Help with Dental School application list!

[bigboikhoa]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi guys! I am trying to compile a list for this cycle and I need your help! I currently have most of my pre-reqs done for almost all the schools, but I still need to take my DAT. My plan was to take the DAT this early July, but submit my application as soon as I can (preferably early to mid June) I know it's really hard to compile an accurate list without a DAT score, but I can supply everything else.
DAT: Haven't taken, but aiming for at least a 21.
GPA: 3.88(At a high ranking California public school)
sGPA: 3.9
Shadowing: 80-90 hours by the time of submission, should be 100+ after July (I heard I can update my hours later)
Psychiatric Research(Lead Clinical Tester): 500 hours
Club sport (Officer in the club): 700 hours
Hospital/Health facility Volunteering: 370 hours
Health, Diet, Nutrition Club: 70 hours
Hobbies: Piano 15 years, Clarinet 10 years, Uke 4 years, taking apart watches, cutting hair(weird but It's my thing), collegiate powerlifting.

Current list:
UCLA
UoP
Tufts
UCSF
USC
Western
Maryland
UNLV
Rutgers
Roseman
NOVA


Am these schools out of my reach if I were to attain a 21 AA DAT?

 

[Lane138]

Hi bigboi,

When I help pre-dents go over exactly this question, the first thing I ask is, what are you looking for in dental schools? How did you come up with this list so far? You should have 1-2 specific reasons why you want to apply to this school (beyond because I can see myself living here for 4 years). Then maybe ppl can help brainstorm others to add to the list.

A 21 AA DAT score isn't shabby. Nearly half of accepted students score this or below!

 

[setdoc7]

I see how you selected these schools. Rutgers would be your top east coast choice. Nova and Maryland are both good and attainable. Tufts I assume is your safety on the east coast and Roseman on the west. USC is ultra expensive. No Arizona schools? What about OHSU and UW? I have heard UW is in financial crisis, but it will be fixed. 4 years in Portland could be okay. Other schools that accept OOS students readily might be CWRU and VCU. Marquette might also be a school to look at.

 

[bigboikhoa]

Hi bigboi,

When I help pre-dents go over exactly this question, the first thing I ask is, what are you looking for in dental schools? How did you come up with this list so far? You should have 1-2 specific reasons why you want to apply to this school (beyond because I can see myself living here for 4 years). Then maybe ppl can help brainstorm others to add to the list.

A 21 AA DAT score isn't shabby. Nearly half of accepted students score this or below!

If you need directions in school search, I'll make a shameless plug for my book. There is a chapter that talks what to look for in dental schools/ intelligent questions to ask when research schools.

Hi there! Thanks for replying and trying to help me. I guess what I am looking for in schools are
1) CA schools. Applying to most of them because it would be nice to stay around my home/not have to spend the money flying back and forth.
2) How nice the facility is
3) Affordability. (I need to do more looking in this aspect. I put USC as a backup California school btw. I know its expremely expensive)

I was debating whether or not to apply to Arizona schools because they require physiology, anatomy, and microbiology. I am going to take micro this upcoming year, but physci and anatomy are not offered during my school year. So I would have to take it the summer before dental school.

 

[bigboikhoa]

I see how you selected these schools. Rutgers would be your top east coast choice. Nova and Maryland are both good and attainable. Tufts I assume is your safety on the east coast and Roseman on the west. USC is ultra expensive. No Arizona schools? What about OHSU and UW? I have heard UW is in financial crisis, but it will be fixed. 4 years in Portland could be okay. Other schools that accept OOS students readily might be CWRU and VCU. Marquette might also be a school to look at.

Thanks for your time! As I have said to Lane, I was going to apply to Arizona schools, but their pre-reqs of physiology and anatomy are going to be harder for me to complete ( i could always take it the summer before dentistry). I wanted to apply to UW, im just worried because their OOS acceptance is very low. I will definitely look into OSHUYou are right about Tufts and Roseman(even though i know it will still be very hard to get into these). I chose UNLV(ability to switch to in state tuition after first year), because of the affordability. Do you know of any other schools that would be affordable?

 

[Krentist_72]

Hi, fellow Californian here.

I’d agree UW is likely a waste of money with how OOS unfriendly it is. Same with Colorado, although that was never brought up. But OHSU is a good medium and has good facilities which you mentioned was important so I’d look into that if I were you. I didn’t apply to any AZ schools because of the classes they require and how expensive they are. UNLV is a good call for getting instate after a year and because they’re CA friendly.

I found a decent amount of schools (mainly the Midwest ones, but a couple on the east as well) that seemed to be OOS friendly were actually mostly pulling kids from neighboring states and not from CA.

PM me if you have any questions!!
And btw with that GPA I’m sure you’ll kill the DAT!

 

[setdoc7]

Thanks for your time! As I have said to Lane, I was going to apply to Arizona schools, but their pre-reqs of physiology and anatomy are going to be harder for me to complete ( i could always take it the summer before dentistry). I wanted to apply to UW, im just worried because their OOS acceptance is very low. I will definitely look into OSHUYou are right about Tufts and Roseman(even though i know it will still be very hard to get into these). I chose UNLV(ability to switch to in state tuition after first year), because of the affordability. Do you know of any other schools that would be affordable?

You can get in state tuition at Rutgers after first year.

 

[bigboikhoa]

Hi, fellow Californian here.

I’d agree UW is likely a waste of money with how OOS unfriendly it is. Same with Colorado, although that was never brought up. But OHSU is a good medium and has good facilities which you mentioned was important so I’d look into that if I were you. I didn’t apply to any AZ schools because of the classes they require and how expensive they are. UNLV is a good call for getting instate after a year and because they’re CA friendly.

I found a decent amount of schools (mainly the Midwest ones, but a couple on the east as well) that seemed to be OOS friendly were actually mostly pulling kids from neighboring states and not from CA.

PM me if you have any questions!!
And btw with that GPA I’m sure you’ll kill the DAT!

That means a lot! Thank you for the support, and I will definitely be doing more research on potential schools.

 

[bigboikhoa]

You can get in state tuition at Rutgers after first year.

Rutgers is also on my list, and thanks for letting me know!

 

[Lane138]

Ppl already gave great suggestions but I'm gonna add that from the schools I've visited in the last 2 years, university of New England up in Maine and Tufts had really nice clinics