How do SDN members actually represent the applicant pool?

[RSalha17]

I'm just sitting in bed trying to keep my kind off of the fact that I will most likely be waiting a bit for an interview, and wondering how the SDN users represent the actual applicant pool?

I see a lot of members on here with very great test scores and gpa, and find a lot of the "average" applicants comparing themselves to these top applicants. Do you think that this is a realistic way to view your chances of getting into a school?

What about the applicants who don't regularly use SDN who may or may not represent the "top of the applicant pool?"

Just wondering what everyone thinks about this and basically asking if the more average applicants such as myself, freak out too much because of the strong applicants on SDN?

Good luck to all!

 

[mtinamer]

Very good question, but I don't think anybody in here would know the correct answer to it. The reason why people reveal their Stats is simply because they like them. But I think you only hurt yourself if you let the SDN community represent the application pool because this community only represents a very tiny percentage.

 

[Stacker]

I'm just sitting in bed trying to keep my kind off of the fact that I will most likely be waiting a bit for an interview, and wondering how the SDN users represent the actual applicant pool?

I see a lot of members on here with very great test scores and gpa, and find a lot of the "average" applicants comparing themselves to these top applicants. Do you think that this is a realistic way to view your chances of getting into a school?

What about the applicants who don't regularly use SDN who may or may not represent the "top of the applicant pool?"

Just wondering what everyone thinks about this and basically asking if the more average applicants such as myself, freak out too much because of the strong applicants on SDN?

Good luck to all!

There's a lot of threads on this. The general consensus is that SDN gets mostly creme of the crop and the lowest of the low. Average applicants act like most average people do and tend not to get obsessed to a forum like SDN.
Although, it seems that there are a higher frequency of people posting scores that were once ridiculously high in previous years. I think this is expected as Chad's videos, Destroyer, and helpful breakdowns become more widely known.
I just stated the obvious.

 

[wcombs]

There's a lot of threads on this. The general consensus is that SDN gets mostly creme of the crop and the lowest of the low. Average applicants act like most average people do and tend not to get obsessed to a forum like SDN.
Although, it seems that there are a higher frequency of people posting scores that were once ridiculously high in previous years. I think this is expected as Chad's videos, Destroyer, and helpful breakdowns become more widely known.
I just stated the obvious.

Painfully true.

 

[gumdrop16]

painfully true.

+1

 

[famousbanker]

There's a lot of threads on this. The general consensus is that SDN gets mostly creme of the crop and the lowest of the low. Average applicants act like most average people do and tend not to get obsessed to a forum like SDN.
Although, it seems that there are a higher frequency of people posting scores that were once ridiculously high in previous years. I think this is expected as Chad's videos, Destroyer, and helpful breakdowns become more widely known.
I just stated the obvious.

so true....Chad's videos are going to make getting into dental school that much harder once more people start utilizing.

 

[voager]

I think ADEA official guide to dental schools will give you better idea than SDN.

 

[DDS Perez]

I have said this before, and ill go with it again. Sure SDN is not an accurate representation of the applicant pool. But i believe is a great representation of the "accepted applicant pool" Follow SDN standards and you have a great chance at dental school.

 

[ewu6three]

Don't worry my man, you have UW in the bag, if they ever decide to start contacting their applicants.

 

[zackc19]

I have said this before, and ill go with it again. Sure SDN is not an accurate representation of the applicant pool. But i believe is a great representation of the "accepted applicant pool" Follow SDN standards and you have a great chance at dental school.

Agreed

 

[Zbtb7]

so true....Chad's videos are going to make getting into dental school that much harder once more people start utilizing.

At some point, they're probably going to change the DAT from an achievement-based exam (memorize+regurgitate) to an aptitude test (i.e. MCATs/LSATs=reasoning/IQ tests).

They're already doing that with the new RC. Search & Destroy is becoming a risky strategy as there's more tone and inference questions now.

I have said this before, and ill go with it again. Sure SDN is not an accurate representation of the applicant pool. But i believe is a great representation of the "accepted applicant pool" Follow SDN standards and you have a great chance at dental school.

Definitely.

Aside from the extremely uncompetitive people who are active on SDN because they need help and guidance, most are extremely competitive. At the end of each cycle, the people who are "SDN competitive" rarely don't get into at least 1 school.

 

[DDS Perez]

At some point, they're probably going to change the DAT from an achievement-based exam (memorize+regurgitate) to an aptitude test (i.e. MCATs/LSATs=reasoning/IQ tests).

They're already doing that with the new RC. Search & Destroy is becoming a risky strategy as there's more tone and inference questions now.




Definitely.

Aside from the extremely uncompetitive people who are active on SDN because they need help and guidance, most are extremely competitive. At the end of each cycle, the people who are "SDN competitive" rarely don't get into at least 1 school.[/QUOTE]

👍

 

[RSalha17]

Hmm all this feedback is really interesting. I guess I have always been on SDN since I wanted to pursue dentistry before college started and don't really know why applicabts wouldn't use it as a reference.

