Dental School admissions - Please help!

[PinkFloyd98]

Hey everyone, I recently decided to change from pre-med to pre-dental. I am a junior right now, so this decision has come a little late. I was wondering when I should take the DAT so that I can apply for the class of 2006. Also, what kind of ECs are needed for dental school?? I have been doing pre-med activities as of yet and need advise as to how to change gears!

Thanks everyone

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[eric275]

If you didn't already know the DAT is available any time of year. In order to take the DAT it is required that you register on the ADA website around a month before you wish to take the exam. Once registered you have one year to take the DAT.

The application for dental school that is submitted through AADSAS will become available around mid-May, this past year it became available May 18th. If you will not be ready to take the DAT by May you can submit your application when it becomes available and your DAT scores will be forwarded to the schools that you have applied to shortly after you complete the DAT. Most feel that it is advantageous to submit your application as early as is possible in your individual situation as it can take up to two months for AADSAS to forward your application to schools once you have submitted it. One advantage of submitting your application even before you take your DAT is that by doing so you can have your applications complete at all of your schools minus your DAT scores. Some schools will require you to fill out secondaries, send pictures, submit appplications fees, etc. in order for your file to be considered complete, all of which can be completed while preparing for your DAT. Once you take your DAT and the scores are forwarded to the schools your applications are complete and you can just sit back and wait for your interviews.

As for Ec's while there is no absolute right or wrong, community service, volunteer activities, and shadowing dental professionals seem to be the most common. Some schools have hour requirements for shadowing so you should really look at the schools you plan on applying to for more detailed information in this area. Even if you apply to schools that do not have shadowing requirements I feel that it is time well spend that can help in answering interview questions such as: what expereinces have you had with dentistry, why dentistry, what aspects of dentsitry interest you the most, etc. that can possibly be answered from knowledge gained from shadowing.

Best of luck!

 

[DMBFan]

Thanks so much for the help! The process seems very similar to med school admissions except with less stringent MCAT requirements. One question - you were saying that the app was available in May, so I assume that you fill out the primary during the end of your junior year? Also, do most juniors who ae pre dental take the DAT in May?

 

[egpndoc]

Thanks so much for the help! The process seems very similar to med school admissions except with less stringent MCAT requirements. One question - you were saying that the app was available in May, so I assume that you fill out the primary during the end of your junior year? Also, do most juniors who ae pre dental take the DAT in May?

Look, do not take the DAT until u r ready, dont rush it. Turn in your application first and foremost and then study for your DAT for like a month or two and take it in the summer, but apply in MAY. go to the application website and make an account, login and see the questions they ask (research, shadowing, etc.) and make sure you do all these things before you apply. Good luck.

 

[IWuvTeef]

if u haven't done so already, shadow a dentist or dent students if your college has a dental school. you need to be sure you can stomach dentistry...it's different than medicine

 

[Tzips]

if u haven't done so already, shadow a dentist or dent students if your college has a dental school. you need to be sure you can stomach dentistry...it's different than medicine

And you need to show the d schools that you have made a good, knowledgeable
decision... like eric275 said, you need a good answer when they ask you why.

 

[Irene010]

Thanks so much for the help! The process seems very similar to med school admissions except with less stringent MCAT requirements. One question - you were saying that the app was available in May, so I assume that you fill out the primary during the end of your junior year? Also, do most juniors who ae pre dental take the DAT in May?

You definetly fill out the primary at the end of your junior year (May). Start compiling your letters of recommendations, personal statement and official transcript during your spring semester of junior year, so that you can get it all sent out to AADSAS (the dental school app. service) on the earliest possible date (I think for the 2005 cycle, the earliest date to send all that out, along with the primary, was May 18th, but the actual date for this coming cycle will be on the AADSAS website). Once your online app, letters of rec, and transcript are sent, you can relax. Take a couple months of your summer to study for the DAT and take it when you're ready, before Fall semester starts. Your scores will easily catch up with your application, and you'll likely have a great shot for the '06 cycle. Remember, the key is to GET YOUR APPLICATION IN EARLY...thats the single best thing you can do for yourself at this point, besides rocking the DAT. Good luck!