Chance me/where should I apply thread 2017: tyjacobs and feralis

[predent2151]

For Harvard your stats are too low. You'd be wasting money. For Columbia, the 17 RC will most likely keep you out and the same goes for PENN. However if you really wish to pursue Ivy League I think you have a shot to get 1 interview between the 3. Then you'd just have to win them over in your interview.


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[blablabla1]

age: 21 and 11 months
overall: 3.81
science: 3.71
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.75
undergrad attended: University of Miami
DAT score: 22 AA, 23 TS, 22 PAT, 22 Bio, 22 GC, 25 OC, 17 RC, 24 QR
extracirriculars: Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society for Freshmen, Biological Honor Society, Pre-dental club
shadowing hours: General dentist (112 hrs), dental pain specialist (120 hrs)
letters of rec: 6 letters - 3 from the bio, ochem, cell molec professors, 1 from dentist, 1 math professor, 1 foreign language professor. I got the committee letter that combines all of the above, written by the prehealth advisor.
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: June 2
professional goals: General dentistry
state of residence: Maryland
misc info you think is important: English is my 2nd language, explaining the RC section. I have received Governor's Volunteer Service Award, will be publishing a paper on social behavior of orchid spiders, and I have worked as a peer tutor, organic chemistry workshop leader, and undergraduate learning intern.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on whether you think I have chances into Ivy schools. Thank you for your time.

Try your chance at Columbia and Penn, but like another poster said, RC is important to them and that 17 RC may keep you from getting an interview there, whether English is your first language or not.

Maryland is an excellent and affordable state school, id focus on gaining admission there!

 

[ChewyDrop]

Could I just PM one of yall my stats? Don't really feel comfortable.

 

[DocDoon]

Age- 20

Overall gpa- ~3.4

Science gpa- ~3.2

Bio-chem-physics gpa- 3.15

Undergrad attended- Ohio State

DAT score
Bio 21
GC 26
OC 20
RC 19
QR 25
PAT 20
TS 21
AA 22

Extracurriculars-
Exec board of my school’s operation smile chapter
Volunteered with a student organization for ~50 hours
Involved in my school’s predental club
Started a car washing business with friends in our home town
Volunteered at a non profit dental clinic for ~15 hours
Doing research at the ortho department at my school and working in the dental school this summer
Into bodybuilding (can I put this in my dexterity essay?)

Shadowing hours: 120 total: 60 at one general dentist, 40 at another general dentist, 20 at an orthodontist

Letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 3: one from microbio prof that should be strong she said she include highlights of resume in the letter to expand on qualities. One from physics prof who was my TA as well. Not sure how good this one will be because he was a quirky guy but I got an A in the class and 100% on the final and plus I saw him four times a week and participated a lot in his class. One from the dentist I shadowed for 60 hours. This one should be pretty strong.

When you plan on submitting AADSAS application- first week of June

Professional goals- General dentistry but also interested in ortho

State of residence- Ohio

Misc info you think is important:

first generation American (not sure if that matters at all)

Personal statement is about me having to get 12 cavities filled when I was younger. Head of admissions at my school said he liked it.

I have C’s in both Ochems

GPA has a slight upward trend of 3.0 to 3.1 to 3.4 to 3.4 during my last four semesters

Top choice is OSU

Thanks in advance for doing this guys

 

[mangos5ever]

Age: 21
Overall GPA: 3.67
Science GPA: 3.59
BCP GPA: 3.48 (does this include labs?)
DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA 21
PAT 20
TS 20
QR 21
RC 19
BIO 18
GC 21
OC 24
EC's:
- Volunteered in ortho and general dental clinics at UFCD ~160 hours
- Took dental course that gave me 65 hours of hands on experience doing restorative preps, veneer, crown, etc.
- Volunteer with kids of disabilities ~60 hours
- Part of pre dental clubs at university
- Intramural sports
- Mentor to freshman of my college
- Research assistant (clinical research)
Shadowing: Shadowed 1 gen dentist ~75 hours (hope to get more but don't know if this will matter since ill submit my apps before I do)
LORs: (how many, how strong, from who): Professor from my major (strong), physics professor (moderately strong), dentist (very strong), Research PI (moderately strong)
When you plan on submitting AADSAS application: ASAP, whenever my LORs are all collected (should be in June I am only unaware of 1 atm)
Professional goals: General dentistry
State of residence: FL
Misc info you think is important: Im worried b/c I don't have anything to put under work experience or achievements/awards
Want to stay in state but im also looking at applying to vcu, bu, nyu, u penn, unc (reach) and maybe pitt. Lmk what you think, thanks!!

 

[FeralisExtremum]

I'll be getting to a lot of these (and the PM's I haven't responded to yet) over the weekend - apologies for the delays as tyjacobs and I have been in the middle of finals.

 

[besteyedee]

Can i pm my stats as well?

 

[tyjacobs]

Age- 20

Overall gpa- ~3.4

Science gpa- ~3.2

Bio-chem-physics gpa- 3.15

Undergrad attended- Ohio State

DAT score
Bio 21
GC 26
OC 20
RC 19
QR 25
PAT 20
TS 21
AA 22

Extracurriculars-
Exec board of my school’s operation smile chapter
Volunteered with a student organization for ~50 hours
Involved in my school’s predental club
Started a car washing business with friends in our home town
Volunteered at a non profit dental clinic for ~15 hours
Doing research at the ortho department at my school and working in the dental school this summer
Into bodybuilding (can I put this in my dexterity essay?)

Shadowing hours: 120 total: 60 at one general dentist, 40 at another general dentist, 20 at an orthodontist

Letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 3: one from microbio prof that should be strong she said she include highlights of resume in the letter to expand on qualities. One from physics prof who was my TA as well. Not sure how good this one will be because he was a quirky guy but I got an A in the class and 100% on the final and plus I saw him four times a week and participated a lot in his class. One from the dentist I shadowed for 60 hours. This one should be pretty strong.

When you plan on submitting AADSAS application- first week of June

Professional goals- General dentistry but also interested in ortho

State of residence- Ohio

Misc info you think is important:

first generation American (not sure if that matters at all)

Personal statement is about me having to get 12 cavities filled when I was younger. Head of admissions at my school said he liked it.

I have C’s in both Ochems

GPA has a slight upward trend of 3.0 to 3.1 to 3.4 to 3.4 during my last four semesters

Top choice is OSU

Thanks in advance for doing this guys

what schools are you planning on applying to. If i were you i'd apply broadly and to lots of private schools since your sci GPA is low

 

[tyjacobs]

Age: 21
Overall GPA: 3.67
Science GPA: 3.59
BCP GPA: 3.48 (does this include labs?)
Undergrad attended: UF
DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA 21
PAT 20
TS 20
QR 21
RC 19
BIO 18
GC 21
OC 24
EC's:
- Volunteered in ortho and general dental clinics at UFCD ~160 hours
- Took dental course that gave me 65 hours of hands on experience doing restorative preps, veneer, crown, etc.
- Volunteer with kids of disabilities ~60 hours
- Part of pre dental clubs at university
- Intramural sports
- Mentor to freshman of my college
- Research assistant (clinical research)
Shadowing: Shadowed 1 gen dentist ~75 hours (hope to get more but don't know if this will matter since ill submit my apps before I do)
LORs: (how many, how strong, from who): Professor from my major (strong), physics professor (moderately strong), dentist (very strong), Research PI (moderately strong)
When you plan on submitting AADSAS application: ASAP, whenever my LORs are all collected (should be in June I am only unaware of 1 atm)
Professional goals: General dentistry
State of residence: FL
Misc info you think is important: Im worried b/c I don't have anything to put under work experience or achievements/awards
Want to stay in state but im also looking at applying to vcu, bu, nyu, u penn, unc (reach) and maybe pitt. Lmk what you think, thanks!!

You are right on the money in terms of avg acceptance stats so I think you should get in no problem.