Do you guys really think that the majority of the applicants don't use SDN? I just would have assumed that most applicants do because it can be very helpful?

 

[RSalha17]

"Don't worry my man, you have UW in the bag, if they ever decide to start contacting their applicants."


Thanks I sure hope so.. Haha and tell me about it I wonder if I'll ever hear from them

 

[jeffity]

Hmm all this feedback is really interesting. I guess I have always been on SDN since I wanted to pursue dentistry before college started and don't really know why applicants wouldn't use it as a reference.

Do you guys really think that the majority of the applicants don't use SDN? I just would have assumed that most applicants do because it can be very helpful?

I would guess most have heard of it and maybe stopped by, but they aren't avid users. Some people just don't like digging for info or using forums. There tend to be lots of guests though. When I offered my old application as a sample guide back before the cycle opened, I got a lot of people who registered just so they could PM me. So some do look. There's just no reason to join if you aren't going to participate. And there were just as many people PM'ing who had accounts dating back to 2009 had but only a few posts.

My dent club officers always told us there is good info on here, but they always called it a time killer and full of negativity. Addiction, buying into everything you read, and taking every word of advice to heart obviously isn't healthy. But this is the[/] place for info and help. Especially in the DAT forum. How many people discovered Chad or dentWork's study plan on here? Or heard about the ADEA guide or used doctootheache's spreadsheets?

 

[Seahawk]

People on SDN tend to be above the 90% or down below the 10%....


Just from what I have seen over the years.

 

[olive6]

"Don't worry my man, you have UW in the bag, if they ever decide to start contacting their applicants."


Thanks I sure hope so.. Haha and tell me about it I wonder if I'll ever hear from them

has anyone heard from uw yet? i feel like it was soooo long ago i submitted the secondary.... getting super antsy! 🙄

 

[doc toothache]

I have said this before, and ill go with it again. Sure SDN is not an accurate representation of the applicant pool. But i believe is a great representation of the "accepted applicant pool" Follow SDN standards and you have a great chance at dental school.

Wait! "SDN is not an accurate representation of the applicant pool", but it magically becomes "a great representation of the 'accepted applicant pool'"

 

[scsc7211]

Wait! "SDN is not an accurate representation of the applicant pool", but it magically becomes "a great representation of the 'accepted applicant pool'"

Key word being accepted. OP is on the mark as far as I can see.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using SDN Mobile

 

[doc toothache]

Key word being accepted. OP is on the mark as far as I can see.

Actually, the "key word" is random sample.

 

[zackc19]

Actually, the "key word" is random sample.

The problem is that it is not a random sample. It is a sample of applicants that had the ambition to find this forum and participate. It is a very small, self-selected sample. There is very little about it that is random.

I believe that active SDN members have a higher rate of acceptance than the general pool of applicants. Just look at the DAT scores around here, they are almost all well above average.

 

[doc toothache]

The problem is that it is not a random sample. It is a sample of applicants that had the ambition to find this forum and participate. It is a very small, self-selected sample. There is very little about it that is random.

I believe that active SDN members have a higher rate of acceptance than the general pool of applicants. Just look at the DAT scores around here, they are almost all well above average.

Precisely. Unless you have done a random sample of the SDN pool and the "general pool" your conclusion is, at best, erroneous .

 

[scsc7211]

What I was agreeing with is the suggestion that the typical active SDN member (having above average stats) more closely fits the profile of an average accepted applicant than that of an average applicant from the entire pool.

With that, I have nothing more to contribute to the conversation.

Edit: I saw the previous posts after writing the above, and I would like to add that acquiring a legitimate random sample from SDN is not even possible. First, not all SDN members post their scores, and a majority of those that are willing to have higher than average scores. Additionally, since all scores are self-reported, it is impossible to prove their validity. As I see it, the best anybody can do is speculate given the information at hand.

 

[finchy86]

I'm just sitting in bed trying to keep my kind off of the fact that I will most likely be waiting a bit for an interview, and wondering how the SDN users represent the actual applicant pool?

Best answer: no one knows.

 

[zackc19]

Yes yes, there are many reasons why no valid conclusions can be made. I openly admit my previous posts were unsubstantiated and speculative. But that's all we've got to go on... So it is what it is.

And just to add, doctooth, I appreciate all of your info you provide. Your charts are always very helpful.

 

[rnbaxter]

I know multiple people at my D school that do not participate and never have at SDN.

 

[zackc19]

I know multiple people at my D school that do not participate and never have at SDN.

Completely irrelevant. Thanks

 

[Glimmer1991]

Completely irrelevant. Thanks

Nah, I don't think so. I think the point of this is to show that not all (or maybe not even a large percentage of) accepted applicants use these forums.

 

[zackc19]

Nah, I don't think so. I think the point of this is to show that not all (or maybe not even a large percentage of) accepted applicants use these forums.

Did anyone think SDN was a large percentage? I really doubt it.

Ok sorry for being a jerk about it, but I'll stick with my point