Help a newb improve his application please!

[hibernate]

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Hello everyone. I'm very new to the whole application process as I've just finally realized I want to enter dentistry. I'm a Canadian student with a 3.6 gpa approximately and aiming to write the Canadian DAT in February. I hope to get my applications in by May to all of the American schools for '08-'09 admissions. I'm currently setting up shadow dates for the remaining of the fall semester and the winter semester. I've got about average community service and extracurriculars.

I'm set to graduate with my undergraduate degree this year and will be taking a year off or finding something else to do in that time. What would you all recommend doing in that time? After degree to boost my average? Or from what I hear a lot of people recommend just working to save up some money. Also, to date I have no research experience. I've never had any interest in research and am not so inclined to spending my summers in a lab if I don't need to. Since my applications will be in by May, does anyone think it will be advantageous to do research for the summer? There is a spot on your admissions application where you indicate research isn't there? And if I technically haven't done any research by the time my applications are sent out, then would it even benefit me?

 

[harjay]

I do recommend applying in May (as early as possible). Once you submit your aadsas application, you cannot make any changes and you virtually cannot add anything to your application until December, when you can send in newer grades.

If you do well on the DAT, and you feel fairly confident about your application, you don't really have anything you need to do. However, you may find it beneficial for dental school to take some anatomy, cell bio, histology, etc classes.

If you don't do well or feel that your application is still lacking, you can work on your community service/shadowing. Unless you want to go back to school to increase GPA, getting a job would be a good idea or *even better* get a job at a local dentists office.

If you don't have interest in research, don't bother pursuing it.
Alot of this decision should come from how you feel about your application or how strongly you want to get in to a certain school. a 3.6 GPA is on the up-side of average, but again, it depends on where you want to go.

 

[hibernate]

Thanks for the advice Harjay. I had another quick question about the rolling admissions process. Let's say if i I can hypothetically write the American DAT by December, and assuming I get an average score, would it be impossible to get into a decent dental school (BU, Temple, TUFTS to name a few) for this cycle.

 

[pishi1361]

One thing you should keep in mind is how well your application represents itself. So if you have a good GPA with good DAT and you have done extracurricular activities, the effect of not having done research can be minimized. But it all depends on what major you had in your college, and how much upper division courses such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and so on have you taken and how well you performed in them. also for your DAT if you are taking it in December to apply next year, you can always re-take, and try to get the highest of DAT as you can. and trust me DAT is not that hard, it just need a good 1-2 month hard core studying. Lastly performing research may help you with some schools but some schools don't really care about your research, so it all depends what schools you want to go to. Best of luck to you...

 

[harjay]

Thanks for the advice Harjay. I had another quick question about the rolling admissions process. Let's say if i I can hypothetically write the American DAT by December, and assuming I get an average score, would it be impossible to get into a decent dental school (BU, Temple, TUFTS to name a few) for this cycle.

It's still possible to get into almost any school (except the ones who's deadlines have passed already). At this late point in the cycle (December), I would say your chances are getting very slim. If you are very interested in going to school next year and don't have much of a preference of which one, you can apply. I would think (I don't know the stats, and im not an adcom) that it's going to be very hard to get into a good d-school if you apply in december.

 

[hibernate]

Got a quick question for you guys. I plan on applying to the Canadian schools as well, even though it'll be a long shot, for the '09 admissions. If i intend to apply for American schools as well, and have my applications in by May, most of my interviews will come before the December deadline correct? The problem is that most Canadian schools don't even start interviewing until after January. How large is the window for accepting a december acceptance for the American schools? Is it possible to just be put on the waiting list? Then come summer time, when the Canadian schools mail out acceptances I can pick and choose?