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

[Teethier]

age: 22 by time of interviews
overall gpa: 3.4
science gpa: 3.35 upward trend
undergrad attended: University of Notre Dame
DAT score: 25 AA, 26 TS, 24 PA, 22 QR, 26 RC
extracurriculars: Intramural Sports, mentoring program, tutor
shadowing hours: ~200 hours general dentist, 15 hours various specialties
letters of rec: 1 general dentist (strong), ochem professor (strong), physio professor (strong), literature professor (strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 6/15 submitted
state of residence: California
Schools applied to: UCSF, UCLA, USC, UoPacific, Western, Midwestern AZ, LLU

Questions/concerns:
I hope to get into UCSF or UCLA and my GPA is what I feel will hold me back. It has a pretty steady upward trend after a 3.1 GPA freshman year. What are my chances at these schools (especially UCLA) where their average GPA is over 3.6 ?

Thank you for being so helpful.

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[GoldenDomer11]

Personal Goals: HPSP Candidate, Want to one day earn MAGD and FICOI and want to run my own practice, preferably in a suburban or urban area.

PA Resident

Schools: Temple, Pittsburgh, Maryland, not sure where else yet, any suggestions?

On a side note, do you think my 18 in RC is going to hold me back from acceptance?

Edit: I wasn't thinking and thought you said QR (QR is the least important section). RC is pretty important. But an 18 is not awful though, as long as your other DAT scores are competitive I think you'll still be fine.

 

[predent2151]

RC is typically considered the least important of any DAT section. I personally think it won't be a huge hindrance. I've heard of schools using 16-17 as a cutoff though.

This is not true. RC is definitely important. QR is definitely the least important. People get in with 14 QR but no one gets in with 14 RC


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[GoldenDomer11]

This is not true. RC is definitely important. QR is definitely the least important. People get in with 14 QR but no one gets in with 14 RC


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Oh wow. Yeah I am not a morning person.. I completely meant QR. RC is pretty important, if not the most important non-science section.

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 22 by time of interviews
overall gpa: 3.4
science gpa: 3.35 upward trend
undergrad attended: University of Notre Dame
DAT score: 25 AA, 26 TS, 24 PA, 22 QR, 26 RC
extracurriculars: Intramural Sports, mentoring program, tutor
shadowing hours: ~200 hours general dentist, 15 hours various specialties
letters of rec: 1 general dentist (strong), ochem professor (strong), physio professor (strong), literature professor (strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 6/15 submitted
state of residence: California
Schools applied to: UCSF, UCLA, USC, UoPacific, Western, Midwestern AZ, LLU

Questions/concerns:
I hope to get into UCSF or UCLA and my GPA is what I feel will hold me back. It has a pretty steady upward trend after a 3.1 GPA freshman year. What are my chances at these schools (especially UCLA) where their average GPA is over 3.6 ?

Thank you for being so helpful.

I think you are a very competitive applicant, mostly because of your DAT score and the undergrad you went to. However, I would definitely apply to some more schools than the ones you did just because your GPA is on the lower side. I suggest you apply to 3-4 more schools (preferably private schools as safties).

Its hard to determine your chance at UCLA because I'm not sure how much they value GPA vs. DAT. Obviously your GPA is below their average but your DAT is above their average.

I think you are very competitive for the other schools, however.

 

[averageasian]

Oh wow. Yeah I am not a morning person.. I completely meant QR. RC is pretty important, if not the most important non-science section.

RC definitely is important, can you read?

I still think QR says a lot about a person. Can you do simple math under intense time pressure? Thats barely a minute per question. I understand people can still get high 20s on AA and TS despite a low QR score but in the end, math is such an important skill for a variety of reasons. Im surprised dental schools put very little weight on this section.

 

[predent2151]

RC definitely is important, can you read?

I still think QR says a lot about a person. Can you do simple math under intense time pressure? Thats barely a minute per question. I understand people can still get high 20s on AA and TS despite a low QR score but in the end, math is such an important skill for a variety of reasons. Im surprised dental schools put very little weight on this section.

Because no dentist relies on trig functions, bell curves, or cares about the distance formula. If you know algebra your set. Calculus is by far the most useful mathematics I think they should use that on the DAT


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[WindKP]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.61
science gpa: 3.4 upward trend
undergrad attended: Private liberal arts
DAT score: 22 AA, 22 TS, 21 PA, 20 QR, 21 RC
extracurriculars: Tutor, equestrian team captain, president natural science club,
shadowing hours:2 years dental assistant - soon to be CDA.
letters of rec: Science Committee Letter, 1st general dentist letter (my boss for 2 years), 2nd general dentist (my personal dentist for 10+ years/Tufts Dental instructor)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 7/18 submitted (DAT take 7/14)
state of residence: NH
Schools applied to: UNE, Tufts, BU, UConn, Touro, VCU

I really really would like to stay in the Boston area. Between UNE, Tufts, and BU, do you think I have a good chance of getting into one of them? Also, are there any other oos friendly schools in the NY area (other than NYU)?

 

[Its_Me_G]

age: 22
overall gpa: 3.43 (upward trend)
science gpa: 3.39
undergrad attended: State school
DAT score: 22 AA, 23 GC, 21 BIO, 20 OC (21 TS), 22 PAT, 23 QR, 22 RC
extracurriculars: Students Helping Honduras, Relay For Life, Teaching Assistant, Pre-Dental club, Dance team, on-campus volunteering
shadowing hours: Shadowed general dentist and pediatric dentist for total of 120 hours; been a dental assistant for two months now for a general dentist (x-ray certified)
letters of rec: Pre-Health committee letter, strong letter from teacher I was a TA for, strong letter for dentist that I am currently assisting, and a letter from my ochem professor
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: submitted 6/10/17; verified 6/23
state of residence: VA
Schools applied to: VCU (#1 choice), ATSU, Western, UL, Temple, Case Western, Midwestern-AZ, UNE, LECOM, Touro, Howard, UMD, Detroit Mercy, Columbia, NYU, Pitt

Thanks!!