I'd apply to 12-14 schools, bigger emphasis on private schools and of course apply to your in state ( i believe you are competitive for UF dental)

 

[tyjacobs]

Can i pm my stats as well?

yes of course

 

[starsbeneathme]

age: 21

overall gpa: 3.86

science gpa: 3.86

bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.85

undergrad attended: New York State Public University

DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA. 26
TS: 26
PAT: 20

Biology: 28
General Chemistry: 23
Organic Chemistry: 30
Quantitative Reasoning: 24
Reading Comprehension: 23

extracurriculars:
- Biochemistry Research (1.5 years) - i"m a co-author of a research article that is in the works to be published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; participated in a poster presentation, received a $4,000 stipend to conduct research this summer
- Pre-Dental Society's Secretary
- A upper division biology class TA - Genetics (1 semester)
- Emergency Response Team (not EMT-certified)
- "Historian" for a charity organization/club that raises money to increase educational and healthcare opportunities for underprivileged children in developing countries
- Dental Outreach trip to Dominican Republic in May 2015

shadowing hours (who did you shadow)
- General Dentist: ~ 80-100 hours
- Shadowing program at local dental school - shadowing residency students and dental students in different specialities ~60 hours
- Orthodontist ~ 6 hours
- Periodontist ~ 15 hours

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who)
6 letters (honors college advisor, writing professor, research principal investigator, 2 science professors -- TA'd for one of the classes, general dentist, lady who overlooks local dental school shadowing)
-- I think most are weak except research PI and writing professor -- overall probably average letters)

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application
July (waiting on committee letter)

professional goals
I would like to eventually specialize -- the choice in area of specialization will probably change in dental school

state of residence
NY

misc info you think is important:
I'm a little worried that my interview will be weaker than others -- I hate interviewing lol. I don't think it'll be terrible, it'll be "fine." Not sure if stats can compensate for this. Also, I feel like I don't know as much about dentistry as I should -- like a lot of others know a lot more information about procedures, names, facts. But I do want to learn more. I may just be insecure right now lol

Top Schools -- Columbia (but I heard there clinical program is weak and a bit outdated? -- not my words, sorry tyjacobs and feralis lol), Stony Brook, UPenn -- might want to add Harvard for fun - but I'm not sure if they have a strong clinical program?

any other schools I should apply to besides NY schools?

Thank you so much for doing this!

 

[Lupin]

Age: 23M
Overall gpa: 3.86
BCP gpa: 3.96
Science gpa: 3.95
Undergrad attended: University in Canada
DAT Score: AA: 22 TS: 22 RC: 23 PAT: 21 (Canadian DAT)
Extracurriculars:
Extensive involvement in volunteer organizations with several leadership involvement (2 president positions) and projects (1300+hrs)
Martial Art Instructor volunteer/work (900+hrs)
Research (3 presentations/projects with awards in best undergrad oral presentation/won within top 5 in a local research competition but no publications- 900+hrs)
Medical Office Assistant/Technician work (2500+hrs)
Shadowing hours:
Under General Dentist: Non certified dental chair-side assistant/Sterilization Technician Job/shadow (180+hrs)
Letter of Reference:
2 science professors who I know quite well (average to strong?), 1 dentist (strong), and martial arts instructor (strong)
Professional Goals:
Specialization or General Dentist (depending on school)
State of Residence:
Canada
When are you planning on submitting AADSAS application:
2nd week of June (everything is ready on both my end and my letter writers )
Misc info you think is important:
I am a Canadian applicant so I am a little nervous about my competitiveness but my current list includes:
NYU, BU, Case Western, U of Pitts, UPenn, UMich, Harvard, UofMaryland, UDM
Thank you for doing this! I really appreciate it

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 21

overall gpa: 3.86

science gpa: 3.86

bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.85

undergrad attended: New York State Public University

DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA. 26
TS: 26
PAT: 20

Biology: 28
General Chemistry: 23
Organic Chemistry: 30
Quantitative Reasoning: 24
Reading Comprehension: 23

extracurriculars:
- Biochemistry Research (1.5 years) - i"m a co-author of a research article that is in the works to be published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; participated in a poster presentation, received a $4,000 stipend to conduct research this summer
- Pre-Dental Society's Secretary
- A upper division biology class TA - Genetics (1 semester)
- Emergency Response Team (not EMT-certified)
- "Historian" for a charity organization/club that raises money to increase educational and healthcare opportunities for underprivileged children in developing countries
- Dental Outreach trip to Dominican Republic in May 2015

shadowing hours (who did you shadow)
- General Dentist: ~ 80-100 hours
- Shadowing program at local dental school - shadowing residency students and dental students in different specialities ~60 hours
- Orthodontist ~ 6 hours
- Periodontist ~ 15 hours

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who)
6 letters (honors college advisor, writing professor, research principal investigator, 2 science professors -- TA'd for one of the classes, general dentist, lady who overlooks local dental school shadowing)
-- I think most are weak except research PI and writing professor -- overall probably average letters)

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application
July (waiting on committee letter)

professional goals
I would like to eventually specialize -- the choice in area of specialization will probably change in dental school

state of residence
NY

misc info you think is important:
I'm a little worried that my interview will be weaker than others -- I hate interviewing lol. I don't think it'll be terrible, it'll be "fine." Not sure if stats can compensate for this. Also, I feel like I don't know as much about dentistry as I should -- like a lot of others know a lot more information about procedures, names, facts. But I do want to learn more. I may just be insecure right now lol

Top Schools -- Columbia (but I heard there clinical program is weak and a bit outdated? -- not my words, sorry tyjacobs and feralis lol), Stony Brook, UPenn -- might want to add Harvard for fun - but I'm not sure if they have a strong clinical program?

any other schools I should apply to besides NY schools?

Thank you so much for doing this!

Apply to columbia harvard upenn uconn, keep stony. Apply to like 5-7 more schools you can add nyu and u buffalo

Columbia preclinical and clinical curriculum about to change a lot next semester so if you were to go it will be very good by then

 

[FeralisExtremum]

age: 21

overall gpa: 3.86

science gpa: 3.86

bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.85

undergrad attended: New York State Public University

DAT score (include AA and all sections):
AA. 26
TS: 26
PAT: 20

Biology: 28
General Chemistry: 23
Organic Chemistry: 30
Quantitative Reasoning: 24
Reading Comprehension: 23

extracurriculars:
- Biochemistry Research (1.5 years) - i"m a co-author of a research article that is in the works to be published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; participated in a poster presentation, received a $4,000 stipend to conduct research this summer
- Pre-Dental Society's Secretary
- A upper division biology class TA - Genetics (1 semester)
- Emergency Response Team (not EMT-certified)
- "Historian" for a charity organization/club that raises money to increase educational and healthcare opportunities for underprivileged children in developing countries
- Dental Outreach trip to Dominican Republic in May 2015

shadowing hours (who did you shadow)
- General Dentist: ~ 80-100 hours
- Shadowing program at local dental school - shadowing residency students and dental students in different specialities ~60 hours
- Orthodontist ~ 6 hours
- Periodontist ~ 15 hours

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who)
6 letters (honors college advisor, writing professor, research principal investigator, 2 science professors -- TA'd for one of the classes, general dentist, lady who overlooks local dental school shadowing)
-- I think most are weak except research PI and writing professor -- overall probably average letters)

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application
July (waiting on committee letter)

professional goals
I would like to eventually specialize -- the choice in area of specialization will probably change in dental school

state of residence
NY

misc info you think is important:
I'm a little worried that my interview will be weaker than others -- I hate interviewing lol. I don't think it'll be terrible, it'll be "fine." Not sure if stats can compensate for this. Also, I feel like I don't know as much about dentistry as I should -- like a lot of others know a lot more information about procedures, names, facts. But I do want to learn more. I may just be insecure right now lol

Top Schools -- Columbia (but I heard there clinical program is weak and a bit outdated? -- not my words, sorry tyjacobs and feralis lol), Stony Brook, UPenn -- might want to add Harvard for fun - but I'm not sure if they have a strong clinical program?

any other schools I should apply to besides NY schools?

Thank you so much for doing this!

I'd add UCSF as well

 

[kanudo31]

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.45
science gpa: 3.68
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.17
undergrad attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DAT score: 20AA, 20TS, 18PAT

extracirriculars: 3 leadership rolls through Fraternity along with 50+ hours of volunteering, summer research internship with the US Army core of Engineers, undergraduate research for 2+ years, currently an administrative and clinical intern for a small hospital serving low income areas in my college town (200+ hours)

shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 25 Hours general dentist in a private setting, 8 hours orthodontist in a private setting, 200+ hours in a hospital setting (General dentist)

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 3. All strong. 1 from science professor, 1 from undergraduate PI, and 1 from USACE research PI

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Mid-Late July (waiting on LORs to come in)

professional goals: General Dentistry at first, then Orthodontics

state of residence: IL

misc info you think is important: Publication from USACE research was presented at ACS symposium. Positive upward GPA trend.

