Did not get accepted to dental school...

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mandy thompson

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So as the 2013-2014 application cycle comes to a close, it looks like I did not get into a dental school. I would love any advice of what to do differently next time!
Here are my stats: gpa: 3.52 3.36; Dat: 21,21, 22; 100+ hrs volunteer/work experience
I applied to 10 schools, and got 1 interview and later rejection
Big catch here, I did not get my full application in until September- there were issues with LORs. Could this really be the deal breaker here?

Currently I work at a dental practice in the front office, and taking a few business classes from the local community college. Next year I am thinking about going to Cambodia with a volunteer program for a few months as a dental assistant after I complete my application and turn it in ASAP!!
If anyone has been in my shoes and did not get in their first round, please give me hope for next year!!!
 
It sounds like you've done everything right. Were you rejected from the other 9 schools or have you just not heard back and making that assumption? What schools are you applying to? Are they within your reach? Your stats are pretty good but I wouldn't exactly set my hopes up for schools like Harvard or Columbia. Timing may have had something to do with it, but I applied in October and still heard back from 50% of the schools I applied to.
 
Yeah my questions are the same as above. Specifically, what schools did you apply to and were they within reach? Your timing wasn't too bad - I know of people who applied in September and did alright.
 
Washington resident, applied to UW, USC, UOP, UCSF, colorado, tufts, BU, maryland, penn, pitt, and marquette. Got the interview at UW in december and just heard that I did not get in. Half of the schools I have not heard from and the other half have been rejections. I am definitely going to apply to more schools next year, but i was just hoping this was going to be my cycle :/
 
I am in the same position unfortunately. 3.52 gpa, 21AA, plenty of shadowing/ec. But I applied late September. I truly think that was our main issue. Hopefully applying first batch this next cycle will prove to be much better.
 
Have you been in contact with the schools you haven't heard back from? Have you sent emails or called to find out about the status of your application? It always helps to let them know that you're still interested and updating them on any improvements, like additional service hours since you have submitted your application.
 
I was rejected my first cycle with similar stats and timing. I applied earlier this year, did some more shadowing hours, and changed my personal statement and had much more luck (and was accepted Dec 2). I didn't realize how important applying early is...for some schools, it seems like it can make or break your application.
 
Not to add fuel to fire, but I would call the schools to see if you can get an evaluation of your application. There might be a more substantial issue that you may want to address for the next cycle, not merely "applying earlier". I know people who applied first batch that didn't get in, I know people who applied late that got in (myself included, I applied in early October).
 
Do you have any research exp? Any volunteering/working hours that are not related to dentistry? If 100+ meant 100~ 200hrs it's very little. (I mean if you finished your undergrad it means you spent less than an hour a week volunteering/working for those 4 yrs). What about shadowing?
 
mandy thompson said:
So as the 2013-2014 application cycle comes to a close, it looks like I did not get into a dental school. I would love any advice of what to do differently next time!
Here are my stats: gpa: 3.52 3.36; Dat: 21,21, 22; 100+ hrs volunteer/work experience
I applied to 10 schools, and got 1 interview and later rejection
Big catch here, I did not get my full application in until September- there were issues with LORs. Could this really be the deal breaker here?

Currently I work at a dental practice in the front office, and taking a few business classes from the local community college. Next year I am thinking about going to Cambodia with a volunteer program for a few months as a dental assistant after I complete my application and turn it in ASAP!!
If anyone has been in my shoes and did not get in their first round, please give me hope for next year!!!
Click to expand...
You seem like a well-qualified applicant. Did you spend a substantial amount of time on your personal statement? Do you think that your LORs were good? That's all that I can think of.
 
Is your GPA made up of mostly community college credits? Or a 4 year university?
 
Bumping

I think this would be a good read for September applicants
 
wait quick question, did you press the submit button in SEPTEMBER? Or did you have everything ready and was processed/verified and the only thing missing was the LORS? Also, how far were you into September when everything was VERIFIED AND LOOKED AT by the dental schools?

I've noticed that a lot of people from past threads have said that they APPLIED in late September. So does that mean they e-submitted September and then wasn't verified until like October or something? Cause then that would also make a difference.
 
mandy thompson said:
So as the 2013-2014 application cycle comes to a close, it looks like I did not get into a dental school. I would love any advice of what to do differently next time!
Here are my stats: gpa: 3.52 3.36; Dat: 21,21, 22; 100+ hrs volunteer/work experience
I applied to 10 schools, and got 1 interview and later rejection
Big catch here, I did not get my full application in until September- there were issues with LORs. Could this really be the deal breaker here?

Currently I work at a dental practice in the front office, and taking a few business classes from the local community college. Next year I am thinking about going to Cambodia with a volunteer program for a few months as a dental assistant after I complete my application and turn it in ASAP!!
If anyone has been in my shoes and did not get in their first round, please give me hope for next year!!!
Click to expand...
September is not all that late... i've seen people apply in october / november with similar or even worse stats and they get in.
Something is off here, because you have great numbers.
 
lol I just wanna clear this up. When people say apply, does that mean they e-submitted that month or everything was verified that month?
 
Screwtape said:
To be accepted as a September applicant it helps to be an all-star. The above September applicants were not all-stars.
Click to expand...



OP had pretty good stats, above average.
 
fellowstudent92 said:
lol I just wanna clear this up. When people say apply, does that mean they e-submitted that month or everything was verified that month?
Click to expand...

I e-sumbitted in the middle of September, and then everything was verified/LORS done/app sent out in early October. This year I was batch 1, so hopefully better news this time around! Only 1/15 schools I applied to have begun sending out interview invites, so just loving this waiting game
 
^That makes sense. October is quite late.
Did you do anything different this cycle except for applying super early?
 