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.61
science gpa: 3.4 upward trend
undergrad attended: Private liberal arts
DAT score: 22 AA, 22 TS, 21 PA, 20 QR, 21 RC
extracurriculars: Tutor, equestrian team captain, president natural science club,
shadowing hours:2 years dental assistant - soon to be CDA.
letters of rec: Science Committee Letter, 1st general dentist letter (my boss for 2 years), 2nd general dentist (my personal dentist for 10+ years/Tufts Dental instructor)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 7/18 submitted (DAT take 7/14)
state of residence: NH
Schools applied to: UNE, Tufts, BU, UConn, Touro, VCU

I really really would like to stay in the Boston area. Between UNE, Tufts, and BU, do you think I have a good chance of getting into one of them? Also, are there any other oos friendly schools in the NY area (other than NYU)?

I think you have a good shot for interviews at those schools. Would apply to a few more to be safe: nyu, temple in Philly, maryland

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 22
overall gpa: 3.43 (upward trend)
science gpa: 3.39
undergrad attended: State school
DAT score: 22 AA, 23 GC, 21 BIO, 20 OC (21 TS), 22 PAT, 23 QR, 22 RC
extracurriculars: Students Helping Honduras, Relay For Life, Teaching Assistant, Pre-Dental club, Dance team, on-campus volunteering
shadowing hours: Shadowed general dentist and pediatric dentist for total of 120 hours; been a dental assistant for two months now for a general dentist (x-ray certified)
letters of rec: Pre-Health committee letter, strong letter from teacher I was a TA for, strong letter for dentist that I am currently assisting, and a letter from my ochem professor
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: submitted 6/10/17; verified 6/23
state of residence: VA
Schools applied to: VCU (#1 choice), ATSU, Western, UL, Temple, Case Western, Midwestern-AZ, UNE, LECOM, Touro, Howard, UMD, Detroit Mercy, Columbia, NYU, Pitt

Thanks!!

Good list of schools you applied to. You should definitely get some interviews. Good luck!

 

[tyjacobs]

psa:

I know some people feel uncomfortable doing this, but providing where you went to undergrad specifically helps out a lot. Turns out this is an important part of the app (up to a point of course).

For example if you get 3.35 sci gpa at Notre dame, it looks better than if you got 3.35 sci gpa at west Virginia university (no offense to people who went to wvu)

 

[caffeine jitters]

Age: 22 (will be 23 upon matriculation)
Overall GPA: 3.82 AADSAS verified
Science GPA: 3.8 AADSAS verified
Bio/Biochem/Chem/Physics GPA: 3.84 AADSAS verified
Undergrad Attended: Florida State University
DAT score: 22 AA / 24 TS / PAT 22 / BIO 28 / GC 21 / OC 23 / RC 21 / QR 18
Extracurriculars: ~100 hours volunteering, Pre-Dental Society general body member. Those were the only two I included on my application, my other extracurriculars are informal + irrelevant to dental school in my opinion.
Shadowing hours (who did you shadow): General dentist for ~200 hours + ~40 hours of voluntary assisting.
Letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 1. Biochem professor (hopefully strong), 2. A&P II professor (average to strong... foreign professor so it was sometimes hard to read him), 3. Genetics professor (very strong), 4. General Dentist (very strong).
When you plan on submitting AADSAS application: e-submitted on 6/9/2017. Transcripts verified 6/15/2017. DAT taken on 6/25/2017, scores submitted to AADSAS on 7/14/2017
Professional goals: HPSP for either the Air Force or Navy. I have considered specializing - but I feel it's way too soon for me to have concrete goals there. Also, depending on how I adjust to dental school, I have considered exposing myself to research (no research experience as an undergraduate, so I don't know if I would even be a serious candidate for research projects in the first place). Also considering a dual degree program (again, depending on how I adjust). It would be either research or the dual degree program, not both.
State of residence: Florida
Misc info you think is important: Applied to Tufts, Rutgers, UPenn, Michigan, UCSF, USC, Colorado, Maryland, Columbia, and NYU. Familial ties to Columbia and NYU, albeit non-dentistry related, so I don't think that will help me at all (but it would't hurt to have this family member put in a good word, would it?). I did not apply to any Florida schools because I want to get out of this state lol.

Reposting because I think I got skipped over

 

[wildshark16]

psa:

I know some people feel uncomfortable doing this, but providing where you went to undergrad specifically helps out a lot. Turns out this is an important part of the app (up to a point of course).

For example if you get 3.35 sci gpa at Notre dame, it looks better than if you got 3.35 sci gpa at west Virginia university (no offense to people who went to wvu)

I'm curious what an admissions board thinks is important on an applicants application and why. Here is what i believe, and I want your thoughts if this seems correct:

• Admissions wants to know IF the applicant has PROVEN they can handle a heavy science curriculum? [this shows them that you won't drop out of dental school because you can't handle heavy science curriculum in Dental school & uphold good reputation if school]

They look at GPA, DAT, undergrad you went to (as you mention Notre dame > wvu rigor), letter of rec from sci prof

• Admissions wants to know IF you are actually interested in dentistry/introduced to the dental field [this shows them that you won't drop out of dental school to change proffessions, wasting a spot in that class & uphold good rep]?

