Characteristics of a non-traditional applicant

[diane07]

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I know this is a generalized question . . . but what are the characteristics of a non-traditional applicant? I imagine it's someone out of the norm of applying right out of college. Any other thoughts?

Some posters have hinted that non-traditional applicants are viewed well, but is that speculation or is there truth to that?

Thanks everyone for your viewpoints!

 

[jrstephe]

I would think that non-traditional would refer to those waiting 5 years or more after highschool or college, married, or with children..

 

[Fuji]

A traditional applicant is an undergraduate student (usually a rising senior) majoring in biology, chemistry, or a similar field of science. Anything that deviates from that description would be non-traditional.

 

[djeffreyt]

I think don't think traditional students are so narrowly defined. I think that anyone who has gone more or less straight from high school to college and majored in anything in college and is directly applying to dental school is pretty much a traditional student.

I think non-traditional students are the ones who have either held another career, took a huge break from college to do other stuff and came back, or in some other way deviated from the more or less straight-shot route toward dental school.


And I think the idea that non-trads are looked favorably upon depends on what they have done or gained from their experiences that other traditional students may not have had. There are plenty of older students who return to college that haven't matured or become better people. There is an unfortunate assumption that older students are a little more matured, which isn't always the case.

 

[sidewalkman]

Usually it involves either never having the idea to go into medicine during college, or abandoning that ambition during college (probably because of bad grades, but not always) and trying something else, only to come back to medicine later in life. There's a gap between graduating college and applying to school (I say two years minimum), during which time the applicant had a "real job" or some other full-time vehicle to demonstrate accomplishment.

 

[pine88]

We're old farts. The adcoms like us because we make them feel young.

 

[Nasem]

speaking of non traditional.... I started a post yesterday talking about the route I took... I'll repeat some of the points for those of you who never read it....

I graduated from U of D in 2004 with a BS in Computer Science and a minors in math. I NEVER took any chem or bio courses simply because I enjoyed math subjects more (like higher level math & calculus based physics). Never in my life I thought of going into any sort of medical school, just too many hours with books and I was never patient enough for that.... Well after working for a while in the I.T industry (Information Technology.... I am a software developer), I realised "hey this job is kinda boring"... So last augest, I decided to "search" for a new opportunity in life, I figured I am still 25 years old, and I can change my way of making a living.

Lucky for me, My sister is a dentist, I talked to her about my problem and she jumped on the idea and invited me to join her at her job on that saturday and see what she does..... I stayed there for about 4 hrs that day and it was all down hill from there.

Now I am attending MSU and working up on my GEN chem I along with lab, and I am still working full time (40-50 hrs per week) at my I.T job. I think I would be considered a "non trad", but I don't think its going to give me THAT much of an edge.

 

[pine88]

One reason adcoms like non-trad is that people who have left school and then returned tend to be more focused than they were before. That's not to say they are more focused than all traditional students. Just that they are an improvement of themselves.

Adcoms also told me that they like non-trads because having had different experiences in your life will make for a well-rounded dentist. I can see their point. Every job I've had has taught me something about myself and what I want out of life. All the different challenges and lessons learned have changed my perception of life, and will help in my dental career. I'm definitely a better candidate now than I was straight out of college.

That's just personally. I was seriously lacking in direction after college. It's impressive when and 18-21 year old knows what they want to do and can put in all the hard work that it takes to get to dental school. I'm sure the adcoms think that as well.

 

[hoss19]

non-traditional means that it is your own ambition to attend dental school, not because your father/mother is a dentist or is planning your career.

I know a few SDNers just grimaced...

 

[Dr IWannaBe]

speaking of non traditional.... I started a post yesterday talking about the route I took... I'll repeat some of the points for those of you who never read it....

I graduated from U of D in 2004 with a BS in Computer Science and a minors in math. I NEVER took any chem or bio courses simply because I enjoyed math subjects more (like higher level math & calculus based physics). Never in my life I thought of going into any sort of medical school, just too many hours with books and I was never patient enough for that.... Well after working for a while in the I.T industry (Information Technology.... I am a software developer), I realised "hey this job is kinda boring"... So last augest, I decided to "search" for a new opportunity in life, I figured I am still 25 years old, and I can change my way of making a living.

Lucky for me, My sister is a dentist, I talked to her about my problem and she jumped on the idea and invited me to join her at her job on that saturday and see what she does..... I stayed there for about 4 hrs that day and it was all down hill from there.

