Did you or anyone you know defer D school matriculation?

[homewardbound]

How did you go about asking for deferral?.. at this point I plan on sending a letter and calling the school.
I recognize that many schools state that they do not offer a deferral option... However, it seems that some may have been granted this.

Background: I've been accepted at my top choice schools, but I am leaning towards taking a year off for a transitional experience: I plan to continue involvement in healthcare and teaching (most likely abroad) and I have no doubt that I will be a better more refreshed dental student in fall 2010, than I would be in fall 2009.
My stats are around the average for accepted students at the schools I am looking at (20/21/20 3.75), I'm guessing that avg. stats will not change drastically in one year, and I may be able to bite the $$ and risk reapplying. When I reapply I will state which schools I applied to, I don't know how this will be perceived.
I don't have cold feet, and I know I will grow while in dental school, I would just like to spend a year doing something not related to my career before loading up on debt and establishing myself as a dentist.

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[NAVY DDS 2010]

Why did you even apply if you weren't ready to start school? There are people here who have reported they have defferred starting, but it is usually for actual legit needs. Just because you aren't ready to start and want to do something for a year is not a legit need. But then again, I am not the student affairs office for the schools you were accepted to.

Best advice I could think of is if this is really what you want to do, call up the schools you have received an acceptance letter from. Explain your situation and why you would like to defer. Tell them you you really want to go to d-school, but would like to have a year off first. They will question why you applied this year for sure, but in the end they will probably tell you straight up eith you can defer or you can't. I highly doubt they will pull the offer from you just for asking since you are just asking.

 

[homewardbound]

Thanks for the advice, I am just fishing for the best approach. I will call, but I am pretty sure the easy answer over the phone is that they don't offer deferrals. I think there may be better, more successful ways of asking for a deferral, and I was hoping to hear from students who may have deferred for non-emergency reasons.

**Deferring for non-emergency reasons is a common practice at many professional schools (medical, law). Schools recognize the growth that can happen during these years, and worst case scenario: the candidate decides the career isn't for them and saves both themselves and the school a lot of time and money.

I am ready to start dental school: I know what I am getting into and I am confident in my abilities that relate to success as a dental student.

However, I will be MORE ready a year from now. I will be gain new perspectives in a way that will be hard to do while in dental school, and as a practicing dentist.

It would be very comforting to know that at the end of this transitional experience I will have dental school waiting for me. This is why I am asking for advice from those who may have deferred.

 

[lotexigeus]

Thanks for the advice, I am just fishing for the best approach. I will call, but I am pretty sure the easy answer over the phone is that they don't offer deferrals. I think there may be better, more successful ways of asking for a deferral, and I was hoping to hear from students who may have deferred for non-emergency reasons.

**Deferring for non-emergency reasons is a common practice at many professional schools (medical, law). Schools recognize the growth that can happen during these years, and worst case scenario: the candidate decides the career isn't for them and saves both themselves and the school a lot of time and money.

I am ready to start dental school: I know what I am getting into and I am confident in my abilities that relate to success as a dental student.

However, I will be MORE ready a year from now. I will be gain new perspectives in a way that will be hard to do while in dental school, and as a practicing dentist.

It would be very comforting to know that at the end of this transitional experience I will have dental school waiting for me. This is why I am asking for advice from those who may have deferred.

just go to school