They look at PERSONAL statement, shadowing, letter of rec from dental, interview

• Admissions wants to know IF you fit the culture of school?

They look at Personal statement, extracurriculars, letter of rec, interview, background check, other app info (Residency, demographics, etc), well rounded applicant

Conclusion: I believe this is what admissions looks for, prioritizing "if applicant can make it thru sci curriculum" and "are you exposed to dental field". Let me know what you think and add more to each category or even add more categories.

 

[itsyaboi]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.5
science gpa: 3.4
undergrad attended: University of Maryland College Park
DAT score: 24 AA, 24 TS (24 BIO, 23 GC, 26 OC), 24 PAT, 21 QR, 25 RC
extracurriculars: 2 years tutoring, 2 years research (no publications), fairly small amount of volunteering (damn it lol what was I doing), president of a science-related school club ~2 years
shadowing hours: ~100 hrs spread across specialties and general
letters of rec: Committee letter from UMD health office, committee letter from undergrad program (teachers, basically), letter from general dentist I shadowed for ~4 months, letter from supervisor at paid research position ~1 year
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Planning to submit tomorrow or next day (7/19-20)
state of residence: MD
Schools applied to: Not completely sure where to apply to. I'm very much daunted by the outrageous price of most OOS/safety schools, but I'm concerned I won't get into my in-state school, Maryland, with my relatively meh GPA and lack of volunteering w/ underserved populations. I almost wonder if I should just turn down offers from other schools and wait another year to apply to Maryland again if I don't get in this round... It's literally half the price of other schools and close to home and my girlfriend.
What I've got so far though: Maryland (#1 choice by far), Pitt, Penn, VCU, Temple, UConn, New England, WVU.

 

[GoldenDomer11]

I'm curious what an admissions board thinks is important on an applicants application and why. Here is what i believe, and I want your thoughts if this seems correct:

• Admissions wants to know IF the applicant has PROVEN they can handle a heavy science curriculum? [this shows them that you won't drop out of dental school because you can't handle heavy science curriculum in Dental school & uphold good reputation if school]

They look at GPA, DAT, undergrad you went to (as you mention Notre dame > wvu rigor), letter of rec from sci prof

• Admissions wants to know IF you are actually interested in dentistry/introduced to the dental field [this shows them that you won't drop out of dental school to change proffessions, wasting a spot in that class & uphold good rep]?

They look at PERSONAL statement, shadowing, letter of rec from dental, interview

• Admissions wants to know IF you fit the culture of school?

They look at Personal statement, extracurriculars, letter of rec, interview, background check, other app info (Residency, demographics, etc), well rounded applicant

Conclusion: I believe this is what admissions looks for, prioritizing "if applicant can make it thru sci curriculum" and "are you exposed to dental field". Let me know what you think and add more to each category or even add more categories.

You have a very good grasp of the entire criteria, and have nailed to a tee what makes a strong applicant. However, I would say that every admissions committee is different, some place emphasis on factors that others may barely consider. I have a strong belief that my application was immediately thrown into the junk pile at many schools, especially state schools, because my science GPA (3.2) was too low. Other schools (e.g. Columbia) claim they look at the entire application as a whole, and place a lot of emphasis on the holistic individual. I had some really strong extracurriculars (e.g. research publication), so I think that's what got me in.

 

[ppaa]

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.61
science gpa: 3.53 with +/-
undergrad attended: Virginia Tech
DAT score: 22 AA, 21TS (20 BIO, 26 GC, 21 OC), 22 PAT, 23 QR, 21 RC
extracurriculars: founder of a club of community service/service abroad, semester tutoring, paid summer fellowship for research + 1 year of research (presentations), college of science dean's leadership council, trip abroad for 2 months to do community service and shadow different health professionals in Peru, predental club, sorority, used to do college mentors, biochem club and AED (pre health frat)
shadowing hours: ~105 hrs, 75 general, 30 pediatric
letters of rec: pre-health advisor, biochem professor who is also my advisor, ochem professor, dentist i shadowed for a semester
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: already submitted, took DAT July 17 so it still needs to get verified
state of residence: VA
Schools applied to: VCU, Maryland, Temple, Pitt, Louisville, Tufts, Marquette, Case Western, Howard
Planning to apply to Rutgers and Mercy
Need advice if I should apply to more schools and if so which ones do you recommend? I want to go to a school known for strong clinical and opportunities to help out with the less fortunate like MOM projects etc.

 

[Pirateslifeforme]

Very good GPA+Dat. should definitely get a good amount of interviews. Where are you applying to? just curious

I'm applying to: UNC, ECU, Louisville, Kentucky, VCU, WVU, Rutgers, Temple, Pitt, Tennessee, and Maryland. And thanks man.

