Chances for Next Cycle?

[future_nostalgia]

Hey everyone! I'm currently a Junior and I'm planning on submitting my application as soon as it opens for the next cycle but just wanted to get an idea of my chances at the schools I have listed/get some suggestions of other schools to apply to! I'm a FL resident, but I'm currently a student at UPenn. My GPA is 3.50 and my sGPA is ~3.45. I got a 26 AA on the DAT with 24 TS and 22 PAT. I have about 150 hours of shadowing (about 100 were spent shadowing a family friend that practices in Guatemala) and about 50 hours of volunteering. I've also done research since freshman year and am currently working on an independent project.

These are the schools I'm interested in:
UF
NYU
Columbia
Penn
USC
UMD
Rutgers
Harvard
UCONN
UMich
U of Louisville
Temple
Boston U
Tufts

Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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[ChewyDrop]

you'll definitely get a lot of interviews with those stats, especially your with your DAT. Good luck!

 

[JLT223]

Some schools won't like that 100/150 of your shadowing hours were spent in another country (you're applying to US dental schools after all). Other than that, looking solid.

 

[Krentist_72]

I would volunteer more. 50 hours over 3 years is pretty unimpressive imho, especially when you're entering a career where you should care about the wellbeing of others. It doesn't have to be dental related. But quite a few good schools really like to see that you want to give back to the community

However, take me (and everyone lol) with a grain of salt since I just take service very seriously, and am pretty sure that gave my app a boost when my stats were average ish. If you didn't want to do that then I'm sure you'll get in somewhere with that 26 because that is crazy great. Good luck!

 

[Krentist_72]

Deleted bc my wifi sucks and posted it twice lol

 

[future_nostalgia]

I would volunteer more. 50 hours over 3 years is pretty unimpressive imho, especially when you're entering a career where you should care about the wellbeing of others. It doesn't have to be dental related. But quite a few good schools really like to see that you want to give back to the community

However, take me (and everyone lol) with a grain of salt since I just take service very seriously, and am pretty sure that gave my app a boost when my stats were average ish. If you didn't want to do that then I'm sure you'll get in somewhere with that 26 because that is crazy great. Good luck!

Yeah good point, I definitely plan on doing more community service this semester! I wasn't sure how important it was in relation to scores and stuff but that's good to know!

 

[Krentist_72]

Yeah good point, I definitely plan on doing more community service this semester! I wasn't sure how important it was in relation to scores and stuff but that's good to know!

I think the general consensus (on here at least) is scores first, everything else second, which is why you'll probably be accepted somewhere. But I can only speak to my own experience, and both Penn and UCSF commented on how important service is to them. So while I don't know for sure if that's what stood out to them, I do know that it can only help.

Also, speaking of the UCs, I think that with that DAT you have a good chance, even with being out of state, if you're interested.

 

[weaselodeath]

I would volunteer more. 50 hours over 3 years is pretty unimpressive imho, especially when you're entering a career where you should care about the wellbeing of others. It doesn't have to be dental related. But quite a few good schools really like to see that you want to give back to the community

However, take me (and everyone lol) with a grain of salt since I just take service very seriously, and am pretty sure that gave my app a boost when my stats were average ish. If you didn't want to do that then I'm sure you'll get in somewhere with that 26 because that is crazy great. Good luck!

I would agree with this person! I also had great DAT, good GPA and 50 hours of volunteering, and I think some adcomms took it to be a sign of insincerity that I only had the minimum amount stated in their admissions requirements. I got my acceptance, but it was not the storm of acceptances that I expected. Honestly you're fine, but more hours is what can improve your app right now. Especially if it is spread out evenly over the time you have left before application.

 

[future_nostalgia]

Remove NYU and USC, add MWU-AZ

What's your reasoning for this? Definitely up for suggestions but just curious why MWU-AZ over the other two schools?

 

[gunner4ever]

It's cheaper and MUCH better education, especially clinically

 

[future_nostalgia]

.

 

[UMDDS]

Volunteering more would help, but what also helps tremendously is having a DAT in the 99% range which you obviously have. As long as you don’t have the personality of a doorknob in interviews you should get in SOMEWHERE.