 

[tyjacobs]

Age: 23M
Overall gpa: 3.86
BCP gpa: 3.96
Science gpa: 3.95
Undergrad attended: University in Canada
DAT Score: AA: 22 TS: 22 RC: 23 PAT: 21 (Canadian DAT)
Extracurriculars:
Extensive involvement in volunteer organizations with several leadership involvement (2 president positions) and projects (1300+hrs)
Martial Art Instructor volunteer/work (900+hrs)
Research (3 presentations/projects with awards in best undergrad oral presentation/won within top 5 in a local research competition but no publications- 900+hrs)
Medical Office Assistant/Technician work (2500+hrs)
Shadowing hours:
Under General Dentist: Non certified dental chair-side assistant/Sterilization Technician Job/shadow (180+hrs)
Letter of Reference:
2 science professors who I know quite well (average to strong?), 1 dentist (strong), and martial arts instructor (strong)
Professional Goals:
Specialization or General Dentist (depending on school)
State of Residence:
Canada
When are you planning on submitting AADSAS application:
2nd week of June (everything is ready on both my end and my letter writers )
Misc info you think is important:
I am a Canadian applicant so I am a little nervous about my competitiveness but my current list includes:
NYU, BU, Case Western, U of Pitts, UPenn, UMich, Harvard, UofMaryland, UDM
Thank you for doing this! I really appreciate it

yeah because you are canadian I would add some more schools, specifically private schools (add 5-6 more)

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.45
science gpa: 3.68
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.17
undergrad attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DAT score: 20AA, 20TS, 18PAT

extracirriculars: 3 leadership rolls through Fraternity along with 50+ hours of volunteering, summer research internship with the US Army core of Engineers, undergraduate research for 2+ years, currently an administrative and clinical intern for a small hospital serving low income areas in my college town (200+ hours)

shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 25 Hours general dentist in a private setting, 8 hours orthodontist in a private setting, 200+ hours in a hospital setting (General dentist)

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 3. All strong. 1 from science professor, 1 from undergraduate PI, and 1 from USACE research PI

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Mid-Late July (waiting on LORs to come in)

professional goals: General Dentistry at first, then Orthodontics

state of residence: IL

misc info you think is important: Publication from USACE research was presented at ACS symposium. Positive upward GPA trend.

hmm this is a tough one because you have a good science gpa but your BCP gpa is low, which is a red flag. I believe BCP gpa is the most important GPA of all.
your DAT is only 20AA which doesn't compensate for the low BCP gpa IMO.

I think you are on the borderline, you can definitely apply this cycle (would apply broadly though and to a lot of private schools) and see what happens or you can take a gap year, improve the stats over the year, then reapply (it all really depends on your financial situation)

 

[joker16z]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.91
science gpa: 3.89
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.86
undergrad attended (if you are comfortable sharing): University of Central Florida (UCF)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 21 AA | 22 TS | 23 PAT | 18 QR | 22 RC | 23 Bio | 21 GC | 23 OC

extracirriculars: neuroscience club during senior year, honors college, service learning at an underprivileged school during fall semester of freshmen year, volunteered at the local food bank for 18 hours but only in the last 6 months (will still continue volunteering even after AADSAS submission)

shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 127 hours with general dentist spread across 2 years

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 4 total: 1 science (moderate), 1 calculus ([technically a science]; moderately strong), 1 dentist (very strong), 1 english (very strong; research mentor)

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: starting 6/1 but cannot fully submit until late June due to LORs

professional goals: general dentistry but possibly ortho or OS
state of residence: FL
other important information: I have researched published in UCF's archives in the historical field; first time applicant; I've worked at Disney for the past 3 years so my customer service is top notch, which will definitely improve patient care.
Schools on my list as of now:

• University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
• Lake Erie College of Medicine (Bradenton, FL)
• NOVA Southeastern University (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
• University of Colorado (Aurora, CO)
• University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
• University of California (Los Angeles, CA)
• University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC)
• University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
• New York University (New York, NY)

 

[BennyFranks]

age 23
overall gpa: 3.6
science gpa: 3.45
b-c-p gpa: 3.35
Montclair State University
DAT: 18 AA 17 Bio 19 Chem 19 Orgo 17 QR 17 RC 18 PAT
EC: Manager at an Ice Cream Parlor
Own a landscaping company
Interned at a Cancer medical lab
Part of SAL (Honors and leadership organization at my school) in which we do volunteer work
Project coordinator at Jersey Cares Volunteering (in charge of setting up volunteer projects and training other volunteers)
Total volunteer hours = 400+hrs
Shadowing: 200+ hrs, shadowed 4 dentists at 3 different offices
LOR: 4 total: 1 from biochemistry professor, 1 from evolutionary biology professor, 1 from physics professor, and 1 from the dentist i shadowed primarily. Letters are regular to strong. I got an A in every class from my letters expect in biochemistry (B)
Applying in July (definitely before august)
Goals: To own a general/cosmetic dentistry office
Misc: I speak Italian as well as english.
I have an associates and bachelors degree in biology
Applying to a lot of schools (15-20), obviously not picky
GPA has steadily climbed from freshman to senior year

 

[bml3]

age: 22
overall gpa: 3.34
science gpa: 3.22
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.16
undergrad attended: Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
DAT score: AA - 21
PAT: 19
QR: 19
RC: 23
Bio: 18
GC: 21
OC: 22
TS: 20
extracurriculars:
1 year of research, received an undergraduate research award, presented the research at 2 different poster sessions over the span of 2 years
I was in a sorority, but I had valuable experiences from this such as holding a leadership position where during my sophomore year I served as a mentor to the new members and helped plan events for them. Additionally, I participated in community service events.
~180 volunteer hours (150 at an adult health center/day care, 10 from Oxford Community Choice Pantry, 12 from fundraising events for Prevent Child Abuse America, 10 working one-on-one with Girl Scouts in confidence and leadership workshops)
shadowing hours:
32 hours shadowing a general dentist
18 hours shadowing an orthodontist
20 hours shadowing an endodontist
I worked as a dental assistant for a pediatric dentist (~180 hours)
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 3
One from the pediatric dentist that I worked for, strong
One from my anatomy professor, average-strong
One from my research professor who I also took classes with, strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: ASAP, hopefully during the first or second week of June
professional goals: I am interested in ortho, however, I also like general dentistry and am keeping my mind open to any other specialties I may end up thinking I may like once I am in dental school
state of residence: Ohio
misc info you think is important: I realize that my GPA is low, I did very poorly during freshman year, but I have an upward trend since then. I just graduated, so I'm taking a gap year and during the gap year I am working as a sterilization technician for an orthodontist, and I am possibly going to complete a one year masters in biomedical science. Even though I may be doing the masters, I still want to apply this cycle, because if I don't get in (which I realize may be the case given my GPA -- although I hope my DAT somewhat makes up for it) then I will be able to apply next cycle with a completed masters, and if I do get in, the masters might help prepare me for my first year/i'll just have a masters.
Also I took stats over the summer at community college, will this matter?

