Help Cutting Down List of Dental Schools Please? (California resident)

[CaliNative23]

Hey guys, just wanted to get 2nd opinions on my list of dental schools to apply to. Right now I feel like I have too many, and want to eliminate some that I might not have a better chance of getting into. For example, I heard that Midwestern Arizona has an emphasis on community service, and I don't know if my hours are enough.

My stats are:
cGPA: 3.65
sGPA: 3.60
AA: 20
PA 21/ RQ 21/ TS 19 (Bio 18/ Chem 22/ OChem 19)
Shadowing Hours: ~120 hours
Community Service Hours: ~50 hours
Just started a job as a pseudo dental assistant at a local dental surgery office

Schools:
UCSF
UCLA
UoP
Western University
Midwestern (Arizona)
OHSU (Oregon)
Washington
UNLV (Nevada)
Colorado
Michigan
Minesotta
U Penn
Tufts
Temple
Boston University
Marquette
Creighton
Buffalo

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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[pf1996]

Hey guys, just wanted to get 2nd opinions on my list of dental schools to apply to. Right now I feel like I have too many, and want to eliminate some that I might not have a better chance of getting into. For example, I heard that Midwestern Arizona has an emphasis on community service, and I don't know if my hours are enough.

My stats are:
cGPA: 3.65
sGPA: 3.60
AA: 20
Shadowing Hours: ~120 hours
Community Service Hours: ~50 hours
Just started a job as a pseudo dental assistant at a local dental surgery office

Schools:
UCSF
UCLA
UoP
Western University
Midwestern (Arizona)
OHSU (Oregon)
Washington
UNLV (Nevada)
Colorado
Michigan
Minesotta
U Penn
Tufts
Temple
Boston University
Marquette
Creighton
Buffalo

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I’d cut out MWU, BU, Minnesota as they’re all very community focused.

 

[artist2022]

What's the breakdown of your DAT?
I'd take UCLA off as their average stats are highly higher, as well as UW because it's in debt and you don't know what kinds of changes it'll be making during your four years there. MWU AZ is fine, it's ASDOH that's heavily focused on volunteering. Not sure how OOS friendly Michigan or Minnesota are since they're state schools...

 

[periopocket]

I’d get rid of Creighton and UWASH

 

[Ruguox3]

I’d cut out MWU, BU, Minnesota as they’re all very community focused.

What is meant by community focused?

 

[CaliNative23]

What's the breakdown of your DAT?
I'd take UCLA off as their average stats are highly higher, as well as UW because it's in debt and you don't know what kinds of changes it'll be making during your four years there. MWU AZ is fine, it's ASDOH that's heavily focused on volunteering. Not sure how OOS friendly Michigan or Minnesota are since they're state schools...

My DAT breakdown is:
PA 21/ RQ 21/ TS 19 (Bio 18/ Chem 22/ OChem 19)

 

[suede]

Do you have specific reasons why you didn't include VCU or Rutgers?

 

[artist2022]

Do you have specific reasons why you didn't include VCU or Rutgers?

Stats might not be competitive for Rutgers OOS- it's a state school and will be picky about OOS applicants. VCU might be okay, but again it's a state school and might be picky about its OOS applicants!

OP: refer to my first post but also I'd add LECOM maybe. You should apply to 10-13 imho.

 

[CaliNative23]

Do you have specific reasons why you didn't include VCU or Rutgers?

I don't know much about those schools is all pretty much.

 

[CaliNative23]

Stats might not be competitive for Rutgers OOS- it's a state school and will be picky about OOS applicants. VCU might be okay, but again it's a state school and might be picky about its OOS applicants!

OP: refer to my first post but also I'd add LECOM maybe. You should apply to 10-13 imho.

I will keep UCLA as my reach school, probably won't get in but I'm willing to spend money for that sliiim chance haha. Also I'm still unsure about Wash. As you said, their debt is something that may cause unpredictability in the school's direction. I've read a couple threads and people seem to come to the consensus that class size won't be affected, but I am scared of tuition rising more that other schools. Also, they are OOS unfriendly, correct? That also gives me doubts, but I have them on the list because of the location, I would love to stay on the west coast and I feel like I can fit in with their culture.