 

[tyjacobs]

Reposting because I think I got skipped over

Great stats. You'll definitely get a good amount of interviews. List looks good.
Consider applying to harvard

 

[tyjacobs]

age: 23
overall gpa: 3.5
science gpa: 3.4
undergrad attended: University of Maryland College Park
DAT score: 24 AA, 24 TS (24 BIO, 23 GC, 26 OC), 24 PAT, 21 QR, 25 RC
extracurriculars: 2 years tutoring, 2 years research (no publications), fairly small amount of volunteering (damn it lol what was I doing), president of a science-related school club ~2 years
shadowing hours: ~100 hrs spread across specialties and general
letters of rec: Committee letter from UMD health office, committee letter from undergrad program (teachers, basically), letter from general dentist I shadowed for ~4 months, letter from supervisor at paid research position ~1 year
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Planning to submit tomorrow or next day (7/19-20)
state of residence: MD
Schools applied to: Not completely sure where to apply to. I'm very much daunted by the outrageous price of most OOS/safety schools, but I'm concerned I won't get into my in-state school, Maryland, with my relatively meh GPA and lack of volunteering w/ underserved populations. I almost wonder if I should just turn down offers from other schools and wait another year to apply to Maryland again if I don't get in this round... It's literally half the price of other schools and close to home and my girlfriend.
What I've got so far though: Maryland (#1 choice by far), Pitt, Penn, VCU, Temple, UConn, New England, WVU.

What are your professional goals?

I think you will definitely get an interview from maryland. If you don't hear from them, send a letter of intent.

If you don't get into maryland, but another school, and you turn that school down, it's a major taboo and will hurt you big time. So keep that in your mind

 

[tyjacobs]

I'm applying to: UNC, ECU, Louisville, Kentucky, VCU, WVU, Rutgers, Temple, Pitt, Tennessee, and Maryland. And thanks man.

Good list, wouldnt add any further ones. Good luck!

 

[Pirateslifeforme]

Good list, wouldnt add any further ones. Good luck!

Thank you sir

 

[Lostmoonofpoosh]

reposting too.
age: 23
overall gpa: 3.65
science gpa: 3.60
bcp: 3.54
undergrad attended: Public univ in Texas
DAT score: 24 AA, 24 TS, 22 PAT, 22 Bio, 24 GC, 29 OC, 22 RC, 21 QR
extracirriculars:
630+ community service hours
Research at UT Southwestern Medical School
Rape crisis hotline volunteer
President of non-prehealth club, Research at my university
Mentor for freshman in my major, volunteer at on-campus food bank, hospital volunteer
editor of student magazine, writer of the year and editor of the year on two diff years
shadowing hours (who did you shadow):101 and counting. 6 general dentists. last pair of dentists also do ortho, endo and surgery so I've seen quite a bit at this practice
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 3. Dentist, two chem professors
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: June 24th-ish
professional goals: specializing isn't super important to me
state of residence: Texas
misc info you think is important:
out of school since 2015. have not taken any courses since then. working full time in non-science jobs to stay afloat.
URM
undocumented since this year hence why I am only now applying. could not afford to apply as international student. .
I have already hit the three texas dental schools. What are some good choices for OOS?
OOS list is now: Meharry, Colorado, Penn, VCU, Columbia and maybe Pitt or Marquette. Also thinking of dropping columbia and only doing Penn

 

[tyjacobs]

uhh

reposting too.
age: 23
overall gpa: 3.65
science gpa: 3.60
bcp: 3.54
undergrad attended: Public univ in Texas
DAT score: 24 AA, 24 TS, 22 PAT, 22 Bio, 24 GC, 29 OC, 22 RC, 21 QR
extracirriculars:
630+ community service hours
Research at UT Southwestern Medical School
Rape crisis hotline volunteer
President of non-prehealth club, Research at my university
Mentor for freshman in my major, volunteer at on-campus food bank, hospital volunteer
editor of student magazine, writer of the year and editor of the year on two diff years
shadowing hours (who did you shadow):101 and counting. 6 general dentists. last pair of dentists also do ortho, endo and surgery so I've seen quite a bit at this practice
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 3. Dentist, two chem professors
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: June 24th-ish
professional goals: specializing isn't super important to me
state of residence: Texas
misc info you think is important:
out of school since 2015. have not taken any courses since then. working full time in non-science jobs to stay afloat.
URM
undocumented since this year hence why I am only now applying. could not afford to apply as international student. .
I have already hit the three texas dental schools. What are some good choices for OOS?
OOS list is now: Meharry, Colorado, Penn, VCU, Columbia and maybe Pitt or Marquette. Also thinking of dropping columbia and only doing Penn

texas schools are clearly your #1 choice. I think that you'll get interviews from those schools, and prob many of your OOS schools too. For the OOS schools, I think the list is pretty good. Why would you drop columbia and only do penn?

 

[teefersortoofers]

Do op's have a god complex?

 

[fit2]

Do op's have a god complex?

They know what they're doing more than a lot of other people. You get experience pretty fast with this stuff if you have an open mind...after 2-3 years...you're in a position to give predictions to people.
They can't predict future but their input is pretty useful. You don't have to follow it but I got some very good advice from them

 

[pf1996]

Mine was missed!

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.5
science gpa: 3.45
bio-chem-physics: 3.45
undergrad attended: Canadian Undergraduate
DAT score: 20 AA (19 Bio, 21 chem, 21 pat, 21 rc)
extracurriculars: vice prez of science faculty students association, president of predentistry club, president of scientific publication, coordinator for microbiology club, representative for biology students faculty, peer leader for biomedical studies, TA for bio courses, worked in lab, worked in mental health clinic, volunteers with mental health associations
shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 200 hours, general dentist. also completed 600 research hours in chemical research.
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 1 strong dentist, 1 strong prof, 1 strong employer (health-field)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: june 1st
professional goals: general dentistry, oral research
state of residence: Canadian citizen
misc info you think is important: minority, female. HUGE upward trend.