 

[Saint Richie]

age: 22, but 23 this August
overall gpa: 3.619
science gpa: 3.43
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.5
undergrad attended: Ramapo College of New Jersey
DAT score: AA-21; SNS-21; Bio-22; GC-19; OC-22; PAT-24; RC-23; QR-18
extracirriculars: Clubs: Member of Phi Delta Epsilon (PreMed/Health frat - I was on the Membership and PR Chairs), Alpha Phi Omega (community service frat, I was on the Fundraising Chair), Sigma Xi (research honors society), Beta Beta Beta (biology honors society). The first two I was a member for 3 years each. The last two I was a member for about a year before graduating. I was a member of the executive board of the Professional Fraternity Council, serving as VP of Internal Affairs one year and Secretary another. Member of the biology and pre-health clubs. Tutor for Biology and Genetics for 3 and 1 year(s) respectively. Member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Sports: I was on my college's rock climbing team for the entire 4 years I attended undergrad. I was a member of the archery club in college for 1 year.
Volunteer: Worked as Business Director for Ramathon, an annual event that raised money and awareness for the Children's Miracle Network as well as the hospital in the local area. I have logged probably around 200 or 300 volunteer hours with my community service frat. Things like cleaning trash out of parks with MEVO, raising money for charities, visiting hospitals, etc.
Research - Researched with my letter writer for 2.5 years, receiving distinction during my last semester when the annual symposium is held.
Programs - Attended the Rutger's Gateway to Dentistry Program in the summer of 2015. We received lectures on different aspects/specialties in dentistry, met some dental students, and even had the opportunity to perform dental procedures on props and figures (ie. doing fillings with a block of material similar to dentin/enamel, doing a root canal on a plastic tooth, trimming an impression, etc.)
Misc. - I have a minor in creative writing. In 2014, I won the Student Writing Award for my paper "Humanity Instilled Through the Humanities" which discussed the importance of gearing healthcare education to insure professionals with a sense of empathy and bedside patient care are being put through school. I write poetry and fiction/novellas and have had my work submitted in the college's annual magazine. I played frequently at the biweekly Open Mic Night, playing piano, guitar, and vocals by myself and with makeshift bands (ie, people who were short an instrument).
shadowing hours: 1 Gen dentist for about 40 hours; 1 Gen dentist for 30; 3 perios for about 3 each; 1 oral surgeon for 5 hours.
letters of rec: I have 4 letters: 1 from a literature teacher who is familiar with my family; 1 from a science professor who was my research program mentor, academic advisor, etc.; 1 from the general dentist I have recently shadowed; 1 from a science professor who I took a class with and was my supervisor when I tutored Genetics.
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: End of June or Mid-July - this is accounting for the time it'll take for the AADSAS to process/verify information.
professional goals I plan on going for general dentistry as I like the variety in the work. Depending on what happens in dental school, I might specialize, in which case oral surgery seems the most interesting to me out of them all. If possible, I would want to dabble in some research as well since I really enjoyed my time in the research honors program in college.
state of residence - Florida
misc info you think is important: I applied for dental school during the 2016 cycle. I obviously did not get in. I had about 56 shadowing hours, had a DAT score of AA-19; SNS-19; Bio-17; GC-19; OC-21; PAT-23; RC-20; QR-18, and I submitted my application in late October/early November. I only had one interview at NYU, and was waitlisted until I eventually got rejected. I spent the past year focusing on my shortcomings by getting more shadowing hours, improving my DAT score, and submitting my application early.

During my fall semester of junior year, I had some family issues that caused me to shift a lot of time and energy towards that. As a result, I dropped my biochemistry course and got a C in ecology. The next semester, I retook the biochemistry course and received an A-. Ecology was the only C I received in college. I started college with a ~3.5 GPA per semester. After my little fiasco junior year, my final 3 semesters was a 3.9, 3.9, and 3.7 consecutively.

Thanks!!

 

[THE_VOiD]

Hello! I just stumbled upon this thread and would love to get an opinion on my chances! Thanks so much!


Age: 27 in a couple months
overall 3.38
science: 3.63
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.71
undergrad attended: University of Tulsa; have taken several prereqs at CC.
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20AA 20Bio 20GC 18OC 21RC 22PAT 20QR
EC: I owned a small personal training business for roughly 3.5 years before focusing all of my attention on prereqs earlier this year. Along with that, I am a black belt martial artist and have a wife that I spend a good amount of time with. Throughout high school and college, I did a lot of volunteering at schools, with community programs, and with church.
shadowing hours: ~100 hours with my dentist of 20 years. I’ve also done a lot of shadowing with other medical professionals from orthopedists to PAs: 250+ hours.
letters of rec: 2 from professors – 1 for several chemistry classes and the other for both A & P. Another letter from the dentist I shadowed.
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: I’m shooting for the end of June to mid-July at the latest.
professional goals: It’d be great to have my own practice, but other than that, nothing super specific. I think I’ll let what I find interesting in school guide me.
state of residence: Oklahoma
misc info you think is important: I’ve had a steep upward trend in grades with a GPA of 3.8 for the most recent 50 hours. As mentioned above, I’ve shadowed many medical professionals, which I think helps make me a little more well-rounded in that I have a pretty thorough knowledge of other areas but am still interested in dentistry. Also, in terms of schools, I think OU would be my top due to it being in-state. Not sure how I would match up with other schools though.


Thank you again!

 

[tyjacobs]

hello, responses will come tomorrow as we both have an exam tomorrow morning.

 

[plusalpha]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.91
science gpa: 3.89
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.86
undergrad attended (if you are comfortable sharing): University of Central Florida (UCF)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 21 AA | 22 TS | 23 PAT | 18 QR | 22 RC | 23 Bio | 21 GC | 23 OC

extracirriculars: neuroscience club during senior year, honors college, service learning at an underprivileged school during fall semester of freshmen year, volunteered at the local food bank for 18 hours but only in the last 6 months (will still continue volunteering even after AADSAS submission)

shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 127 hours with general dentist spread across 2 years

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 4 total: 1 science (moderate), 1 calculus (moderately strong), 1 dentist (very strong), 1 english (very strong; research mentor)

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: starting 6/1 but cannot fully submit until late June due to LORs

professional goals: general dentistry but possible ortho or OS
state of residence: FL
other important information: I have researched published in UCF's archives in the historical field; first time applicant
Schools on my list as of now:

• University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
• Lake Erie College of Medicine (Bradenton, FL)
• NOVA Southeastern University (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
• University of Colorado (Aurora, CO)
• University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
• University of California (Los Angeles, CA)
• University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC)
• University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
• New York University (New York, NY)

The schools you are applying to don't require recommendation letters from two science professors?

 

[joker16z]

The schools you are applying to don't require recommendation letters from two science professors?

Mathematics is technically a division of science. Under the ADEA AADSAS courses, all mathematics courses are listed as "Other Science". If you were to get a degree in mathematics, it would be a BS.

 

[OlderDS]

age 29
overall gpa: 3.75
science gpa: 4.0
bio-chem-physics gpa: 4.0
undergrad attended: BS in Marketing from a well respected state university in the Southeast and post-grad for sciences. My sciences are from the same schools as my BS (1 bio, 2 orgo, 2 anatomy and physiology) and a very good Community College (physics, gen chem and 2 bio's)
DAT score:
PAT: 21
QR: 20
RC: 25
Bio: 21
GC: 19
OC: 22
TS: 21
AA: 21
extracirriculars:
Non traditional student. I received a BS in business in 2010. I had some EC's when I was undergrad but had to go back to get my sciences and had to eat so I worked the last 18 months while I went to school - so other than work, shadowing and volunteering, no EC's since undergrad. I had a high paying job in a related field and got exposed to dentistry and really liked it. I am very artistic but also enjoy the science aspects.

shadowing hours: 100+ - general, oral surgery and ortho
letters of rec: 3 from top academic faculty - very strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: no later than 6/30
professional goals: I want to be a general dentist and eventually own my own practices. I think my business background will help me a lot. I prefer general dentistry because of the variety.
state of residence: SC
misc info you think is important: I did not take Micro or Bio-Chem so am not planning to apply to the schools that require them. I am definitely applying to MUSC and about 5 others that appear to take OOS with my stats. I am considering enrolling in Micro and/or Bio Chem in the Fall if that would help me apply to more schools but wonder if it would matter since I haven't actually taken them.