Now I am attending MSU and working up on my GEN chem I along with lab, and I am still working full time (40-50 hrs per week) at my I.T job. I think I would be considered a "non trad", but I don't think its going to give me THAT much of an edge.

I think it's sooooo much harder to work full time (especially with a family) and take science courses (with the labs) in the evening. I have a wife and 3 kids, a full time job and I am taking Org Chem I with lab and Bio II with lab. It is a balancing act for sure. I spend time with my wife, my kids, and I have to study. I am pretty sure that adcoms will notice how difficult this is and if you can do well in school at the same time, it speaks volumes, I'm sure!

 

[Nasem]

Its not all that easy to work a full time job and attend science classes... BUt I have a totally different problem...

You see, my job is an 8 to 5 job (its VERY hard to get some sort of flexible schedule going on... the managers get pissed off) but Still I was still able to bend my schedule so that I go to work from 7am - till 3:30... then my class starts at 4 so everything is good..... THE PROBLEM IS however, MOST of the classes at MSU (especially the Science based classes) are given at the weirdest times like 10:30 am - 12 or 2:30 till 4 Which is very hard for me to attend. They don't offer much night classes and I did not want to go to a community college since dentistry schools don't favor them a whole lot....

Its one thing to work full time and want to attend college, its another when you work full time and they don't offer night classes 🙁

 

[pmantz]

Non traditional students are usualy lazy, unmotivated, tipicaly smell bad, and have major emotional baggage they carry with them. Adcomms, like us because they want us to be examples of how not to act.

Seriously non-trads rock, balancing family responsibilites along with job and acedemic responsibilities. Typicaly we know what we want to do, why else would we punish ourselves. Some traditional students that go from high school to college haven't lived enough life to know what they want to do.

 

[pine88]

Non traditional students are usualy lazy, unmotivated, tipicaly smell bad, and have major emotional baggage they carry with them. Adcomms, like us because they want us to be examples of how not to act.

Seriously non-trads rock, balancing family responsibilites along with job and acedemic responsibilities. Typicaly we know what we want to do, why else would we punish ourselves. Some traditional students that go from high school to college haven't lived enough life to know what they want to do.

We also in our maturity quote Homer Simpson 😉

 

[LNinlove]

I am hoping that being a non-trad is a positive. I work 40+ hours a week, I am married, no kids but 3 dogs. I have been blessed with a job that works with my school schedule, but it is tough to have to leave work M-F for a few hours, then drive back and finish up the day. I have NO time to do homework or read or anything...it sucks!

I would have to agree that we (non-trads) have experienced more in life. I have worked some jobs that I would never want to do again. Right now, I know what I want and how I am going to get there...I also have some maturity to go along with all that.......I think....

 

[Dr IWannaBe]

Its not all that easy to work a full time job and attend science classes... BUt I have a totally different problem...

You see, my job is an 8 to 5 job (its VERY hard to get some sort of flexible schedule going on... the managers get pissed off) but Still I was still able to bend my schedule so that I go to work from 7am - till 3:30... then my class starts at 4 so everything is good..... THE PROBLEM IS however, MOST of the classes at MSU (especially the Science based classes) are given at the weirdest times like 10:30 am - 12 or 2:30 till 4 Which is very hard for me to attend. They don't offer much night classes and I did not want to go to a community college since dentistry schools don't favor them a whole lot....

Its one thing to work full time and want to attend college, its another when you work full time and they don't offer night classes 🙁

I agree that it is difficult to find classes offered in the evening. For example, I travel on Tues and Thur an hour from my house just to get the classes I needed this semester. What also might help is to call all of the schools you are applying to and ask if they are okay with CC courses. I did. Some don't look to kindly on it, but indeed we are not your ordinary students

 

[Nasem]

Im not too overly worried about dental schools not liking CC cources, but instead, I feel I can learn more in an actual university which will help me score well on the DAT.... Sure my GPA woun't improve as much as if I had taken my classes in CC (due to university classes are harder), but If I learn the material well I'll score better on the DAT and that should give me some what of an edge

 

[pmantz]

We also in our maturity quote Homer Simpson 😉

Yes we do, our parents had Fred Flinstone. We have Homer Simpson.

 

[pine88]

Yes we do, our parents had Fred Flinstone. We have Homer Simpson.

I love it 👍