 

[ppaa]

Mines was skipped too!
age: 21
overall gpa: 3.61
science gpa: 3.53 with +/-
undergrad attended: Virginia Tech
DAT score: 22 AA, 21TS (20 BIO, 26 GC, 21 OC), 22 PAT, 23 QR, 21 RC
extracurriculars: founder of a club of community service/service abroad, semester tutoring, paid summer fellowship for research + 1 year of research (presentations), college of science dean's leadership council, trip abroad for 2 months to do community service and shadow different health professionals in Peru, predental club, sorority, used to do college mentors, biochem club and AED (pre health frat)
shadowing hours: ~105 hrs, 75 general, 30 pediatric
letters of rec: pre-health advisor, biochem professor who is also my advisor, ochem professor, dentist i shadowed for a semester
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: already submitted, took DAT July 17 so it still needs to get verified
state of residence: VA
Schools applied to: VCU, Maryland, Temple, Pitt, Louisville, Tufts, Marquette, Case Western, Howard
Planning to apply to Rutgers and Mercy
Need advice if I should apply to more schools and if so which ones do you recommend? I want to go to a school known for strong clinical and opportunities to help out with the less fortunate like MOM projects etc.

 

[baii]

age 27 this year
overall gpa 3.3
science gpa 3.5
bio-chem-physics gpa 3.5-3.6
undergrad attended St John's , Physics major
grad MS biomed engineering (advanced bio/chem course) ,grad in 2014
grad gpa 3.5
DAT score 23PAT 27QR 23RC 22Bio 25GCHEM 29OCHEM 24TS 25AA
extracurricular
volunteering 500+ hour tutoring kids and daycare center
50hour local Chinese community
bio material research in start up for 2 year (continue after thesis) no publication
shadowing hours (who did you shadow) on the way to 60-100, (in progress)
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 2 from MS thesis committee, 1 from research "employer?" (in progress)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application Took dat on the july 18th, so trying to get it done before grade in- Early August

state of residence NYC
Schools : ideally stay in city for wife and kid, Rutgers, stony, NYU, Touro?,Columbia?, tristate Boston buffalo
misc info you think is important:
I think I can consider myself to be sort of non-trad? since I grade for MS in 2014,
Going dental was kind of sudden decision (wife had this idea that dental suit me, a career I never thought of but turn out to be the one) so shadowing and lor are still in progress. I wasn't so sure if my score will even work at all in the beginning so I focused on dat and didnt do much on shadowing and lor.

BIG QUESTION: I have AP chem credit that sub for general chem in undergrad, but I did orgo in undergrad and some chem based grad engineering course , would that AP credit affect the preque requirement?
Thanks, advice on school and shadowing would be great.

 

[Lostmoonofpoosh]

uhh


texas schools are clearly your #1 choice. I think that you'll get interviews from those schools, and prob many of your OOS schools too. For the OOS schools, I think the list is pretty good. Why would you drop columbia and only do penn?

I consider both to be "reach" schools and I would rather apply elsewhere where I know I have a greater chance than do two ivies, if that makes sense

 

[Lostmoonofpoosh]

In my experience, I'd keep Columbia over Penn. Penn will like your well-rounded app though.

Why Columbia over Penn?

 

[weaselodeath]

Thanks for doing this!

age: 30
overall gpa: 3.67
science gpa: 3.8
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.6
undergrad attended University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University
Masters at University of Texas
DAT score AA: 24 TS: 23 PA: 21 QR: 22 RC: 25 Bio: 23 GC: 22 OC: 26
extracurriculars: Will have at least 50 by application time with a public defender's office and a soup kitchen
shadowing hours I will have 50 by the time I apply, with 4-5 GPs and 1 endodontist
letters of rec 1 strong from my Ochem prof who has been teaching for 30ish years and really goes the extra mile with his recommendations, 1 medium to strong from a dentist I shadowed, 1 weakish from my zoology prof
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: Hopefully September, but it might have to be October if I can't get in the hours I need
professional goals: I might stay a GP, might try for an endodontist specialty
state of residence: Oklahoma
misc info you think is important: Obviously my age is a thing. I spent ten years as a music student and professional opera singer before I decided to pivot my life. I still teach music at a large community college, which might be a strength. Having a fully formed life has made it VERY difficult for me to get in volunteer hours and shadowing, so I am getting most of it done this Summer. I have a lot of experiences I can draw from and talk about, but not many of them stem from things that are strictly relevant to dentistry or medicine. I do have good people skills from hundreds of hours performing and talking to donors! Can my strong DAT and goodish GPA save me from the weak parts of my application?

I am planning on applying to 8-10 of the following schools:
UNC, UCLA, BU, Harvard, University of New England, Minnesota, University of Colorado, Creighton, Rutgers, SUNY Buffalo, Baylor, Virginia Commonwealth, U of I Chicago.

I will be able to submit my app the 3rd week of August, not in September like I initially planned. The ones I'm most doubtful about are UCLA, U of I, and Baylor, because they don't tend to be very friendly of OOS applicants. Unfortunately University of Oklahoma isn't an option for me because I don't meet their requirements for shadowing hours. I feel like the strength of my application is that I'm well rounded, test well, and have a lot of weird stories. I think the weaknesses in it are my lack of volunteer hours (I'll have 60-70 by the time I submit and plan to keep volunteering weekly throughout the year, and lack of dental shadowing time (60 hours is possible, but I think I will end up with 50. This is what's holding me back from submitting today.)

Let me know your thoughts! I'm going as hard as I can on getting in this cycle, and would like to know where you think I would have the best chance!