 

[Alemmy]

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.63
science gpa: 3.43
bio-chew-physics gpa: 3.44
undergrad attended: University of Maryland
DAT score: AA=21 TS=22 BIO=22 CHEM=23 ORGO=23 PAT=20 QR=16 RC=19
extracurriculars:
-Interned at Maryland State Dental Association (MSDA), volunteered, helped organize and plan free dental clinics across the state. Applied for two grants 17k and 10k to fund these free clinics
-Teaching Assistant for Anatomy and Physiology II where I taught 24 students in a 3 hour lab
-Raised ~60k for bladder cancer over 4 yrs (2 yrs in hs + 2 yrs in college)
-Community service through sorority etc.
-Wrote my senior thesis on oral health disparities and am interested in combining dentistry + public health
shadowing hours: 210 hrs multiple general dentist and a pediatric dentist
letters of rec: 2 science (relatively strong), 1 non-science (very strong), dentist (strong), and one from the executive director of MSDA (strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Monday June 5th
professional goals: Open my own practice as well as a free dental clinic
State of residence: GA

 

[Arthur Jeffries]

age: 22 almost 23
overall gpa: undergrad 3.2, masters 3.6 (smp)
science gpa: undergrad 3.0, masters 3.6 (smp)
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.0
undergrad attended: Penn State
DAT score: AA 20, TS 18 (16 bio, 17ochem, 23 gchem), 18 PAT, 21 RC, 22 QR
(retaking DAT mid july after submitting)
extracirriculars
-2 years exec board for my fraternity
-1 year on judicial board for greek life
-3.5 years as a THON chain (philanthropy for pediatric cancer) raised over 400K with my organization
-1 year Mentor for mentally handicapped college aged kids
-dental research intern abroad working on pancreatic cancer cell lines
-5 years of retail work experience
- internship at cleveland clinic in clinical engineering
-currently finishing research that will be published
-community service
shadowing hours: general dentist (20 hours), another general dentist (60 hours)
letters of rec: general dentist (strong), committee letter (2 graduate professors both very strong with my research mentor included very strong as well)
submitting AADSAS application: july 3rd
professional goals: specialize (not sure what) and own my own practice
state of residence: OH
misc info you think is important:
was in a major car accident going to my first DAT and still took it
reapplicant (applied extremely late last cycle)
very strong upward trend in undergrad gpa (freshman year gpa of 2.8, senior year gpa of 3.75)


school list as of now
OSU
Case
Temple
Rutgers (masters here and still living here)
Midwestern IL
UNLV
VCU
Touro
Tufts
UMD

 

[samstar1]

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure I'm posting in the right place but I really need your advise. Although I haven't taken the DAT yet (I'm studying your notes right now !!!- thanks guys BTW), my current stats are as follows:

Age: 22
o/gpa: 3.35
s/gpa: 3.26
BCP: 3.1
Pre/Dental
(all school stats - not Aadsas)
School: MSU in MI
Retook Gen chem (1st sem 1.5 gpa then 3.5 after retake)
Retook Math (1st sem 1.5 gpa then 3.5 after retake)
Transcripts will show improvement through the years
BTW, MSU doesn't have +/- so if a 4.0 is 93% and you get a 92%, then you get a 3.5GPA - not a 3.9. I suppose it works both ways for better or for worse but I don't know how Aadsas figures it out because according to the link you put up on the first post, their method of working out the standardized GPA seems to be standard method of calculating GPAs and there's no way to take into account how MSU calculates its GPAs ?

I've finished 4 years BUT I have an internship to take for 4 credits which means that I'll be in school for part of the 5th year. Currently I'm planning to carry out further community service and volunteer work as well as my internship during this year (as well as retake the DAT if need be).

Have tons of dental shadowing and volunteer experience, community service ( eg habitat for humanity, etc) plus school society memberships, etc.

I know I have to ace the DAT (22+). However, my biggest worry is my GPA. I assume I need to improve this but how do I improve it?
Do I apply now for an SMP/Post Bacc for next year (Sept 2018)? Are these even helpful and which is preferable - an SMP or a Post-bacc (not sure what the difference is other than one confers a degree and the other confers a certificate)?

Or do I take upper level Science courses this academic year (whilst doing my internship) instead of the volunteer work I was going to do? I could enroll at a local school such as Wayne State or OU and do some upper level courses but even if I do, say, 24 credits, how much of a difference will this really make to my GPA given that I've completed 120 credits so far?

 

[strawberrybubblegum]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.38
science gpa: 3.27
undergrad attended: Universtiy of Alberta (Canada)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20 AA, 20 TS, 20 PAT, 21 Bio, 18 GC, 23 OC, 23 RC, 16 QR
EC's:
- Traveled to South America to do volunteer work in a small village (building greenhouses) for 2 weeks
- Make-A-Wish Volunteer for 3+ years
- Volunteer with local youth soccer group for 3+ years
- Volunteer at local religious centre for 3+ years
- Shadowed at two different dental practices (approx. 150 hours combined)
- Attended CE courses w/ my friend/mentor that I shadowed in GP
- Play on a recreational softball league
shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 150 hours between two general dentists
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): Psych prof (strong), Chem prof (average), Bio prof (average), Dentist I shadowed (strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Before June 9th
professional goals: GP
state of residence: Canadian
misc info you think is important: I really think that my personal statement is very strong. My GPA has had a strong upward trend (1st year had a 2.8, last semester had a 3.9). I got a C- in my first year chem class as well as my first year physics class (was struggling with a death in the family). I thought about retaking but the schools I was looking at their requirements and it said that I could just take upper level courses and I would be fine. Also, this will be my second time applying.

Right now my school list is:
BU, NYU, UDM, BUFF, CASE, TEMP, VCU, USC, UoP

 

[deleted735879]

Age: 21
Overall gpa: 3.74
Science gpa: 3.69
Bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.81
Undergrad attended: Small Private Religious University
DAT score: 22AA 21TS 21PAT 19BIO 23GCHEM 26OCHEM 22RC 21QR
Extracurriculars: 500 hours of research + 1 publication, 3 medical missions trips (I lead one of them), TA for 3 semesters in Gchem and Ochem 1 & 2, vice president of pre-dent club, I have worked every summer and winter break at Walmart.
Shadowing hours: 120hours three different general dentists, although one did practice some ortho.
letters of rec: Strong/Medium committee letter - my biochemistry prof/research PI is writing the letter.
When you plan on submitting AADSAS application: The 9th of this month.
Professional goals: More than likely General Dentistry, but OMFS does seem interesting.
State of residence: California
Misc: I applied super late last cycle, November 10th . . . I was still able to interview and was waitlisted at UoP.

These are the schools currently on my list. UCLA, UCSF, UoP, Maryland, Michigan, Marquette, HSDM, University of Louisville, Roseman, Case Western, Detroit Mercy, and maybe Colorado?

Any input/words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[throwaway102024]

Hello! application cycle is beginning soon. @FeralisExtremum and I are D1s at columbia college of dental medicine. We are both experts at this stuff because we have collectively answered these questions many times on SDN. If you would like us to chance you/tell you where to apply, we am more than happy to help you! Just fill out the form below and we will give you my advice. We are in finals ssn so it may take some time to respond (we will respond in an adequate amount of time though)

*****READ -- YOU NEED TO HAVE TAKEN DAT OR ELSE WE CANNOT CHANCE YOU*******

to calculate GPA, use this link to tell you what classes fall under what category http://hpplc.indiana.edu/documents/AADSASCourseSubjects2015_071414.pdf

here is how you calculate GPA (download the PDF, its from aadsas):
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwidgLeb9N7TAhUCRCYKHbj4A00QFggiMAA&url=http://www.adea.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=24512&usg=AFQjCNF4aw1Jc4wH76maZCox3XlMyB-lYQ&cad=rja

age- 21
overall gpa- 3.91
science gpa- 3.98
bio-chem-physics gpa- 3.97
undergrad attended- Alabama, accounting major, bio minor
DAT score- AA 22, TS 22, PAT 19, Math 19, GenChem 19, Organic 24, RC 30
extracirriculars- Mentoring program for underprivileged elementary students, several honor societies, fraternity
shadowing hours- 2 General Dentists over 200 hours, 2 Specialities over 40 hours
letters of rec- One strong letter from general dentist, one committee letter.. probably strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application- June
professional goals- General maybe specialist.. don't know yet
state of residence- Alabama
misc info you think is important: I have an MIP from freshman year, and an arrest for trespassing and resisting arrest sophomore year. I participated in a diversion program and the arrest/charges were expunged. I plan on being completely honest in my application. I was walking back to a bar to retrieve my debit card and accidentally walked through a construction site. I honestly thought I was clear of it.. anyway, cops were waiting on the other side. I panicked when they said "under arrest" and took off running. I stopped on my own a few yards way, but they still charged me with resisting. What are my chances?

