Chances for CA dental schools?

[paulee1983]

Hi all SDNers,

I just transferred from Bakersfield College to UCLA last fall, and right now I am preparing for the 2007 application cycle (again lol). I am a junior student, but actually I've been applying last year. I took the DAT last summer and the results are as follow:

Bio:20
GC:20
OC:19
RC:17
Math:22
PAT:22

AA/PAT:20/22

my college GPA is 3.91 science/3.84 culmulative
and my UCLA GPA last quarter is 3.39 (A in OChem, B+ in Stat, B in EE Bio....)

I had job shadowing in a dental office 80+ hours last year and volunteered in a dental lab for another 60+ hours. I was also a research assistant in Kern Medical Center before. Now I am working in a Physiological Science lab (for muscle dynastry) as a lab helper. I am also very active in the Hong Kong Student Society.

I can only obtain the LOR from my college professors, which I don't know if it will make it worse (it is really hard to get close to UCLA professors!!). I can also get one from the dentist I shadowed and the Dean of Student from my college.

I believe my personal statement doesn't change much and still stay strong as it was evaluated and critized by ItsGavin and EssayEdge.

I will finish my Biology major by the end of spring quarter 2007 and obtain my B.S..



So my question, do I have a good chance getting in any CA dental schools, especially UCLA? Should I retake the DAT as I got a 17 in RC and 19 in OC? I know that it is getting more competitive for applying to dental schools, and I really need you guys advices and comments to improve my chances!

Thx for the time and good luck to you all!

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[MolarMamma]

I think your DATs are good. I really don't see why you shouldn't get accepted, you have everything the adcom wants.

As for the letters, you may want to ask a T.A. to write you one and have it co-signed by the professor. I know that at the UCs it is very hard to get to know your professors, so what I did is I asked one of my T.A.s to write me a letter and she had it co-signed by the professor. Worked for me!

 

[xylashellx]

i see a CA school in your future. good luck

 

[paulee1983]

Thx for the replies

Maybe I should ask a TA for a LOR next quarter......my TAs in this quarters suck and wouldn't care about students.....but ya that's a very good idea

As I have mentioned, I applied as a 2nd year student, so I guess the adcoms didn't consider me because I didn't have a B.S.. (UCSF even said they wouldn't consider my application as I didn't take 30 units in a 4 year university LOL)

This year, I am still thinking whether I should retake the DAT, as I've heard that UOP only take applicants who have 20 or above in each section. And for my favortie school, UCLA, from the statistic web site that made from a SDNer, the average DAT of the accpeted students is 22/19, so I guess maybe I have to take another shot on the DAT? but man that's a tortune....

 

[kiggar4l2000]

hi Paul Lee,
judging by your name, you must be either Korean or Chinese..most likely Korean. Male. to be honest, your DAT scores are weak for a Korean male student.
and the fact that your GPA is probably due to the classes you took at Bakersfield College (instead of at UCLA) will hurt your chances, relatively-speaking.

I know literally dozens of people who fit your demographic but did far better both in DAT and GPA. Most have gotten into CA schools but some are going to PENN or Columbia b/c they didn't get in. So, w/ your scores, I can't be so sure.

I recommend taking the DAT again, if you have time. And do really well on your UCLA classes.
________________
UCSF Class of 2010

Hi all SDNers,

I just transferred from Bakersfield College to UCLA last fall, and right now I am preparing for the 2007 application cycle (again lol). I am a junior student, but actually I've been applying last year. I took the DAT last summer and the results are as follow:

Bio:20
GC:20
OC:19
RC:17
Math:22
PAT:22

AA/PAT:20/22

my college GPA is 3.91 science/3.84 culmulative
and my UCLA GPA last quarter is 3.39 (A in OChem, B+ in Stat, B in EE Bio....)

I had job shadowing in a dental office 80+ hours last year and volunteered in a dental lab for another 60+ hours. I was also a research assistant in Kern Medical Center before. Now I am working in a Physiological Science lab (for muscle dynastry) as a lab helper. I am also very active in the Hong Kong Student Society.

I can only obtain the LOR from my college professors, which I don't know if it will make it worse (it is really hard to get close to UCLA professors!!). I can also get one from the dentist I shadowed and the Dean of Student from my college.

I believe my personal statement doesn't change much and still stay strong as it was evaluated and critized by ItsGavin and EssayEdge.

I will finish my Biology major by the end of spring quarter 2007 and obtain my B.S..