 

[Ranger_Danger]

Age: 29
overall gpa: 3.60
science gpa: 3.75
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.75
undergrad attended: BA in Arabic from DePaul Univ; in the process of completing science prereqs at Ohio State
DAT score: 20 AA - 21 PAT - 19 TS- 18 Bio - 19 GC - 21 OC - 25 RC - 17 QR
Extracurriculars: Work full time at a hospital, Army reservist, volunteer on campus (~200 hours), Pre-Dent Club
shadowing hours: 110 (40 w/Army dentist, ~70 w/general dentists)
letters of rec: Gen Chem Professor, Ochem Professor, Dentist, Employer - all strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 7/17/2017
Professional goals: General Dentistry
state of residence: Ohio
misc info you think is important:
Spent roughly 5 years as an Army officer (active duty) in a non-healthcare related position, before leaving to pursue a career in dentistry.
Applied to OSU, Louisville, UK, CASE, Marquette. Considering NYU, Creighton and Midwestern IL?
I read on some old threads that VCU and UNLV were military/veteran friendly. Can anyone confirm that? Does anyone know of any others?

 

[denture base maker]

Age: 29
overall gpa: 3.60
science gpa: 3.75
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.75
undergrad attended: BA in Arabic from DePaul Univ; in the process of completing science prereqs at Ohio State
DAT score: 20 AA - 21 PAT - 19 TS- 18 Bio - 19 GC - 21 OC - 25 RC - 17 QR
Extracurriculars: Work full time at a hospital, Army reservist, volunteer on campus (~200 hours), Pre-Dent Club
shadowing hours: 110 (40 w/Army dentist, ~70 w/general dentists)
letters of rec: Gen Chem Professor, Ochem Professor, Dentist, Employer - all strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 7/17/2017
Professional goals: General Dentistry
state of residence: Ohio
misc info you think is important:
Spent roughly 5 years as an Army officer (active duty) in a non-healthcare related position, before leaving to pursue a career in dentistry.
Applied to OSU, Louisville, UK, CASE, Marquette. Considering NYU, Creighton and Midwestern IL?
I read on some old threads that VCU and UNLV were military/veteran friendly. Can anyone confirm that? Does anyone know of any others?

Hi:
I am an international student from OSU and member of the pre-dent club, too. Your GPA is fine, but you DAT is a little bit low. My advice is to apply widely. You should apply at least 10 dental schools. Definitely add NYU, BU, Midwestern(IL and AZ), and NOVA. LECOM is also a really good school if you are on a budget.

 

[denture base maker]

Mine was missed!

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.5
science gpa: 3.45
bio-chem-physics: 3.45
undergrad attended: Canadian Undergraduate
DAT score: 20 AA (19 Bio, 21 chem, 21 pat, 21 rc)
extracurriculars: vice prez of science faculty students association, president of predentistry club, president of scientific publication, coordinator for microbiology club, representative for biology students faculty, peer leader for biomedical studies, TA for bio courses, worked in lab, worked in mental health clinic, volunteers with mental health associations
shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 200 hours, general dentist. also completed 600 research hours in chemical research.
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 1 strong dentist, 1 strong prof, 1 strong employer (health-field)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: june 1st
professional goals: general dentistry, oral research
state of residence: Canadian citizen
misc info you think is important: minority, female. HUGE upward trend.

As an international student, your GPA and DAT is quite low. If you still have time, you can retake it. But your ECs are good. Which schools did you already apply? Did you apply NOVA, NYU and BU(international student friendly school)?

 

[denture base maker]

age 27 this year
overall gpa 3.3
science gpa 3.5
bio-chem-physics gpa 3.5-3.6
undergrad attended St John's , Physics major
grad MS biomed engineering (advanced bio/chem course) ,grad in 2014
grad gpa 3.5
DAT score 23PAT 27QR 23RC 22Bio 25GCHEM 29OCHEM 24TS 25AA
extracurricular
volunteering 500+ hour tutoring kids and daycare center
50hour local Chinese community
bio material research in start up for 2 year (continue after thesis) no publication
shadowing hours (who did you shadow) on the way to 60-100, (in progress)
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 2 from MS thesis committee, 1 from research "employer?" (in progress)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application Took dat on the july 18th, so trying to get it done before grade in- Early August

state of residence NYC
Schools : ideally stay in city for wife and kid, Rutgers, stony, NYU, Touro?,Columbia?, tristate Boston buffalo
misc info you think is important:
I think I can consider myself to be sort of non-trad? since I grade for MS in 2014,
Going dental was kind of sudden decision (wife had this idea that dental suit me, a career I never thought of but turn out to be the one) so shadowing and lor are still in progress. I wasn't so sure if my score will even work at all in the beginning so I focused on dat and didnt do much on shadowing and lor.

BIG QUESTION: I have AP chem credit that sub for general chem in undergrad, but I did orgo in undergrad and some chem based grad engineering course , would that AP credit affect the preque requirement?
Thanks, advice on school and shadowing would be great.

You can look at the summary of the ental school's requirement from doc toothache

 

[denture base maker]

Mines was skipped too!
age: 21
overall gpa: 3.61
science gpa: 3.53 with +/-
undergrad attended: Virginia Tech
DAT score: 22 AA, 21TS (20 BIO, 26 GC, 21 OC), 22 PAT, 23 QR, 21 RC
extracurriculars: founder of a club of community service/service abroad, semester tutoring, paid summer fellowship for research + 1 year of research (presentations), college of science dean's leadership council, trip abroad for 2 months to do community service and shadow different health professionals in Peru, predental club, sorority, used to do college mentors, biochem club and AED (pre health frat)
shadowing hours: ~105 hrs, 75 general, 30 pediatric
letters of rec: pre-health advisor, biochem professor who is also my advisor, ochem professor, dentist i shadowed for a semester
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: already submitted, took DAT July 17 so it still needs to get verified
state of residence: VA
Schools applied to: VCU, Maryland, Temple, Pitt, Louisville, Tufts, Marquette, Case Western, Howard
Planning to apply to Rutgers and Mercy
Need advice if I should apply to more schools and if so which ones do you recommend? I want to go to a school known for strong clinical and opportunities to help out with the less fortunate like MOM projects etc.

