Athletics

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tillerybass

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Hey guys

How do you think being a D1 athlete will effect my application? Scholarship athlete, not a walk-on or anything. It's incredibly time consuming being a student athlete and I just hope they take it into consideration because it's difficult to find time to volunteer and shadow while being gone every weekend and practing at least 3 hours every afternoon.

I there anybody else who is an athlete?

Thanks!
 

sacapuntas

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Hey guys

How do you think being a D1 athlete will effect my application? Scholarship athlete, not a walk-on or anything. It's incredibly time consuming being a student athlete and I just hope they take it into consideration because it's difficult to find time to volunteer and shadow while being gone every weekend and practing at least 3 hours every afternoon.

I there anybody else who is an athlete?

Thanks!

Though it may be tough, you still will need to find time to shadow. You need to show that you know what you are getting into as a dentist. Try your best to get 50-100 hours. I don't think they will take being an athlete as an excuse not to shadow, especially since the schedule doesn't sound any more time consuming than those who work, have kids, are heavily involved in other organizations or any combination of the three.

I do think being an athlete shows dedication, team work, hard work, discipline and other valuable traits that will be looked at positively in your application...just not at the expense of shadowing.
 

KillaCam

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I was a D2 athlete on scholarship for soccer and it will vary depending on who reads your app and/or who interviews you. I had some people mention that they found it amazing to succeed academically while holding such a time consuming and both mentally and physically draining obligation. Others did not even mention it. Either way, it can only work in your favor assuming you have done at least some shadowing or volunteering, even if it is pretty minimal. Sadly, some people are pretty ignorant out there and think that playing sports, even at a very competitive level, is all fun and games.

Make sure you make mention of it in your application/secondaries and at interviews. There are not very many of us so you should really stress how you have demonstrated that you have been successful in the things that you have committed yourself to, including sports and school......
 

KillaCam

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the schedule doesn't sound any more time consuming than those who work, have kids, are heavily involved in other organizations or any combination of the three.

I can tell you that as someone who also worked, was involved in organizations and played college soccer, that nothing else compares to the time committment it takes as good college sports player. The practices and games are only a part of the time it takes. Like I said earlier, it is much more physically and mentally draining than anything else and you have to do it everyday!!!! Plus, the roadtrips and film sessions and the team meetings all work against you. You learn to do your homework in hotels and bus rides in the late late hours of the night while everyone else on your team around you dicks around for the most part. Plus, while everyone else in your classes has had hours to study and do homework by the time you get home, you have to stay up very late and be very very efficient to do well in your classes relative to everyone else. Trust me, you must have a strong state of mind to be able to do both.
 

tillerybass

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Thanks for the input! I completely agree; non-athletes do not even remotely understand how strenuous and physically/mentally exhausting colligate level sports truely are. Athletics are not my excuse for not shadowing or volunteering... there is simply not enough time to fit some of the hours I see on here into my schedule with studying, research, other groups, exc. It's nice to hear that previous predent athletes made it through!
 

zackc19

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My bro got excepted with 5 shadow hours. 20 AA and 3.9 gpa. No sports no work.
 
I

iralex801

Some schools require a certain amount of shadowing hours. Just do it during the summer. Since your an athlete, your summer is shortened, but you can just cram it into 1 or 2 weeks. Do 40 hours and your golden (although a few require 100). Volunteering is nice, but I don't think any schools require it. If you have great GPA and DAT, I would just say get your shadowing in and you're good.
 

Hope45

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If you want it bad enough you will find time to get the shadowing hours. Don't have the mentality of thinking that being a college athlete will get you in a school and will over shadow something lacking in your application.

I was in the military and one would think that serving your country would be honorable and something the admissions would like talking about. I found that some schools could care less that I was in the military and when I mentioned it during my interviews, they moved on very quickly from it.
 
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dentalprodigy

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Yes thats cool as long as it didn't affect your gpa or Dat. don't expect leniency just because of it though.

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Saddleshoes

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Hey guys

How do you think being a D1 athlete will effect my application? Scholarship athlete, not a walk-on or anything. It's incredibly time consuming being a student athlete and I just hope they take it into consideration because it's difficult to find time to volunteer and shadow while being gone every weekend and practing at least 3 hours every afternoon.

I there anybody else who is an athlete?

Thanks!

I don't know if this helps but...

My dental school class of 40 had 1 D-I scholarship All-American, 1 High School All-American, that turned down scholarships to be a walkon at his home town Big Ten school, 1 D-II partial scholarship 3 year letter-man, 1 D-III 2 year starter and a Cheerleader.
 
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