Applying for 26-27 cycle, need help with school list - Thank you!

[Beepboop.]

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Date of submission: Mid June

Undergrad GPA: 2.9

Master’s Overall GPA: 3.9

DAT score (include AA and all sections): 21 AA / 20 TS / 19 OC / 23 GC / 20 BIO / 23 RC / 18 QR / 24 PAT

State of Residence: NY

Undergrad Attended: if you want to include this

Major: Bio in undergrad
Ended up doing a biomedical science master's program

Minority? No

Reapplicant? No

Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 150 general dentist and oral surgeon

Volunteering Experience: ~200 hours at a food pantry

Employment: ~4000 hours as a dental assistant (general dentist clinic)

Research: Currently in a microbiology research lab ~100 hours

Other Extracurriculars:

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No

Relevant Honors or Awards:

LOR type and strength: 3 LOR’s: 2 master’s profs + 1 dentist (shadowed and worked with)

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Low undergrad GPA, worked as a dental assistant for 2 years before going back to school for masters (is this considered nontrad?) Also, did a masters with Rutgers and am guaranteed an interview with Rutgers dental school.


School list: I wanted to stick mostly northeastern closer to home but I’m not opposed to going further west?

VCU


Rutgers


Temple


University of Illinois Chicago


Buffalo University


Indiana University


Marquette university


SBU


Ohio state university


University of Maryland


West Virginia University


University of Pittsburgh


Touro

Is this list too little? Should I add more?
Thank you in advance for the feedback!

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: Mid June

Undergrad GPA: 2.9

Master’s Overall GPA: 3.9

DAT score (include AA and all sections): 21 AA / 20 TS / 19 OC / 23 GC / 20 BIO / 23 RC / 18 QR / 24 PAT

State of Residence: NY

Undergrad Attended: if you want to include this

Major: Bio in undergrad
Ended up doing a biomedical science master's program

Minority? No

Reapplicant? No

Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 150 general dentist and oral surgeon

Volunteering Experience: ~200 hours at a food pantry

Employment: ~4000 hours as a dental assistant (general dentist clinic)

Research: Currently in a microbiology research lab ~100 hours

Other Extracurriculars:

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? No

Relevant Honors or Awards:

LOR type and strength: 3 LOR’s: 2 master’s profs + 1 dentist (shadowed and worked with)

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags: Low undergrad GPA, worked as a dental assistant for 2 years before going back to school for masters (is this considered nontrad?) Also, did a masters with Rutgers and am guaranteed an interview with Rutgers dental school.


School list: I wanted to stick mostly northeastern closer to home but I’m not opposed to going further west?

VCU


Rutgers


Temple


University of Illinois Chicago


Buffalo University


Indiana University


Marquette university


SBU


Ohio state university


University of Maryland


West Virginia University


University of Pittsburgh


Touro

Is this list too little? Should I add more?
Thank you in advance for the feedback!

how did you come up with this list?

take out UIC- they mostly take IL residents...

 

[Beepboop.]

how did you come up with this list?

take out UIC- they mostly take IL residents...

I just chose what was closest to me and tbh I was kind of overwhelmed with researching bc there's just a lot of information. But I've taken some time to do more research and I feel like there's only 3 schools that I am sure about, which are Buffalo, Rutgers, and Stony. The rest it was based on cost (being able to get in-state tuition after 1st year), stats and geography. Here are the maybes:
Tufts
Pitt
Touro
Boston
LECOM
Marquette
UMD
UNLV
UNE
UNC?
WVU?

 

[macsak]

I just chose what was closest to me and tbh I was kind of overwhelmed with researching bc there's just a lot of information. But I've taken some time to do more research and I feel like there's only 3 schools that I am sure about, which are Buffalo, Rutgers, and Stony. The rest it was based on cost (being able to get in-state tuition after 1st year), stats and geography. Here are the maybes:
Tufts
Pitt
Touro
Boston
LECOM
Marquette
UMD
UNLV
UNE
UNC?
WVU?

you get interview invites and acceptances by having mission fit with a program
cost and stats are not mission fit
as you stated, geography also plays a role
why UNLV?

 

[Beepboop.]

you get interview invites and acceptances by having mission fit with a program
cost and stats are not mission fit
as you stated, geography also plays a role
why UNLV?

I'm most likely not going to specialize so I wanted to go somewhere where I can become a good general dentist and help the underserved community.
I put UNLV since I wouldn't mind going there and I've heard good things about it.

 

[macsak]

I'm most likely not going to specialize so I wanted to go somewhere where I can become a good general dentist and help the underserved community.
I put UNLV since I wouldn't mind going there and I've heard good things about it.

then you need to do research on your mission fit of "become a good general dentist" and "help the underserved community"
"i wouldn't mind going there" and "i've heard good things about it" do not fit that mission

you have to look at OOS/New York admissions in the past and which schools look favorably on applicants with masters...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I just chose what was closest to me and tbh I was kind of overwhelmed with researching bc there's just a lot of information. But I've taken some time to do more research and I feel like there's only 3 schools that I am sure about, which are Buffalo, Rutgers, and Stony. The rest it was based on cost (being able to get in-state tuition after 1st year), stats and geography. Here are the maybes:
Tufts
Pitt
Touro
Boston
LECOM
Marquette
UMD
UNLV
UNE
UNC?
WVU?

I'm sorry if researching schools is overwhelming, but you're about to shell out 600K if you get into their schools. Even a failed cycle can cost you about $2000. It's worth the effort to spend your money wisely.

To that end, UNC and WVU (both public schools AFAIK) are not good matches (OOS, metrics), plus do you have experience with rural patients? You're not giving me any help with that insight. Maryland may be about as far as I would go, but I may substitute Temple instead. (Heck, you have Pitt on the board.) Yeshiva is going to be a brand new school opening soon, and I would put them on the list because they intend to be a 3-year DDS program. Of course, the usual warnings about becoming a guinea pig at a brand-new school apply to Yeshiva, but I would be surprised if Yeshiva fails to get its full accreditation later.

Furthermore, "I have visited the campus on their Impressions / Recruitment Day" >> "I would like to live there." Drop UNLV until you get more insight. You should be looking at your future 600K debt as an investment, not a holiday.