So my question, do I have a good chance getting in any CA dental schools, especially UCLA? Should I retake the DAT as I got a 17 in RC and 19 in OC? I know that it is getting more competitive for applying to dental schools, and I really need you guys advices and comments to improve my chances!

Thx for the time and good luck to you all!

 

[paulee1983]

hi Paul Lee,
judging by your name, you must be either Korean or Chinese..most likely Korean. Male. to be honest, your DAT scores are weak for a Korean male student.
and the fact that your GPA is probably due to the classes you took at Bakersfield College (instead of at UCLA) will hurt your chances, relatively-speaking.

I know literally dozens of people who fit your demographic but did far better both in DAT and GPA. Most have gotten into CA schools but some are going to PENN or Columbia b/c they didn't get in. So, w/ your scores, I can't be so sure.

I recommend taking the DAT again, if you have time. And do really well on your UCLA classes.
________________
UCSF Class of 2010

you are halfly right, I am a Chinese.
I truely agree that my DAT and GPA are not outstanding among the Asian group, that's why I am still struggling whether I should retake the DAT. But ya you are right, I should give it one more shot huh...

I must get into a dental school next year, but I don't know what else should I apply besides the 5 in CA. If I get a very high chance in getting to Loma Linda/UCSF, then probably I would not consider out state schools. Any input on this?

USC and UOP are so daxn expensive compare to the state schools, I rather not touching them but I will put them as my last choices

 

[greenday]

hi Paul Lee,
judging by your name, you must be either Korean or Chinese..most likely Korean. Male. to be honest, your DAT scores are weak for a Korean male student.
and the fact that your GPA is probably due to the classes you took at Bakersfield College (instead of at UCLA) will hurt your chances, relatively-speaking.

I know literally dozens of people who fit your demographic but did far better both in DAT and GPA. Most have gotten into CA schools but some are going to PENN or Columbia b/c they didn't get in. So, w/ your scores, I can't be so sure.

I recommend taking the DAT again, if you have time. And do really well on your UCLA classes.
________________
UCSF Class of 2010

The fact that you are a CA resident will definitely be the biggest bargain power in your hand. (Although it's not so fair for us out of staters ) I know Cali people interview at Loma Linda and UCSF with scores far below yours and still get in. Keeping up your GPA and applying early you shouldn't have a problem in the upandcoming cycle.

 

[PDizzle]

I know Cali people interview at Loma Linda and UCSF with scores far below yours and still get in.

Far below and got into UCSF? I wouldn't go that far.

 

[greenday]

Far below and got into UCSF? I wouldn't go that far.

PDizzle, I'm a fan of you. Your website rocks.
To clarify, this dude's GPA is around 3.8 and DAT is in the 20s. Far below, relative to his score, would be say like a 3.3 and 18 on DAT. There are a few at my interveiw group. No doubt some of them would be accepted. And of course, with Cali residency otherwise shoot for highers.
At my interview, I'm the only person from out of state out of 15. I'm really interested in seeing whether I get a call from them, or NOT!?

 

[mcshow2]

the fact that your GPA is probably due to the classes you took at Bakersfield College (instead of at UCLA) will hurt your chances, relatively-speaking. ...
UCSF Class of 2010

What's this mean?!?!? You can't get a good education at a Cal State School? I go to Chico State and learned all my sciences from "inferior" state professors... guess what..? I get actually talk with my professors. In my physiology class I have 19 other students in it, my lab instructors are my professors and i can go into their office and talk science, sports, polotics whatever whenever I want. Know what else, I pay 1500 a semester for tuition.

Sure you have more resources and more research opportunities at the UC's, but im not sure you get any better of an education. I guess you could say that my state school gpa is inflated, but my education I am getting here at chico was more than sufficient for the DAT.

Also, dental schools don't pro-rate schools. They don't say UCI is better than UCB so her GPA means more... perhaps only with community college work, but otherwise not.

So Darrel, congrats on UCSF, but i think your opinion/knowledge on the situation (at least as displayed from your phrase above) is festering a confirmational bias.

 

[kiggar4l2000]

Who's Darrel? Hahah

BUt yeah I really wanted to be careful but was too lazy to edit. I tried to qualify my statement by saying "relatively-speaking" which was meant to mean something along the line "if you got a 3.9 GPA at UCLA that would've be really impressive." But i guess some have misinterpreted that as Cal State schools don't give out good education, which is probably not the case. Probably b/c I didn't go to a Cal State school. One's GPA doesn't really correlate with the quality of education rendered or received. Education is what you make out of it, in my opinion.