 

[throwaway102024]

Thank you for doing this..
age- 21
overall gpa- 3.91
science gpa- 3.98
bio-chem-physics gpa- 3.97
undergrad attended- Alabama, accounting major, bio minor
DAT score- AA 22, TS 22, PAT 19, Math 19, GenChem 19, Organic 24, RC 30
extracirriculars- Mentoring program for underprivileged elementary students, several honor societies, fraternity
shadowing hours- 2 General Dentists over 200 hours, 2 Specialities over 40 hours
letters of rec- One strong letter from general dentist, one committee letter.. probably strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application- June
professional goals- General maybe specialist.. don't know yet
state of residence- Alabama
misc info you think is important: I have an MIP from freshman year, and an arrest for trespassing and resisting arrest sophomore year. I participated in a diversion program and the arrest/charges were expunged. I plan on being completely honest in my application. I was walking back to a bar to retrieve my debit card and accidentally walked through a construction site. I honestly thought I was clear of it.. anyway, cops were waiting on the other side. I panicked when they said "under arrest" and took off running. I stopped on my own a few yards way, but they still charged me with resisting. What are my chances?

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.91
science gpa: 3.89
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.86
undergrad attended (if you are comfortable sharing): University of Central Florida (UCF)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 21 AA | 22 TS | 23 PAT | 18 QR | 22 RC | 23 Bio | 21 GC | 23 OC

extracirriculars: neuroscience club during senior year, honors college, service learning at an underprivileged school during fall semester of freshmen year, volunteered at the local food bank for 18 hours but only in the last 6 months (will still continue volunteering even after AADSAS submission)

shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 127 hours with general dentist spread across 2 years

letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 4 total: 1 science (moderate), 1 calculus ([technically a science]; moderately strong), 1 dentist (very strong), 1 english (very strong; research mentor)

when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: starting 6/1 but cannot fully submit until late June due to LORs

professional goals: general dentistry but possibly ortho or OS
state of residence: FL
other important information: I have researched published in UCF's archives in the historical field; first time applicant; I've worked at Disney for the past 3 years so my customer service is top notch, which will definitely improve patient care.
Schools on my list as of now:

• University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
• Lake Erie College of Medicine (Bradenton, FL)
• NOVA Southeastern University (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
• University of Colorado (Aurora, CO)
• University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
• University of California (Los Angeles, CA)
• University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC)
• University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
• New York University (New York, NY)

if you want to do ortho or os,you should def apply to all 3 ivies and uconn and stonybrook on top of your school list. strong app though

 

[tyjacobs]

age 23
overall gpa: 3.6
science gpa: 3.45
b-c-p gpa: 3.35
Montclair State University
DAT: 18 AA 17 Bio 19 Chem 19 Orgo 17 QR 17 RC 18 PAT
EC: Manager at an Ice Cream Parlor
Own a landscaping company
Interned at a Cancer medical lab
Part of SAL (Honors and leadership organization at my school) in which we do volunteer work
Project coordinator at Jersey Cares Volunteering (in charge of setting up volunteer projects and training other volunteers)
Total volunteer hours = 400+hrs
Shadowing: 200+ hrs, shadowed 4 dentists at 3 different offices
LOR: 4 total: 1 from biochemistry professor, 1 from evolutionary biology professor, 1 from physics professor, and 1 from the dentist i shadowed primarily. Letters are regular to strong. I got an A in every class from my letters expect in biochemistry (B)
Applying in July (definitely before august)
Goals: To own a general/cosmetic dentistry office
Misc: I speak Italian as well as english.
I have an associates and bachelors degree in biology
Applying to a lot of schools (15-20), obviously not picky
GPA has steadily climbed from freshman to senior year

if i were you i'd look to re-take the DAT before applying. your bcp gpa is low and your DAT is 2 points AA wise from the national average aceptance score. Would aim for 21 AA+ then re-apply

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 22
overall gpa: 3.34
science gpa: 3.22
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.16
undergrad attended: Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
DAT score: AA - 21
PAT: 19
QR: 19
RC: 23
Bio: 18
GC: 21
OC: 22
TS: 20
extracurriculars:
1 year of research, received an undergraduate research award, presented the research at 2 different poster sessions over the span of 2 years
I was in a sorority, but I had valuable experiences from this such as holding a leadership position where during my sophomore year I served as a mentor to the new members and helped plan events for them. Additionally, I participated in community service events.
~180 volunteer hours (150 at an adult health center/day care, 10 from Oxford Community Choice Pantry, 12 from fundraising events for Prevent Child Abuse America, 10 working one-on-one with Girl Scouts in confidence and leadership workshops)
shadowing hours:
32 hours shadowing a general dentist
18 hours shadowing an orthodontist
20 hours shadowing an endodontist
I worked as a dental assistant for a pediatric dentist (~180 hours)
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 3
One from the pediatric dentist that I worked for, strong
One from my anatomy professor, average-strong
One from my research professor who I also took classes with, strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: ASAP, hopefully during the first or second week of June
professional goals: I am interested in ortho, however, I also like general dentistry and am keeping my mind open to any other specialties I may end up thinking I may like once I am in dental school
state of residence: Ohio
misc info you think is important: I realize that my GPA is low, I did very poorly during freshman year, but I have an upward trend since then. I just graduated, so I'm taking a gap year and during the gap year I am working as a sterilization technician for an orthodontist, and I am possibly going to complete a one year masters in biomedical science. Even though I may be doing the masters, I still want to apply this cycle, because if I don't get in (which I realize may be the case given my GPA -- although I hope my DAT somewhat makes up for it) then I will be able to apply next cycle with a completed masters, and if I do get in, the masters might help prepare me for my first year/i'll just have a masters.
Also I took stats over the summer at community college, will this matter?

if you're looking to apply this summe rthen apply broadly to 16-20 schools (mostly private). but your gpa is low and your DAT doesn't really make up for that. unless you have the money to risk it, i'd advise just not applying and focus on improving your gpa through masters

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 22, but 23 this August
overall gpa: 3.619
science gpa: 3.43
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.5
undergrad attended: Ramapo College of New Jersey
DAT score: AA-21; SNS-21; Bio-22; GC-19; OC-22; PAT-24; RC-23; QR-18
extracirriculars: Clubs: Member of Phi Delta Epsilon (PreMed/Health frat - I was on the Membership and PR Chairs), Alpha Phi Omega (community service frat, I was on the Fundraising Chair), Sigma Xi (research honors society), Beta Beta Beta (biology honors society). The first two I was a member for 3 years each. The last two I was a member for about a year before graduating. I was a member of the executive board of the Professional Fraternity Council, serving as VP of Internal Affairs one year and Secretary another. Member of the biology and pre-health clubs. Tutor for Biology and Genetics for 3 and 1 year(s) respectively. Member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Sports: I was on my college's rock climbing team for the entire 4 years I attended undergrad. I was a member of the archery club in college for 1 year.
Volunteer: Worked as Business Director for Ramathon, an annual event that raised money and awareness for the Children's Miracle Network as well as the hospital in the local area. I have logged probably around 200 or 300 volunteer hours with my community service frat. Things like cleaning trash out of parks with MEVO, raising money for charities, visiting hospitals, etc.
Research - Researched with my letter writer for 2.5 years, receiving distinction during my last semester when the annual symposium is held.
Programs - Attended the Rutger's Gateway to Dentistry Program in the summer of 2015. We received lectures on different aspects/specialties in dentistry, met some dental students, and even had the opportunity to perform dental procedures on props and figures (ie. doing fillings with a block of material similar to dentin/enamel, doing a root canal on a plastic tooth, trimming an impression, etc.)
Misc. - I have a minor in creative writing. In 2014, I won the Student Writing Award for my paper "Humanity Instilled Through the Humanities" which discussed the importance of gearing healthcare education to insure professionals with a sense of empathy and bedside patient care are being put through school. I write poetry and fiction/novellas and have had my work submitted in the college's annual magazine. I played frequently at the biweekly Open Mic Night, playing piano, guitar, and vocals by myself and with makeshift bands (ie, people who were short an instrument).
shadowing hours: 1 Gen dentist for about 40 hours; 1 Gen dentist for 30; 3 perios for about 3 each; 1 oral surgeon for 5 hours.
letters of rec: I have 4 letters: 1 from a literature teacher who is familiar with my family; 1 from a science professor who was my research program mentor, academic advisor, etc.; 1 from the general dentist I have recently shadowed; 1 from a science professor who I took a class with and was my supervisor when I tutored Genetics.
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: End of June or Mid-July - this is accounting for the time it'll take for the AADSAS to process/verify information.
professional goals I plan on going for general dentistry as I like the variety in the work. Depending on what happens in dental school, I might specialize, in which case oral surgery seems the most interesting to me out of them all. If possible, I would want to dabble in some research as well since I really enjoyed my time in the research honors program in college.
state of residence - Florida
misc info you think is important: I applied for dental school during the 2016 cycle. I obviously did not get in. I had about 56 shadowing hours, had a DAT score of AA-19; SNS-19; Bio-17; GC-19; OC-21; PAT-23; RC-20; QR-18, and I submitted my application in late October/early November. I only had one interview at NYU, and was waitlisted until I eventually got rejected. I spent the past year focusing on my shortcomings by getting more shadowing hours, improving my DAT score, and submitting my application early.

