B.A. in Music here! What are my chances to dental school?

[Flappybord]

Hello SDN community,

I've been following the forums closely, but this is my first time posting. I'm inquiring about my application and would like some honest feedback of my chances of acceptance into dental school! Any opinions or comments are greatly appreciated.

I'm a graduate from UCLA with 3.73 GPA with a degree in Music under two instruments/concentrations and have taken all the necessary science classes for dental school. My DAT results are 22AA 23TS 19RC 20QR and 22PAT. I have a lot of performance experience under my belt, competed and won first place in many regional, national and international competitions throughout the United States.

I have volunteered at two nonprofit clinics with around 100 hours each, have shadowed dentists and specialists around ~50 hours.

I have founded and conducted a video game orchestra at my college, which now has over 120 performers and includes a full orchestra, rock band, choir, and chamber groups. I also compete in a video game called Counter Strike with my collegiate team and have won first place in national tournaments against other collegiate teams.

I am humbly listing my credentials for some honest feedback. I believe that I am just sufficient in the amount of science classes I've taken (1 or 2 I still need to broaden my application to other schools that require many sciences), but it was due to the heavy workload in practicing, performing, competing, and music classes that prevented me from taking more recommended classes like microbiology and anatomy. At the same time, I was working two jobs an hour away from college, teaching students and working at a church as an organist. My father was laid off from his job, and I had to continue to work to pay for my tuition and rent. I started volunteering only after I graduated and am still currently looking for research positions, but after emailing many professors, it's been difficult to find.

What do you think my chances are to get into schools like UCLA, UCSF, Columbia, Harvard, UPenn, NYU, etc.? I know some of them are very big on research, so I am trying my hardest to find a research assistant position.

Thanks for the feedback!!!

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[Advance]

Hello SDN community,

I've been following the forums closely, but this is my first time posting. I'm inquiring about my application and would like some honest feedback of my chances of acceptance into dental school! Any opinions or comments are greatly appreciated.

I'm a graduate from UCLA with 3.73 GPA with a degree in Music under two instruments/concentrations and have taken all the necessary science classes for dental school. My DAT results are 22AA 23TS 19RC 20QR and 22PAT. I have a lot of performance experience under my belt, as well competed in many regional, national and international competitions throughout the United States.

I have volunteered at two nonprofit clinics with around 100 hours each, have shadowed dentists and specialists around ~50 hours.

I have founded and conducted a video game orchestra at my college, which now has over 120 performers and includes a full orchestra, rock band, choir, and chamber groups. I also compete in a video game called Counter Strike with my collegiate team and have won first place in national tournaments against other collegiate teams.

I am humbly listing my credentials for some honest feedback. I believe that I am just sufficient in the amount of science classes I've taken (1 or 2 I still need to broaden my application to other schools that require many sciences), but it was due to the heavy workload in practicing, performing, competing, and music classes that prevented me from taking more recommended classes like microbiology and anatomy. At the same time, I was working two jobs an hour away from college, teaching students and working at a church as an organist. My father was laid off from his job, and I had to continue to work to pay for my tuition and rent. I started volunteering only after I graduated and am still currently looking for research positions, but after emailing many professors, it's been difficult to find.

What do you think my chances are to get into schools like UCLA, UCSF, Columbia, Harvard, UPenn, NYU, etc.? I know some of them are very big on research, so I am trying my hardest to find a research assistant position.

Thanks for the feedback!!!

What's your science GPA?

 

[2jz]

It's a 3.39 BCPM, yikes. It's a 3.53 when just factoring in BCP.

I'm not sure about the particular schools you listed but I definitely think you have a good chance of getting in someplace. That science GPA definitely could be higher but I think your TS helps offset that. People like a story and I definitely think you have one to tell.

 

[Advance]

It's a 3.39 BCPM, yikes. It's a 3.53 when just factoring in BCP.

Yeah I can't comment on your competitiveness for Ivy's but you do have a good shot to get accepted in general. Nice stats

 

[periopocket]

Your in an excellent position for an acceptance.


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[predental21250]

Very good shot at NYU. The dental school is fairly easy to get into. Keep it mind that it is also one of the most expensive programs in the nation.

 

[ssm38]

Very good shot at NYU. The dental school is fairly easy to get into. Keep it mind that it is also one of the most expensive programs in the nation.

