Getting into Dental School

[Discovery01]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Since most of you are in dental school or applying, what woudl you say are the most important factors for getting into dental school? If you could do it all again, what would you suggest for a stellar application?

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

apply early with high grades, a high DAT, good letters of rec, and lots of shadowing...that was an easy one! hehe, no seriously it's a numbers game, my biggest regret is messing around so much in undergrad, it's now going to cost me an extra few hundred K but oh well i had a good time and still got in somewhere

 

[DMDcanada]

Get high grades! Its all about numbers. Take easy classes in ur undergrad, very few adcoms care about ur major, so take one that u can really do well in and enjoy

 

[Dutchboy]

Don't get off to a slow start in undergrad! An "A" in pottery counts as much as an "A" in Physics on your overall GPA. Take every class seriously and pick up those easy grades when you can because you may need them later on. I did it backwards, I got a couple C's in easy classes and had to make up for it with A's in the hard ones.

 

[Hopin']

Apply as early as possible.... I can't stress this enough....
I've known people with high numbers (GPA, DAT scores) being put on waitlist because they applied late. On the other hand, I have seen people with lower numbers get accepted to bunch of schools just by applying real early.
The best time to apply would be anytime before end of August.

 

[mcshow2]

Not to be redundant, but GPA and DAT scores should be number one on your priority list right now. Every year it gets more competitive to get into dental school- I think that trend is only going to continue as more people are seeing that dentistry might be a better gig than medicine.

Try to get to know your professors so they can write you strong letters of rec.

I would use your summers to shadow dentists, do community service, and possibly research. I think a 3.2-3.4 GPA and 18-19's on DAT used to mean that you were in... but not now. The research, community service, etc. can help set you apart.

So in summation: During the school year- work your butt off and get more A's than B's. During the summers, start studying for DAT, and focus on all the "extras" for the application.

Lastly, submit your application June 1!

 

[LadyxJC]

The big three are of course DAT, GPA, and applying early...

With that being said, try to set yourself apart from others. Make your application personal... have a decent list of extracurricular activities and get involved in perhaps unique and interesting things (they do come up during interviews). And work on that personal statement!

 

[OrinScrivello]

Don't just do any volunteer work. What used to count as community service is apparently meaningless to the ADCOMs unless it involves brushing the teeth of HIV-positive Ethiopian babies.

And make sure you fellate effectively during your interview. You don't want them to get the idea that you are real person with your own opinions.

 

[msong]

what if you took at of our science classes at a community college?

also how do you find researches, shadowings, and community service pertaining to dentistry?

 

[beannaithe]

Don't just do any volunteer work. What used to count as community service is apparently meaningless to the ADCOMs unless it involves brushing the teeth of HIV-positive Ethiopian babies.

And make sure you fellate effectively during your interview. You don't want them to get the idea that you are real person with your own opinions.

I disagree on the point of the volunteer work. I really recommend doing anything that shows you have a greater interest in the community that you live in. I volunteered as much as I could during my undergrad and did a ton of different things like FoodBank, women's shelters, homeless shelters, etc. It came up in every single interview. At many of them, that was all we talked about and they were impressed that I had actually done any. Since everyone has high grades, high DAT, good research, you nee dsomething that will set you apart from everyone else. One night a week at different places volunteering really set me apart. And when I applied, I didn't think it'd make that much of an application difference.

So that'd be my recommendation. Do quality community service. Like visiting elderly patients in a nursing home, serve meals to the homeless, etc. just anything to get active.