During my fall semester of junior year, I had some family issues that caused me to shift a lot of time and energy towards that. As a result, I dropped my biochemistry course and got a C in ecology. The next semester, I retook the biochemistry course and received an A-. Ecology was the only C I received in college. I started college with a ~3.5 GPA per semester. After my little fiasco junior year, my final 3 semesters was a 3.9, 3.9, and 3.7 consecutively.

Thanks!!

you want to bump up the amount of hours you shadowed a general dentist to 100+. 40 hours of shadowing a general dentist is considered low to many school sand will hurt you rapp. Stats wise, your app definitely improved. Would get shadowing hours up last second then apply broadly to like 16-20 schools (mostly private + in state)

 

[tyjacobs]

Hello! I just stumbled upon this thread and would love to get an opinion on my chances! Thanks so much!


Age: 27 in a couple months
overall 3.38
science: 3.63
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.71
undergrad attended: University of Tulsa; have taken several prereqs at CC.
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20AA 20Bio 20GC 18OC 21RC 22PAT 20QR
EC: I owned a small personal training business for roughly 3.5 years before focusing all of my attention on prereqs earlier this year. Along with that, I am a black belt martial artist and have a wife that I spend a good amount of time with. Throughout high school and college, I did a lot of volunteering at schools, with community programs, and with church.
shadowing hours: ~100 hours with my dentist of 20 years. I’ve also done a lot of shadowing with other medical professionals from orthopedists to PAs: 250+ hours.
letters of rec: 2 from professors – 1 for several chemistry classes and the other for both A & P. Another letter from the dentist I shadowed.
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: I’m shooting for the end of June to mid-July at the latest.
professional goals: It’d be great to have my own practice, but other than that, nothing super specific. I think I’ll let what I find interesting in school guide me.
state of residence: Oklahoma
misc info you think is important: I’ve had a steep upward trend in grades with a GPA of 3.8 for the most recent 50 hours. As mentioned above, I’ve shadowed many medical professionals, which I think helps make me a little more well-rounded in that I have a pretty thorough knowledge of other areas but am still interested in dentistry. Also, in terms of schools, I think OU would be my top due to it being in-state. Not sure how I would match up with other schools though.


Thank you again!

apply to in state schools and some privates on top (make sure all schools you apply to accept prereq cc credits). apply to like 12 schools (add some OOS schools because i like your gpa but def mostly private schools). good app though you should get in somewhere

 

[tyjacobs]

age 29
overall gpa: 3.75
science gpa: 4.0
bio-chem-physics gpa: 4.0
undergrad attended: BS in Marketing from a well respected state university in the Southeast and post-grad for sciences. My sciences are from the same schools as my BS (1 bio, 2 orgo, 2 anatomy and physiology) and a very good Community College (physics, gen chem and 2 bio's)
DAT score:
PAT: 21
QR: 20
RC: 25
Bio: 21
GC: 19
OC: 22
TS: 21
AA: 21
extracirriculars:
Non traditional student. I received a BS in business in 2010. I had some EC's when I was undergrad but had to go back to get my sciences and had to eat so I worked the last 18 months while I went to school - so other than work, shadowing and volunteering, no EC's since undergrad. I had a high paying job in a related field and got exposed to dentistry and really liked it. I am very artistic but also enjoy the science aspects.

shadowing hours: 100+ - general, oral surgery and ortho
letters of rec: 3 from top academic faculty - very strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: no later than 6/30
professional goals: I want to be a general dentist and eventually own my own practices. I think my business background will help me a lot. I prefer general dentistry because of the variety.
state of residence: SC
misc info you think is important: I did not take Micro or Bio-Chem so am not planning to apply to the schools that require them. I am definitely applying to MUSC and about 5 others that appear to take OOS with my stats. I am considering enrolling in Micro and/or Bio Chem in the Fall if that would help me apply to more schools but wonder if it would matter since I haven't actually taken them.

apply to 10 schools:
your in state
some OOS schools that lets you get in-state tuitiion after 1 year (i.e. uconn, maryland)
some private schools (safties) to round it out

very strong app you should have no problem getting in

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.63
science gpa: 3.43
bio-chew-physics gpa: 3.44
undergrad attended: University of Maryland
DAT score: AA=21 TS=22 BIO=22 CHEM=23 ORGO=23 PAT=20 QR=16 RC=19
extracurriculars:
-Interned at Maryland State Dental Association (MSDA), volunteered, helped organize and plan free dental clinics across the state. Applied for two grants 17k and 10k to fund these free clinics
-Teaching Assistant for Anatomy and Physiology II where I taught 24 students in a 3 hour lab
-Raised ~60k for bladder cancer over 4 yrs (2 yrs in hs + 2 yrs in college)
-Community service through sorority etc.
-Wrote my senior thesis on oral health disparities and am interested in combining dentistry + public health
shadowing hours: 210 hrs multiple general dentist and a pediatric dentist
letters of rec: 2 science (relatively strong), 1 non-science (very strong), dentist (strong), and one from the executive director of MSDA (strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Monday June 5th
professional goals: Open my own practice as well as a free dental clinic
State of residence: GA

apply broadly to private schools (like 16 schools) mostly and your in state and I think you should get in somewhere. You are like right on the average of normal accepted stats (slightly below avg sci/bcp gpa but slightly above average DAT)

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 22 almost 23
overall gpa: undergrad 3.2, masters 3.6 (smp)
science gpa: undergrad 3.0, masters 3.6 (smp)
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.0
undergrad attended: Penn State
DAT score: AA 20, TS 18 (16 bio, 17ochem, 23 gchem), 18 PAT, 21 RC, 22 QR
(retaking DAT mid july after submitting)
extracirriculars
-2 years exec board for my fraternity
-1 year on judicial board for greek life
-3.5 years as a THON chain (philanthropy for pediatric cancer) raised over 400K with my organization
-1 year Mentor for mentally handicapped college aged kids
-dental research intern abroad working on pancreatic cancer cell lines
-5 years of retail work experience
- internship at cleveland clinic in clinical engineering
-currently finishing research that will be published
-community service
shadowing hours: general dentist (20 hours), another general dentist (60 hours)
letters of rec: general dentist (strong), committee letter (2 graduate professors both very strong with my research mentor included very strong as well)
submitting AADSAS application: july 3rd
professional goals: specialize (not sure what) and own my own practice
state of residence: OH
misc info you think is important:
was in a major car accident going to my first DAT and still took it
reapplicant (applied extremely late last cycle)
very strong upward trend in undergrad gpa (freshman year gpa of 2.8, senior year gpa of 3.75)


school list as of now
OSU
Case
Temple
Rutgers (masters here and still living here)
Midwestern IL
UNLV
VCU
Touro
Tufts
UMD

I honestly would re-take DAT and aim for a 22+ because your gpa, although improved from a masters, still isn't where I would like to see it. If you get a higher AA i think you'll be much more competitive

 

[tyjacobs]

Thank you for doing this..
age- 21
overall gpa- 3.91
science gpa- 3.98
bio-chem-physics gpa- 3.97
undergrad attended- Alabama, accounting major, bio minor
DAT score- AA 22, TS 22, PAT 19, Math 19, GenChem 19, Organic 24, RC 30
extracirriculars- Mentoring program for underprivileged elementary students, several honor societies, fraternity
shadowing hours- 2 General Dentists over 200 hours, 2 Specialities over 40 hours
letters of rec- One strong letter from general dentist, one committee letter.. probably strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application- June
professional goals- General maybe specialist.. don't know yet
state of residence- Alabama
misc info you think is important: I have an MIP from freshman year, and an arrest for trespassing and resisting arrest sophomore year. I participated in a diversion program and the arrest/charges were expunged. I plan on being completely honest in my application. I was walking back to a bar to retrieve my debit card and accidentally walked through a construction site. I honestly thought I was clear of it.. anyway, cops were waiting on the other side. I panicked when they said "under arrest" and took off running. I stopped on my own a few yards way, but they still charged me with resisting. What are my chances?