What factors make you say possibly add LECOM? All I know about it is that it's in Florida and that I am not a huge fan of Florida haha.

 

[artist2022]

Also, they are OOS unfriendly, correct?

I don't know if they're OOS friendly or not, I only applied to schools in CA (IS), AZ, OH, FL, NJ, and MA basically.

What factors make you say possibly add LECOM? All I know about it is that it's in Florida and that I am not a huge fan of Florida haha.

Your stats are average but match their averages, so maybe you'd have a better shot at an acceptance there was my reasoning.

 

[dent_wannabe]

UW is very OOS unfriendly. Michigan is not as OOS unfriendly, but still very competitive for OOS students. Most OOS students I know at Michigan at least went to a Michigan school for undergrad.

Also, I would say to carefully check every school's requirements carefully to ensure that you meet them. Get rid of any schools which you cannot meet their requirements.

 

[CaliNative23]

UW is very OOS unfriendly. Michigan is not as OOS unfriendly, but still very competitive for OOS students. Most OOS students I know at Michigan at least went to a Michigan school for undergrad.

Also, I would say to carefully check every school's requirements carefully to ensure that you meet them. Get rid of any schools which you cannot meet their requirements.

Hmm, so you would say that Michigan is still really tough to get into huh? Did you have any schools in mind on my list who's requirements I don't meet? I was thinking of eliminating Minnesota because I heard they really like research and I have no research experience.

 

[dent_wannabe]

Hmm, so you would say that Michigan is still really tough to get into huh? Did you have any schools in mind on my list who's requirements I don't meet? I was thinking of eliminating Minnesota because I heard they really like research and I have no research experience.

By saying you might not meet a certain schools prerequisites, you might need to consider things like if they have any weird prerequisites that are unique to them (for example, only a few schools explicitly require anatomy or micro), and their policy on AP credit if your university awarded you any. For example, with very few exceptions, I wasn't going to meet a school's general chemistry requirement if their policy is to not take AP credit, so I eliminated those schools. I am now working full time, so it is hard for me to go out of my way to take extra classes just for the sake of a school which I would unlikely choose over Michigan (my state school) if I get in.

 

[molar743]

Hmm, so you would say that Michigan is still really tough to get into huh? Did you have any schools in mind on my list who's requirements I don't meet? I was thinking of eliminating Minnesota because I heard they really like research and I have no research experience.

I know Michigan requires microbiology and sociology. Based on my experience this past cycle, I would say Michigan is hard to get into at least from an OOS (NJ resident) perspective. You're competing against a lot of people because many apply there since it's a top dental school. I had a 3.67 cGPA and 3.66 sGPA with a 23 AA, 21 PA, 25 TS DAT and 2.5 years of research with a publication as first author. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured I'd apply because I have a lot of research and good stats. I didn't hear anything from them until I got the rejection email late this spring. You never know though what is going to happen. There were other schools I applied to that I though I would hear back from and didn't and vice versa.

I also applied to Colorado and was rejected. I think they're also mostly in state, but maybe since you're from the west coast they might prefer that over OOS east coast person. I also applied to BU, but have yet to hear anything, not even a rejection email. They did lose my online supplemental payment in August (I don't know how this happened) and I called and eventually confirmed it, but I don't really know if they ever resolved it. So make sure you get conformation emails for these things and if something feels off, just call the admissions office to check!

 

[Gymgivitis]

I’d get rid of Creighton and UWASH

Why Creighton?

 

[CaliNative23]

I know Michigan requires microbiology and sociology. Based on my experience this past cycle, I would say Michigan is hard to get into at least from an OOS (NJ resident) perspective. You're competing against a lot of people because many apply there since it's a top dental school. I had a 3.67 cGPA and 3.66 sGPA with a 23 AA, 21 PA, 25 TS DAT and 2.5 years of research with a publication as first author. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured I'd apply because I have a lot of research and good stats. I didn't hear anything from them until I got the rejection email late this spring. You never know though what is going to happen. There were other schools I applied to that I though I would hear back from and didn't and vice versa.

