Do schools see applying to a lot of school as a negative?

[Dent44]

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Assuming no financial restraints, is there any downside to applying to a lot of schools? Do admissions committees see how many schools are on out lists?

 

[DrReo]

Assuming no financial restraints, is there any downside to applying to a lot of schools? Do admissions committees see how many schools are on out lists?

No. Easy money.

 

[vlct0ria]

Assuming no financial restraints, is there any downside to applying to a lot of schools? Do admissions committees see how many schools are on out lists?

I do believe they have access to your list of schools...and I would guess it depends on your stats. If they see you have lower-end stats, I am sure they understand you want to maximize your chance of acceptance by applying to many schools...if you're average/above-average and applying to a ton of schools (I mean overkill-like 25+), they may see it as a lack of commitment, especially if you're out of state...they may decide its not worth giving an interview to an out-of-stater who has a good chance of being accepted to one of their own state schools. I could be off, but it makes sense to me!

 

[Dent44]

I was debating sending to 15-20ish... with average stats, would be considered a lot?

 

[doc3232]

15 isn't too much.
I think 10 is average.

 

[smurf528]

I'm applying to 11 and everyone is telling me that it's too much

 

[vlct0ria]

I'm applying to 11 and everyone is telling me that it's too much

That's how many I have...and I feel like it's on the low end when I compare with predents people!

 

[toothytay]

I'm only applying to 5... I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but my dad thought I should ONLY apply to the state school 😱. So I told him average was 10 and I'd compromise at 5 😉 So I'm just going to cross my fingers...

Now onto your question....

I actually know a dentist who was on the ADCOM at UNLV. When I first met him...like over a year ago...he drilled me on where I was applying...and I hadn't really thought about it yet. I had no good answers and I couldn't even defend the one school I wanted to apply to! Well he told me that I should *definitely* apply to more than one school because you want schools to know that you want to become a dentist more than anything....that becoming a dentist is more important to you than going to a particular school. So yes...please, apply to many. Not only will it look in your favor...but you've got a greater chance of getting in. And no school is gonna be ungrateful for that easy money coming in 😉

 

[Ranelar]

Here's a quick and dirty of how I would apply if I had certain stats

3.0-3.4 GPA = 20+ schools (happens to be me)
3.5-3.7 GPA = ~12 schools
3.8+ GPA = ~5 schools

This is assuming your DAT scores are about on par with your GPA

18-19
20
21+

 

[Omenino]

So what if you apply to all of the schools that exist? you do what you have to do!

Assuming no financial restraints, is there any downside to applying to a lot of schools? Do admissions committees see how many schools are on out lists?

 

[razblo]

Here's a quick and dirty of how I would apply if I had certain stats

3.0-3.4 GPA = 20+ schools (happens to be me)
3.5-3.7 GPA = ~12 schools
3.8+ GPA = ~5 schools

This is assuming your DAT scores are about on par with your GPA

18-19
20
21+

Are you referencing overall GPA or just science GPA?

 

[nze82]

I don't think so. In fact, most of them encourage you to apply to a wide range of dental schools across the country!

 

[Simiam]

Yeah... not Louisville.. The adcom there criticized me for interviewing at 9. He said it "showed that I clearly didn't have a passion for Louisville." Be careful. If anyone EVER asks you where you applied or interviewed it is really better to lie and say only a few places or just one.

 

[yuppers]

Yeah... not Louisville.. The adcom there criticized me for interviewing at 9. He said it "showed that I clearly didn't have a passion for Louisville." Be careful. If anyone EVER asks you where you applied or interviewed it is really better to lie and say only a few places or just one.

Lie....... are you serious?
Adcoms can check that kind of stuff as far as we know.

To the OP: I think you will be fine.... just do your homework on each school for the supp apps and interviews.

 

[doc toothache]

Yeah... not Louisville.. The adcom there criticized me for interviewing at 9. He said it "showed that I clearly didn't have a passion for Louisville." Be careful. If anyone EVER asks you where you applied or interviewed it is really better to lie and say only a few places or just one.

Lying is never the better choice.

 

[RedXiii]

Actually this is one of my burning questions. I don't actually know what is a good number to apply to since I am coming from Canada. I was thinking 10-12. Some private some state. Any thoughts?

Another question to add is what are people's thoughts about putting down past schools in which you have applied to?