before I put on the AADSAS application the entire arrest situation, I HIGHLY suggest you look and see if it appears on your record in any way shape or form (would ask a lawyer). Because charges have been expunged (removed from your record) you might not need to put it on AADSAS. Would check though with a lawyer or someone who would have the expertise in answering this question. Otherwise very good app I'd apply to like 12-14 schools -- ivies, in states, some OOs's and some privates

 

[tyjacobs]

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure I'm posting in the right place but I really need your advise. Although I haven't taken the DAT yet (I'm studying your notes right now !!!- thanks guys BTW), my current stats are as follows:

Age: 22
o/gpa: 3.35
s/gpa: 3.26
BCP: 3.1
Pre/Dental
(all school stats - not Aadsas)
School: MSU in MI
Retook Gen chem (1st sem 1.5 gpa then 3.5 after retake)
Retook Math (1st sem 1.5 gpa then 3.5 after retake)
Transcripts will show improvement through the years
BTW, MSU doesn't have +/- so if a 4.0 is 93% and you get a 92%, then you get a 3.5GPA - not a 3.9. I suppose it works both ways for better or for worse but I don't know how Aadsas figures it out because according to the link you put up on the first post, their method of working out the standardized GPA seems to be standard method of calculating GPAs and there's no way to take into account how MSU calculates its GPAs ?

I've finished 4 years BUT I have an internship to take for 4 credits which means that I'll be in school for part of the 5th year. Currently I'm planning to carry out further community service and volunteer work as well as my internship during this year (as well as retake the DAT if need be).

Have tons of dental shadowing and volunteer experience, community service ( eg habitat for humanity, etc) plus school society memberships, etc.

I know I have to ace the DAT (22+). However, my biggest worry is my GPA. I assume I need to improve this but how do I improve it?
Do I apply now for an SMP/Post Bacc for next year (Sept 2018)? Are these even helpful and which is preferable - an SMP or a Post-bacc (not sure what the difference is other than one confers a degree and the other confers a certificate)?

Or do I take upper level Science courses this academic year (whilst doing my internship) instead of the volunteer work I was going to do? I could enroll at a local school such as Wayne State or OU and do some upper level courses but even if I do, say, 24 credits, how much of a difference will this really make to my GPA given that I've completed 120 credits so far?

can't really comment on your situation until you have a DAT score in hand

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.38
science gpa: 3.27
undergrad attended: Universtiy of Alberta (Canada)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20 AA, 20 TS, 20 PAT, 21 Bio, 18 GC, 23 OC, 23 RC, 16 QR
EC's:
- Traveled to South America to do volunteer work in a small village (building greenhouses) for 2 weeks
- Make-A-Wish Volunteer for 3+ years
- Volunteer with local youth soccer group for 3+ years
- Volunteer at local religious centre for 3+ years
- Shadowed at two different dental practices (approx. 150 hours combined)
- Attended CE courses w/ my friend/mentor that I shadowed in GP
- Play on a recreational softball league
shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 150 hours between two general dentists
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): Psych prof (strong), Chem prof (average), Bio prof (average), Dentist I shadowed (strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Before June 9th
professional goals: GP
state of residence: Canadian
misc info you think is important: I really think that my personal statement is very strong. My GPA has had a strong upward trend (1st year had a 2.8, last semester had a 3.9). I got a C- in my first year chem class as well as my first year physics class (was struggling with a death in the family). I thought about retaking but the schools I was looking at their requirements and it said that I could just take upper level courses and I would be fine. Also, this will be my second time applying.

Right now my school list is:
BU, NYU, UDM, BUFF, CASE, TEMP, VCU, USC, UoP

your GPA is low (disadvantage) and you are canadian (disadvantage). would apply broadly, even consider retaking the DAT to improve your app before re-applying

 

[tyjacobs]

Age: 21
Overall gpa: 3.74
Science gpa: 3.69
Bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.81
Undergrad attended: Small Private Religious University
DAT score: 22AA 21TS 21PAT 19BIO 23GCHEM 26OCHEM 22RC 21QR
Extracurriculars: 500 hours of research + 1 publication, 3 medical missions trips (I lead one of them), TA for 3 semesters in Gchem and Ochem 1 & 2, vice president of pre-dent club, I have worked every summer and winter break at Walmart.
Shadowing hours: 120hours three different general dentists, although one did practice some ortho.
letters of rec: Strong/Medium committee letter - my biochemistry prof/research PI is writing the letter.
When you plan on submitting AADSAS application: The 9th of this month.
Professional goals: More than likely General Dentistry, but OMFS does seem interesting.
State of residence: California
Misc: I applied super late last cycle, November 10th . . . I was still able to interview and was waitlisted at UoP.

These are the schools currently on my list. UCLA, UCSF, UoP, Maryland, Michigan, Marquette, HSDM, University of Louisville, Roseman, Case Western, Detroit Mercy, and maybe Colorado?

Any input/words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!!!

yea you prob got screwed because you apply so late. school list is very good, add colorado just to be safe. shouldn't have a problem getting in

 

[wgodw1]

Thanks for doing this!

Age: 19, will turn 20 in September
overall gpa: 3.83
science gpa: 3.76
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.76 (all A's except for one C in Physics 2)
undergrad attended: East Carolina University
DAT score: 21 AA/ 22 PA/ 21 QR/ 23 RC/ 20 Bio/ 20 GenChem/ 19 Orgo/ 20 TS
extracirriculars: Honors College, Pre-Dental Honors Society, 80 hours of volunteer tutoring, 120 hours of food bank volunteering, year of research experience, worked all throughout college, NCMOM volunteer, ECU Research Week Committee Member
shadowing hours: 200 hours, mostly general and pedo with some ortho and surgery
letters of rec: 4 letters; good one from dentist, great one from vice chancellor of research that I work for, great one from genetics teacher, great one from Spanish teacher, good one from research professor, and a great committee letter
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: June 10
professional goals: After dental school go to a GPR and potentially join the military if I get the HPSP.
state of residence: North Carolina
misc info you think is important: Graduating a year early with a BS in Biochem. From a small town in NC.
Currently looking at ECU, UNC, VCU, and UMaryland

 

[Saint Richie]

you want to bump up the amount of hours you shadowed a general dentist to 100+. 40 hours of shadowing a general dentist is considered low to many school sand will hurt you rapp. Stats wise, your app definitely improved. Would get shadowing hours up last second then apply broadly to like 16-20 schools (mostly private + in state)

Oh, is it better to shadow one dentist for 100+ hours and its seen as a disadvantage to shadow multiple dentists? Right now, I have about 92 hours of shadowing, and by the time I apply, I expect to have about 110 hours. I figured seeing different dentists would broaden what I saw in terms of how different practices were run, etc.

 

[Arthur Jeffries]

.

 

[doeordie]

Age: 22
overall gpa: 3.83
science gpa: 3.70
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.65
undergrad attended: University of Florida
DAT score: 24 AA/ 19 PA/ 25 QR/ 25 RC/ 22 Bio/ 22 GenChem/ 24 Orgo/ 23 TS
extracirriculars: 100 hrs shadowing, 150 hours volunteering, worked with ESOL students, was on cycling team, TA'd for two professors for 2+ years (10 semesters) and TA'd for a bunch of other stuff, researched with professor and had 1 paper published
shadowing hours: 100 hours, all general dentist
letters of rec: 5 letters; good one from dentist, great one from professor, solid one from research mentor, great one from work supervisor, good one from professor
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Before July 1
professional goals: Idk
state of residence: Florida
misc info you think is important: Downward trend in GPA; had perfect 4.0 while taking science prereqs for the first 7 semesters in college; got a mix of As and B+'s taking upper level prereqs tho.

 

[Arthur Jeffries]

I honestly would re-take DAT and aim for a 22+ because your gpa, although improved from a masters, still isn't where I would like to see it. If you get a higher AA i think you'll be much more competitive

Thanks for the feedback. As for my school list are there any that you would add or drop? Also is there a ballpark range in the amount of schools that you suggest applying to?