I also applied to Colorado and was rejected. I think they're also mostly in state, but maybe since you're from the west coast they might prefer that over OOS east coast person. I also applied to BU, but have yet to hear anything, not even a rejection email. They did lose my online supplemental payment in August (I don't know how this happened) and I called and eventually confirmed it, but I don't really know if they ever resolved it. So make sure you get conformation emails for these things and if something feels off, just call the admissions office to check!

Ah, thanks for sharing your story! Really opens my perspective on how my chances are (at MIch) considering that we had similar GPA, but your DAT and research were much better. But as always, everything is different for everyone, but I will take that into consideration of maybe saving some money on applying...

What other schools did you get interviews at? I'm curious.

 

[molar743]

Ah, thanks for sharing your story! Really opens my perspective on how my chances are (at MIch) considering that we had similar GPA, but your DAT and research were much better. But as always, everything is different for everyone, but I will take that into consideration of maybe saving some money on applying...

What other schools did you get interviews at? I'm curious.

Yeah no problem! I ended up getting interviews at Rutgers, NYU, Penn, Pitt, Temple, Tufts, and Nova. I ended up declining Tufts and Nova because they were later in the cycle and I was happy with the rest. I was accepted to Rutgers and Penn on Dec. 1st and waitlisted at the others. Later I was accepted to Temple and ended up declining Pitt's and NYU's waitlists because I didn't see myself going either one of those schools after I visited. I accepted Penn and will be heading there in the Fall!

 

[periopocket]

Why Creighton?

Never mind I heard Creighton accepted 88% our of state past year - apply

 

[P7898]

Appp

Hey guys, just wanted to get 2nd opinions on my list of dental schools to apply to. Right now I feel like I have too many, and want to eliminate some that I might not have a better chance of getting into. For example, I heard that Midwestern Arizona has an emphasis on community service, and I don't know if my hours are enough.

My stats are:
cGPA: 3.65
sGPA: 3.60
AA: 20
PA 21/ RQ 21/ TS 19 (Bio 18/ Chem 22/ OChem 19)
Shadowing Hours: ~120 hours
Community Service Hours: ~50 hours
Just started a job as a pseudo dental assistant at a local dental surgery office

Schools:
UCSF
UCLA
UoP
Western University
Midwestern (Arizona)
OHSU (Oregon)
Washington
UNLV (Nevada)
Colorado
Michigan
Minesotta
U Penn
Tufts
Temple
Boston University
Marquette
Creighton
Buffalo

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Apply to Midwestern IL, University of Kentucky, keep Creighton. I got into Kentucky and Creighton -(without interview) with very low stats

 

[sobertiger]

Why not LLU or USC?

 

[P7898]

you got into kentucky without an interview? I've heard that you can get into Creighton w/o interview but not Kentucky....

No I got into Creighton without an interview. Not Kentucky (I Interview there). I would add Maryland if you don’t mind the east coast.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Never mind I heard Creighton accepted 88% our of state past year - apply

This can't be accurate except for schools that only interview very low numbers of oos candidates with intention to admit. I'd take another look at that source.

 

[P7898]

This can't be accurate except for schools that only interview very low numbers of oos candidates with intention to admit. I'd take another look at that source.

No it might be. Remember Creighton bumped up their seats by 35 people since they built a brand new dental School this past year.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

No it might be. Remember Creighton bumped up their seats by 35 people since they built a brand new dental School this past year.

Not sure why that changes much, unless you're taking about some kind of sociology program. Tufts just about doubled their class size in recent years and still has a single digit acceptance rate.

 

[P7898]

Not sure why that changes much, unless you're taking about some kind of sociology program. Tufts just about doubled their class size in recent years and still has a single digit acceptance rate.

Yeah single digit applicant : acceptance rate. We were just talking about out of state versus in state class profile. Add it. I got in with an 18AA no interview.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Yeah single digit applicant : acceptance rate. We were just talking about out of state versus in state class profile. Add it. I got in with an 18AA no interview.

Oh I misinterpreted the stat. My fault.

 

[P7898]

Oh I misinterpreted the stat. My fault.

All good! I would just jack up your community service hours and volunteer in something other than dentistry (YMCA, homeless shelter ect.). You’d be a shoe in!