Your GPA is around average level. If I were you, I would add more schools. NOVA and Midwestern-AZ have good clinical programs. You can add them. If you plan to apply for Mercy, mail your supplement fee and 2x2 photo to Mercy as soon as you finish the AADSAS application, or right before you finish it. It took one week to deliver the mail.

 

[itsyaboi]

What are your professional goals?

I think you will definitely get an interview from maryland. If you don't hear from them, send a letter of intent.

If you don't get into maryland, but another school, and you turn that school down, it's a major taboo and will hurt you big time. So keep that in your mind

I do think I would like to specialize, but I'm not really sure of my professional goals beyond that. Does going to certain schools adversely affect your ability to match into specialties? I honestly can't justify the price of the top tier schools though, even on a specialist's salary, especially if I can specialize after attending a more reasonably priced school.

And it's interesting that they expect you to basically go wherever you get in. I suppose the idea is that you shouldn't apply there if you don't fully intend to go? That's why my list of schools keeps getting whittled down, but I'm also a little worried about only applying to 6-7 schools, half of the average.

 

[ppaa]

Your GPA is around average level. If I were you, I would add more schools. NOVA and Midwestern-AZ have good clinical programs. You can add them. If you plan to apply for Mercy, mail your supplement fee and 2x2 photo to Mercy as soon as you finish the AADSAS application, or right before you finish it. It took one week to deliver the mail.

Any other schools you would recommend other than those?

 

[pf1996]

As an international student, your GPA and DAT is quite low. If you still have time, you can retake it. But your ECs are good. Which schools did you already apply? Did you apply NOVA, NYU and BU(international student friendly school)?

But if I apply private, would it matter that I'm international?

 

[fit2]

But if I apply private, would it matter that I'm international?

Depends on the school. Some schools like Boston and nyu penn maybe Columbia it doesn't really matter so you gotta fit in and have the stats. Other private schools they take a certain percentage on instate so it's harder for OOS and internationals

 

[denture base maker]

Any other schools you would recommend other than those?

Creighton and Loma Linda(if you have religion)

 

[Mr. Captain]

age: 21
ogpa: 3.36
sgpa: 3.2
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.2
undergrad attended: SIUe
DAT score: 21PAT 18QR 17RC 22Bio 21GC 23OC 20AA 22TS
ECs:
-25hrs volunteering at local dental clinic
-3yrs in Pre-dental Association
-2yrs in the National society of leadership and success (elected president for 2017-2018 term)
-1yr of being a biology tutor
-1yr of being a research assistant
-1yr of being a undergraduate research associate (You create and propose a research project to the university and, if accepted, they fund your research that you then present at Illinois’ annual science meeting)
shadowing hours: ~100hrs shadowing gp dentists and an orthodontist (7hrs/100)
letters of rec: 3; one from research mentor, one from the universities research coordinator, and one from a biology professor/supervisor for my job as a tutor. 2 are very strong and the other slightly less strong.
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 7/27/17
professional goals: General Dentistry
state of residence: IL
misc info: Had a 3.65 until a very bad semester fall of junior year and received a C and D, both in science courses :/ but finished my science heavy spring semester with all As and a B in physics

 

[Brazilfan]

age: 21 (asian indian)
overall gpa: 3.76
science gpa: 3.73
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.61
undergrad attended (if you are comfortable sharing): University of Texas at Dallas (Business major)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 20AA 18TS 19Bio 18CG 18OC 19PAT 21RT 22QR
extracurriculars: Dental Business internship (160 hours), volunteering 50ish hours, academic scholarship awarded
shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 250 general dentist, 80 oral surgeon
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 4 (1 science prof- medium strong, another science professor medium, 1 dentist very strong, 1 employer very strong)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: E-submitted mid/end of June (waiting one on science LOR---coming in mid/end Aug)
professional goals: general dentist
state of residence: Texas
misc info you think is important: Truly believe I have a great PS (4 dentists review it and all said it was very strong), science DAT is low, and late LOR is holding my application back
Schools applied: 3 TX schools, Tufts, BU, Touro, NYU, Tenn, Meharry, Western, Case Western, Loma Linda, Marquette, Creighton, Louisville, Roseman, LECOM, and Temple

Bolded are things I am worried about. Please give estimated # of interviews and which schools I am most likely to receive interviews.

 

[tyjacobs]

Mine was missed!

age: 21
overall gpa: 3.5
science gpa: 3.45
bio-chem-physics: 3.45
undergrad attended: Canadian Undergraduate
DAT score: 20 AA (19 Bio, 21 chem, 21 pat, 21 rc)
extracurriculars: vice prez of science faculty students association, president of predentistry club, president of scientific publication, coordinator for microbiology club, representative for biology students faculty, peer leader for biomedical studies, TA for bio courses, worked in lab, worked in mental health clinic, volunteers with mental health associations
shadowing hours (who did you shadow): 200 hours, general dentist. also completed 600 research hours in chemical research.
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who): 1 strong dentist, 1 strong prof, 1 strong employer (health-field)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: june 1st
professional goals: general dentistry, oral research
state of residence: Canadian citizen
misc info you think is important: minority, female. HUGE upward trend.

