GPA&DAT Vs. EC & LoR

[missdiana]

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Just out of curiosity,

which is considered more "important"?

GPA + DAT or Leadership + Research + Clinical Hours + LoR

**For GPA, assume a student took more than average credits per semester (like 17 - 19 credits/sem)


If GPA and DAT is significantly high ( something like above 3.9 GPA and above 25/25/25 DAT), does this kind of students need to do researches and do leadership things?


I read threads here and people focused on GPA and DAT more than researches and such.
is that because EVERYONE is doing researches and leadership roles, that it is like "silent rule"? or something?




Also, I worked at dental lab for 5 years, and dental school's clinic volunteer for 6 month (no shadowing), is it good enough??? or shadowing is mandatory? (working at lab let me work close with doctors and such..)

 

[jeffity]

I always go back to the same example. DAT/GPA are the cake. Everything else is icing. That's oversimplified, but it's basically how the game works.

 

[DoeAdeer]

Just out of curiosity,

which is considered more "important"?

GPA + DAT or Leadership + Research + Clinical Hours + LoR

**For GPA, assume a student took more than average credits per semester (like 17 - 19 credits/sem)


If GPA and DAT is significantly high ( something like above 3.9 GPA and above 25/25/25 DAT), does this kind of students need to do researches and do leadership things?


I read threads here and people focused on GPA and DAT more than researches and such.
is that because EVERYONE is doing researches and leadership roles, that it is like "silent rule"? or something?




Also, I worked at dental lab for 5 years, and dental school's clinic volunteer for 6 month (no shadowing), is it good enough??? or shadowing is mandatory? (working at lab let me work close with doctors and such..)

GPA (specifically BCP GPA) and DAT (AA=TS=RC>PAT > QR in order of importance) followed by shadowing hours.... Anything else such as research and ECs can only help.

 

[diasIItema]

Once again, depends on the school.

 

[missdiana]

I always go back to the same example. DAT/GPA are the cake. Everything else is icing. That's oversimplified, but it's basically how the game works.

so, DAT and GPA matters more..but also everything else make the application look "GOOD", right?
so, it is necessary to get good GPA and DAT...than may be do EC?

(Your cake - icing description lost me since I just eat icing on cake.....)

Once again, depends on the school.

How can I find out which school prefers high DAT and GPA?

 

[invictusx]

GPA and DAT

 

[invictusx]

How can I find out which school prefers high DAT and GPA?

The upper tier schools, Harvard, Columbia, UCLA, UoP, Stonybrook, UPenn, and Pitt all have pretty high DAT requirements. Seems like 21+ AA

GPA is a crapshoot, that's why DAT is what more or less determines whether or not you'll be granted an interview. Some schools are "easier" than others and it irks dental school admission officers to see someone with an amazingly high GPA with a subpar DAT.

The ones that prefer a higher DAT AND GPA would probably be Harvard, UCLA, UPenn, Columbia, Pitt, and Stonybrook. But... take whatever I say with a grain of salt--I'm probably wrong