NYU is no guarantee. I got accepted into 8 schools, including quite a few "difficult" schools (UConn, Stony Brook, Michigan, UPenn, interviewed at Harvard and UNC) but I got straight up rejected from NYU without an interview.

 

[OntheCusp2016]

You will do really well in the upcoming cycle imo. At my interviews it seemed like everyone and their cousin was a bio major. As a classics major, I had something different to talk about. As a musician, you will really be able to impress the admcoms! And you will likely thrive in the skills portion of dental school because dentistry bears a stronger resemblance to the practice of music than the memorisation of the Krebs cycle.

 

[blablabla1]

NYU is no guarantee. I got accepted into 8 schools, including quite a few "difficult" schools (UConn, Stony Brook, Michigan, UPenn, interviewed at Harvard and UNC) but I got straight up rejected from NYU without an interview.

That is most likely because your stats were so high that the adcoms at NYU knew there was a slim chance you would attend even if you were accepted. I would be willing to bet that if you sent them a letter expressing personal interest in their school, they would have given you an interview.

But you're right, getting into NYU is no guarantee, getting into dental school in general is tough

 

[toothdoctor123]

Your science GPA is fine. You're a great candidate for competitive schools.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

You Gucci fam

 

[SladerJ]

I graduated in 2016 with a BA in Music and a BS in Biology. My stats were lower than yours so I completed a 1 year Biomedical Science Master's and I was just accepted to dental school this year. You're in a very good place in terms of stats and EC's! I can tell you from experience that ADCOMS (at least the ones I interviewed with) love people with unorthodox backgrounds to the dental field. Apply broadly to 10-15 schools just to cover your bases. Make sure to kill your interviews and I'm sure you will be sitting on multiple acceptances!

 

[setdoc7]

Your school choices are interesting, and if I were going to guess, it appears that you still want to play while in D school. I would apply a little more broadly in Boston. Consider UIC and Maryland as well (near DC) if music is driving your application as well as dentistry.

 

[toothdoctor123]

I would probably give up music for the most part and focus solely on learning as much as I can in dentistry. Music will always be there with me when I finish, so I can always play or teach as a hobby in the future. I will definitely apply more broadly!

FYI, you won't have to give it up if you don't want to. School choice is pretty important in this regard though. One of the reasons I chose Columbia over other good options (namely UConn) was that it allowed me to continue playing music, which is a big part of my life. 1st/2nd year schedules are pretty flexible here due to block exams (versus weekly quizzes) and optional attendance to recorded medical lectures; and because didactics are front-loaded, there is minimal after-hours studying to do in clinical years. There are enough great musicians on the medical campus here (mainly from the med school) to create a pretty decent orchestra. A lot of members have previous professional experience. And obviously, there are lots of paid gigs in NYC, although personally I don't find the money worth my time when I have to cram for tests.

Your best bet to continue playing music through dental school (if you want) would be to choose a school based on location and on opportunities at the university to which it is connected.

In terms of admissions, I think you actually have better chances at the Ivy League (and comparable) schools than at other private and state schools which, on a superficial level, might seem easier to get into. This is because admissions committees at schools like Harvard, Columbia, and Penn (especially Penn) explicitly state that they value applicants with diverse life experiences and educational backgrounds and have a track record of accepting these types of people. You are more likely to see students with liberal arts degrees, multiple talents, etc. at these schools. They make no apologies for training students for specialties and alternative career paths. Other schools appear to have the opposite values--cookie-cutter applicants seem to be preferred to eccentric ones...probably because they are easier to educate and more likely to become successful in a traditional dental career. (I know I'm going to be accused bullsh*tting all of this, but I am drawing this information directly from admissions websites.)

 

[Faefly]

You are Unique, you are special, your GPA is great if we forget about the math part
and your dat is very very good!
So why not!
Best of luck!

 

[Faefly]

Thanks for your kind words!

I messed up and decided to take math major calculus instead of science major math, so my GPA was hit hard from it. One of the multivariable calculus classes I took was back at a community college when I was still in high school, so that counted toward my GPA too. At the time, it didn't matter much to me; I enjoyed taking the class, despite its difficulty. Now I regret it a little bit, but if I were to do it again, I'd still take those classes but just study a bit harder!

Calc is my favorite subject
but yeah it can be hard or easy depending on the professor!