Not really good at knowing chances for canadian applicant. Obviously not being an american citizen hurts you. 3.45 sci gpa and 20 AA is definitely low for an international applicant in my opinion. However, you are minority which should help you greatly. If i were you i'd apply broadly to be safe

 

[tyjacobs]

Mines was skipped too!
age: 21
overall gpa: 3.61
science gpa: 3.53 with +/-
undergrad attended: Virginia Tech
DAT score: 22 AA, 21TS (20 BIO, 26 GC, 21 OC), 22 PAT, 23 QR, 21 RC
extracurriculars: founder of a club of community service/service abroad, semester tutoring, paid summer fellowship for research + 1 year of research (presentations), college of science dean's leadership council, trip abroad for 2 months to do community service and shadow different health professionals in Peru, predental club, sorority, used to do college mentors, biochem club and AED (pre health frat)
shadowing hours: ~105 hrs, 75 general, 30 pediatric
letters of rec: pre-health advisor, biochem professor who is also my advisor, ochem professor, dentist i shadowed for a semester
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: already submitted, took DAT July 17 so it still needs to get verified
state of residence: VA
Schools applied to: VCU, Maryland, Temple, Pitt, Louisville, Tufts, Marquette, Case Western, Howard
Planning to apply to Rutgers and Mercy
Need advice if I should apply to more schools and if so which ones do you recommend? I want to go to a school known for strong clinical and opportunities to help out with the less fortunate like MOM projects etc.

stats look really good you should definitely get a good amount of interviews

apply to mwu-az they focus on creating dentists to serve underserved populations.

apply to rutgers and mercy too will make a nice list

 

[tyjacobs]

age 27 this year
overall gpa 3.3
science gpa 3.5
bio-chem-physics gpa 3.5-3.6
undergrad attended St John's , Physics major
grad MS biomed engineering (advanced bio/chem course) ,grad in 2014
grad gpa 3.5
DAT score 23PAT 27QR 23RC 22Bio 25GCHEM 29OCHEM 24TS 25AA
extracurricular
volunteering 500+ hour tutoring kids and daycare center
50hour local Chinese community
bio material research in start up for 2 year (continue after thesis) no publication
shadowing hours (who did you shadow) on the way to 60-100, (in progress)
letters of rec (how many, how strong, from who) 2 from MS thesis committee, 1 from research "employer?" (in progress)
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application Took dat on the july 18th, so trying to get it done before grade in- Early August

state of residence NYC
Schools : ideally stay in city for wife and kid, Rutgers, stony, NYU, Touro?,Columbia?, tristate Boston buffalo
misc info you think is important:
I think I can consider myself to be sort of non-trad? since I grade for MS in 2014,
Going dental was kind of sudden decision (wife had this idea that dental suit me, a career I never thought of but turn out to be the one) so shadowing and lor are still in progress. I wasn't so sure if my score will even work at all in the beginning so I focused on dat and didnt do much on shadowing and lor.

BIG QUESTION: I have AP chem credit that sub for general chem in undergrad, but I did orgo in undergrad and some chem based grad engineering course , would that AP credit affect the preque requirement?
Thanks, advice on school and shadowing would be great.

stats look good. Being 27 years old will put you at a disadvantage because some schools will question your dedication to dentistry. Would make sure you have a strong personal statement explaining this.

i would call admissions offices and ask them about the AP credit situation to make sure everything is okay. I think you will be okay but im not 100% sure.

Apply to rutgers stony nyu touro columbia boston buffalo and like 6 more schools (bu tufts temple maryland une and like 2 more privates)

 

[tyjacobs]

Age: 29
overall gpa: 3.60
science gpa: 3.75
bio-chem-physics gpa: 3.75
undergrad attended: BA in Arabic from DePaul Univ; in the process of completing science prereqs at Ohio State
DAT score: 20 AA - 21 PAT - 19 TS- 18 Bio - 19 GC - 21 OC - 25 RC - 17 QR
Extracurriculars: Work full time at a hospital, Army reservist, volunteer on campus (~200 hours), Pre-Dent Club
shadowing hours: 110 (40 w/Army dentist, ~70 w/general dentists)
letters of rec: Gen Chem Professor, Ochem Professor, Dentist, Employer - all strong
when you plan on submitting AADSAS application: 7/17/2017
Professional goals: General Dentistry
state of residence: Ohio
misc info you think is important:
Spent roughly 5 years as an Army officer (active duty) in a non-healthcare related position, before leaving to pursue a career in dentistry.
Applied to OSU, Louisville, UK, CASE, Marquette. Considering NYU, Creighton and Midwestern IL?
I read on some old threads that VCU and UNLV were military/veteran friendly. Can anyone confirm that? Does anyone know of any others?

Nah I think most schools will really like that you were in the millitary. I know columbia does for a fact.

Good GPA + DAT combo. Yes you are on the older side but i think your career choices will undo the disadvantages of that.

Apply to some ivies IMO on top of that list. Add nyu, creighton, mwu-il

 

[ppaa]

stats look really good you should definitely get a good amount of interviews

apply to mwu-az they focus on creating dentists to serve underserved populations.

apply to rutgers and mercy too will make a nice list

About how many schools should I apply to? I'm getting more and more nervous so I keep wanting to add more schools (around 15). I was thinking about NOVA, LECOM and UNLV.

 

[tyjacobs]

About how many schools should I apply to? I'm getting more and more nervous so I keep wanting to add more schools (around 15). I was thinking about NOVA, LECOM and UNLV.

around 10-12 schools in my opinion