I completely revamped my personal statement and changed 2 of my LORS. With the additional volunteer hours i have done since last year, fingers crossed for a different outcome this cycle!
 
mandy thompson said:
Washington resident, applied to UW, USC, UOP, UCSF, colorado, tufts, BU, maryland, penn, pitt, and marquette. Got the interview at UW in december and just heard that I did not get in. Half of the schools I have not heard from and the other half have been rejections. I am definitely going to apply to more schools next year, but i was just hoping this was going to be my cycle :/
Click to expand...
Looks like you applied to some pretty competitive schools. You had a really good shot at Marquette, but I believe that they already sent out all their interview invites by late September.
 
My best guess it your schools accreditation like community college or a bad D2 school. But your DAT was good so I don't know. You should have gotten interviews at least.
 
pfg459 said:
I am in the same position unfortunately. 3.52 gpa, 21AA, plenty of shadowing/ec. But I applied late September. I truly think that was our main issue. Hopefully applying first batch this next cycle will prove to be much better.
Click to expand...
If you have not gotten a rejection, then know that it's still early. There are several students with multiple acceptances so that will clear up some spots.
 
It's not even close to over yet. In fact, it just started. People have gotten admitted a week before dental school started. Chill bro
 
Get Interfolio.

If you don't get in this cycle tell your evaluators to enter their LORs in Interfolio so when the cycle opens you can finish AADSAS app in less than a week. I'm sure that you would have received more had you applied earlier. September isn't all that late, but that slight lateness may be a deal breaker.
 
elhammy said:
Get Interfolio.

If you don't get in this cycle tell your evaluators to enter their LORs in Interfolio so when the cycle opens you can finish AADSAS app in less than a week. I'm sure that you would have received more had you applied earlier. September isn't all that late, but that slight lateness may be a deal breaker.
Click to expand...

y3nd0 said:
It would help to actually skim through the thread before making a comment... or even looking at the dates of the original post.
Click to expand...
 
Julian Delphiki said:
It's not even close to over yet. In fact, it just started. People have gotten admitted a week before dental school started. Chill bro
Click to expand...

Damn I used to get mad when people posted without checking the date. Now I was one of them. Sorry everyone
 
mandy thompson said:
My undergrad was at the university of washington, so definitely not community college status.

But I did apply again this year and so far have had 4 interviews and 2 acceptances at great schools, so just goes to show persistence pays off 😀
Click to expand...
What was different about you app the second time besides for revamped PS and LORs, if you don't mind me asking?
 
How do you find out if you were rejected? Does aadsas update to rejected? I applied late October and havent heard anything from any schools other than supps and they all say received/application complete on aadsas
 
Necro thread... check the date
 
My friend applied in November with a DAT 16 ... He doesn't even know what PAT is!
GPA 3.8 and 160 shadowing and 250 volunteering. He got in Arizona because he had connections and he admits it.
I am so tired of this game!
 
FeralisExtremum said:
Tell us how you really feel, Tonya.
Click to expand...
I feel happy for him. But from what I see you don't have to have a 4.0, DAT above 20 or even apply early , if you have connection.
 
Last edited:
DentalFox said:
If you have not gotten a rejection, then know that it's still early. There are several students with multiple acceptances so that will clear up some spots.
Click to expand...

OMG. I have searched and searched....what game is your avatar from???? I loved it as a kid but can't remember!
 
mandy thompson said:
My undergrad was at the university of washington, so definitely not community college status.

But I did apply again this year and so far have had 4 interviews and 2 acceptances at great schools, so just goes to show persistence pays off 😀
Click to expand...

What did you change from your first application this time that you got accepted? (aside from applying earlier) if you don't mind me asking 🙂
 
Tonya said:
I feel happy for him. But from what I see you don't have to have a 4.0, DAT above 20 or even apply early , if you have connection.
Click to expand...
Your friend's circumstance is VERY limited. I had connections at a school and guess what? It was the only one I didn't get accepted to.
 
JLT223 said:
Your friend's circumstance is VERY limited. I had connections at a school and guess what? It was the only one I didn't get accepted to.
Click to expand...
I had a connection at a school and I received silence from them.
 
Tonya said:
My friend applied in November with a DAT 16 ... He doesn't even know what PAT is!
GPA 3.8 and 160 shadowing and 250 volunteering. He got in Arizona because he had connections and he admits it.
I am so tired of this game!
Click to expand...
Hook, line and sinker.
Getting into dental school is the easy part; making it through 4 years is the difficult part.
 
Last edited:
I don't think the fact that you applied in September is the main issue. It's late in the cycle, but not so late that it should prevent someone with pretty good stats like yours from receiving an interview at most schools. Sometimes, it really does come down to luck. If the schools you happened to apply to happened to have an unusually competitive applicant pool this past cycle, then that would be the problem. Still, next cycle, apply by June or July to maximize your chances and meanwhile look into volunteering opportunities, as you brought up. Good luck.
 
BioForLife said:
I don't think the fact that you applied in September is the main issue. It's late in the cycle, but not so late that it should prevent someone with pretty good stats like yours from receiving an interview at most schools. Sometimes, it really does come down to luck. If the schools you happened to apply to happened to have an unusually competitive applicant pool this past cycle, then that would be the problem. Still, next cycle, apply by June or July to maximize your chances and meanwhile look into volunteering opportunities, as you brought up. Good luck.
Click to expand...

mandy thompson said:
My undergrad was at the university of washington, so definitely not community college status.

But I did apply again this year and so far have had 4 interviews and 2 acceptances at great schools, so just goes to show persistence pays off 😀
Click to expand...
 
not funny (up there) . . . . knock it off . .. go back under the rock
 
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