11 is about the average number of schools each AADSAS applicant applies for, so you're fine. More is not necessarily better.
 
Mr.Smile12 said:
I wish that my faculty would follow this logic sometimes. However, they want to make sure that you really are ready for the courseload when dental school starts. Doing well on the DAT just means you have the ability to buckle down and write a standardized exam. It gives us no idea how you do when it comes to passing Dental Anatomy, like a Class 1 or 2 Prep.

Biochemistry is also really hard. Students with 3.5+ GPA's struggle with biochemistry in dental school, partly because the volume of information is much larger to process compared to undergraduate biochemistry. We want to make sure you are in a position to succeed, because dental schools are limited in resources in time to remediate you if you struggle or fail out of a class.

11 is about the average number of schools each AADSAS applicant applies for, so you're fine. More is not necessarily better.
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Right, but I think my GPA is on the low end, so I'm thinking I should've applied to more. Or do you think my GPA is fine for 11 schools?
 
Mr.Smile12 said:
Read
www.studentdoctor.net

Mission Fit: Key to Your Success - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.
www.studentdoctor.net www.studentdoctor.net
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Okay well I can say that the unique qualities about my application besides the 24 DAT is that i was in the Marines for 6 years, I was an RA on campus, and I can play and teach the piano which I mentioned on my application. Is this what you mean by mission fit, and would you say these qualities make me stand out as an applicant, or not really?
 
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futuredentist420 said:
Okay well I can say that the unique qualities about my application besides the 24 DAT is that i was in the Marines for 6 years, I was an RA on campus, and I can play and teach the piano which I mentioned on my application. Is this what you mean by mission fit, and would you say these qualities make me stand out as an applicant, or not really?
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I don't know what you wrote in your application, so it depends how you made a connection to schools you are applying to and to the patients they serve. It's all in the article.
 
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Can anyone comment on the schools that I've applied to? Were they more on the competitive side? Were there other schools that are less competitive that I should've applied to instead?
 
futuredentist420 said:
Can anyone comment on the schools that I've applied to? Were they more on the competitive side? Were there other schools that are less competitive that I should've applied to instead?
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your school list was not too competitive
the california schools don't make sense geographically
nor does musc

did you look at dental school explorer while choosing your list?
 
I think Colorado would’ve been a good school to apply to, what state do you live in?
 
macsak said:
your school list was not too competitive
the california schools don't make sense geographically
nor does musc

did you look at dental school explorer while choosing your list?
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What do you mean they don't make sense geographically?
 
futuredentist420 said:
What do you mean they don't make sense geographically?
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schools tend to choose people who are more likely to attend if accepted
if you live far away, you are less likely to attend if accepted unless you have a tie to that area that the school knows about...
 
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If I decide to apply to more schools now, am I fighting for less seats available? Or are the chances all the same as long as I apply before December 15?
 
futuredentist420 said:
If I decide to apply to more schools now, am I fighting for less seats available? Or are the chances all the same as long as I apply before December 15?
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fewer seats
because your application will likely be looked at in chronological order by the schools, and you are likely looking at 2024 interview dates...
 
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Hello everyone, is it normal/unheard of for an applicant with a 24 DAT to not receive a first round interview? I had thought that this score which is something like a 95th percentile score would make me a very competitive applicant.
 
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futuredentist420 said:
Hello everyone, is it normal/unheard of for an applicant with a 24 DAT to not receive a first round interview? I had thought that this score which is something like a 95th percentile score would make me a very competitive applicant.
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it's not only about the DAT...
 
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futuredentist420 said:
Hello everyone, is it normal/unheard of for an applicant with a 24 DAT to not receive a first round interview? I had thought that this score which is something like a 95th percentile score would make me a very competitive applicant.
Click to expand...
Are you only considering your DAT score of 24? It's important to know if that's your AA score or your TS. Additionally, what is your GPA like? Did you also have a strong personal statement, enough shadowing hours, and letters of recommendation? Keep in mind that dental schools consider more than just your DAT score. Lastly, when did you submit your application? Best of luck! - Nancy, co-owner of Destroyers.
 
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