But I still have to stand by what I said in that getting a 3.9 GPA at UCLA is relatively more impressive than getting that at a Cal State school. And generally I think most people, including admissions committees, would agree with that. A person who got a 3.9 GPA at UCLA or UC Berkeley can definitely duplicate that at a Cal State school but I wonder if that would be the case the other way around. Of course there are exceptions but, in general, I think people would agree that it's harder to earn those grades at UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCSD.

Going back to OP, I suggest Paul that you apply to the following eastcoast schools: columbia, penn, tufts, and stony brook.

What's this mean?!?!? You can't get a good education at a Cal State School? I go to Chico State and learned all my sciences from "inferior" state professors... guess what..? I get actually talk with myrofessors. In my physiology class I have 19 other students in it, my lab instructors are my professors and i can go into their office and talk science, sports, polotics whatever whenever I want. Know what else, I pay 1500 a semester for tuition.

Sure you have more resources and more research opportunities at the UC's, but im not sure you get any better of an education. I guess you could say that my state school gpa is inflated, but my education I am getting here at chico was more than sufficient for the DAT.

Also, dental schools don't pro-rate schools. They don't say UCI is better than UCB so her GPA means more... perhaps only with community college work, but otherwise not.

So Darrel, congrats on UCSF, but i think your opinion/knowledge on the situation (at least as displayed from your phrase above) is festering a confirmational bias.

 

[luder98]

The fact that you are a CA resident will definitely be the biggest bargain power in your hand. (Although it's not so fair for us out of staters )

Why not fair? In addition to its being a state school, we pay state income tax too. Compare to some other state schools, I think UCSF accepts many more out-of-state students. You must have some stellar numbers.

OP: In my opinion, your GPA is great, your AA is somewhat average for CA schools. It's really up to you. If you think you can improve, I think you should retake (I would and did). Also UOP has a minimum requirement of 17 or better on each subject this year. Last year it was 16. Don't worry about the CC or Cal State "issue" (if you want to call it). Some schools care, but I doubt that CA schools do. I and many other predents took all pre-req at JC. All my LORs are from these professors. Just make sure you do well in their classes, and that they KNOW you. Good Luck!

 

[Ennuity]

the fact that your GPA is probably due to the classes you took at Bakersfield College (instead of at UCLA) will hurt your chances, relatively-speaking. ...
UCSF Class of 2010

What's this mean?!?!? You can't get a good education at a Cal State School?

Is anyone paying attention? Bakersfield College is a community college (isn't the OP a cc transfer?), not a CSU.

 

[Medikit]

What's this mean?!?!? You can't get a good education at a Cal State School? I go to Chico State and learned all my sciences from "inferior" state professors... guess what..? I get actually talk with my professors. In my physiology class I have 19 other students in it, my lab instructors are my professors and i can go into their office and talk science, sports, polotics whatever whenever I want. Know what else, I pay 1500 a semester for tuition.

Sure you have more resources and more research opportunities at the UC's, but im not sure you get any better of an education. I guess you could say that my state school gpa is inflated, but my education I am getting here at chico was more than sufficient for the DAT.

Also, dental schools don't pro-rate schools. They don't say UCI is better than UCB so her GPA means more... perhaps only with community college work, but otherwise not.

So Darrel, congrats on UCSF, but i think your opinion/knowledge on the situation (at least as displayed from your phrase above) is festering a confirmational bias.

I don't think Chico is the norm as far as CSU's are concerned, it's actually one of the best.

 

[polarnut]

go UCLA! there's always next year!

 

[DATRAT]

Your stats look great, with Cal. residency you should have a great shot at getting into either school as long as you don't bomb your interview.

 

[howui3]

my 2cents:

Your DAT are good. If you feel confident you can bring them up, particularly the RC then go ahead and take them again, but be careful not to drop in the other sections. But, don't stress to much, they are good as they stand.

Your GPA at Bakersfield is great, so stay on top of your UCLA classes and be sure to get A's and A-'s.

What really helped me get into UCLA was my LOR. I did research and shadowed two dentists that were UCLA dent school alums. They were contacted by UCLA and were asked about me (of course they said great things about me) so I think that really helped. Since you are at UCLA, go to the dental school or try contacting some prefessors to see if you can do some dental research or vlunteer at the UCLA's Venice clinic.

To sum it all up: Do well in your UCLA classes, shadow/do research some UCLA faculty and you should be fine.

 

[deejay]

retake your DATs (just in case)