 

[doc3232]

Yeah... not Louisville.. The adcom there criticized me for interviewing at 9. He said it "showed that I clearly didn't have a passion for Louisville." Be careful. If anyone EVER asks you where you applied or interviewed it is really better to lie and say only a few places or just one.

Wow, that sucks...
We have no choice but to apply to many. We sort of want to get in.

 

[somethinpositiv]

I'm only applying to 5... I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but my dad thought I should ONLY apply to the state school 😱. So I told him average was 10 and I'd compromise at 5 😉 So I'm just going to cross my fingers...

Now I told myself I was going to stop posting on these boards, but that is just really REALLY BAD ADVICE, that I can't not post about it. Jeez, do that and you'll be crossing your fingers for the 2015 cycle..

Looking at your schools, you have no chance at getting in out-of-state at Alabama, so you're really only applying to 4 schools. Even the best applicants shouldn't get that cocky...

Well we don't have your DAT, so let's assume 19-20. If I were you I would take out Alabama and add Nova, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Buffalo, Maryland, and Temple... But hey, it's your future...

 

[nze82]

Yeah... not Louisville.. The adcom there criticized me for interviewing at 9. He said it "showed that I clearly didn't have a passion for Louisville." Be careful. If anyone EVER asks you where you applied or interviewed it is really better to lie and say only a few places or just one.

Perhaps interviewing at 9 wouldn't be a good idea, because it shows you're just shopping around (not that I think that's a bad thing) and you don't really have a "passion" for any particular school. But I don't think applying to 9-10 schools would cause any problems.

 

[nze82]

Now I told myself I was going to stop posting on these boards, but that is just really REALLY BAD ADVICE, that I can't not post about it. Jeez, do that and you'll be crossing your fingers for the 2015 cycle..

Looking at your schools, you have no chance at getting in out-of-state at Alabama, so you're really only applying to 4 schools. Even the best applicants shouldn't get that cocky...

Well we don't have your DAT, so let's assume 19-20. If I were you I would take out Alabama and add Nova, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Buffalo, Maryland, and Temple... But hey, it's your future...

Yea! I must agree with him. You never know what's gonna happen during the admission process. Last year, I applied to 9 schools with AA:19 TS:20 PA: 19 scores and I only got 2 interviews. So, I think you need to add some more schools, if you're planing to get into a dental school this year.

 

[toothytay]

Yea! I must agree with him. You never know what's gonna happen during the admission process. Last year, I applied to 9 schools with AA:19 TS:20 PA: 19 scores and I only got 2 interviews. So, I think you need to add some more schools, if you're planing to get into a dental school this year.

Thanks for the advice y'all... I'm not being cocky..it's more of a money and narrow-minded dad issue. He truly thinks I should only apply to Tennessee. 😱 Which is all he was willing to pay for. So I'd saved up enough for 4 more schools. I had to take out schools that required physiology because I'm not going to have a place in my schedule to take that in the next year. What suggestions do y'all have for coming up with $500 more relatively quickly? Cause it's gonna be on my tab...

 

[nze82]

Thanks for the advice y'all... I'm not being cocky..it's more of a money and narrow-minded dad issue. He truly thinks I should only apply to Tennessee. 😱 Which is all he was willing to pay for. So I'd saved up enough for 4 more schools. I had to take out schools that required physiology because I'm not going to have a place in my schedule to take that in the next year. What suggestions do y'all have for coming up with $500 more relatively quickly? Cause it's gonna be on my tab...

Hmmmm....credit cards?!😕

 

[armorshell]

Thanks for the advice y'all... I'm not being cocky..it's more of a money and narrow-minded dad issue. He truly thinks I should only apply to Tennessee. 😱 Which is all he was willing to pay for. So I'd saved up enough for 4 more schools. I had to take out schools that required physiology because I'm not going to have a place in my schedule to take that in the next year. What suggestions do y'all have for coming up with $500 more relatively quickly? Cause it's gonna be on my tab...

Maybe it's time to sit pops down an have a discussion with him about the competitive nature of dental school admissions, your desire to achieve your dream and the fact that applying to 10-12 schools is the norm.

 

[adizzle87]

Here's a quick and dirty of how I would apply if I had certain stats

3.0-3.4 GPA = 20+ schools (happens to be me)
3.5-3.7 GPA = ~12 schools
3.8+ GPA = ~5 schools

This is assuming your DAT scores are about on par with your GPA

18-19
20
21+

Agree