How important are extracurriculars for admission to d-school?

[artvandelay786]

Numbers-wise, I'm solid for admission. However, I don't really have any extracurriculars.

I'm a member of one religious-based organization on campus and run recreationally. I do not currently have any shadowing -- but I have a year to get some before I apply.

If I have a solid GPA/DAT, would my extracurriculars still play a significant role in whether or not I get admitted to my school of choice?

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[Dainotda]

Very important because just from the number of applicants, there will be many others who share your same/higher numerical stats. The extracurriculars are what helps an applicant stand out. Good luck!

 

[artvandelay786]

Thanks, but can it be argued that to differentiate oneself, the interview and personal statement components are more important?

 

[williamdent]

Thanks, but can it be argued that to differentiate oneself, the interview and personal statement components are more important?

Yes, definitely. The ECs would help your personal statement and interview stand out as well, though (you would probably mention them a bit in both).

Undergrad can be rough and you don't necessarily need 2000+ hours of volunteering if it is going to be a significant hindrance on your ability to perform academically, but it does help. Depending on where you volunteer, it can mean many different things (e.g. time-management skills, care about oral health promotion, etc...).

Personally, I don't have 1,000+ hours of volunteering under my belt but I definitely did what I could and made sure it was something that I was very interested in so that it was easy to make time for. Even if you volunteered at a community center for a few hours on the weekend, it doesn't hurt! You could start now 🙂

 

[periopocket]

Nothing is more important than GPA + DAT...EC's all come second to that. Many people get in every year with high stats and zero EC's

 

[jeffity]

ASDOH is one exception to the GPA+DAT trump all rule:


To even get an interview at ASDOH, [Dean] Dillenberg says, prospective students must have demonstrated backgrounds in community service. "That is equally important to us, if not more so, than GPA or dental aptitude test scores, in terms of the type of student that we want to bring into the school and nurture and then to graduate," he says. "Someone who wants to make a difference and give back to the community as part of their clinical practice."

 

[periopocket]

+1 true story, but few schools like this

 

[jeffity]

+1 true story, but few schools like this

Definitely. Just one aberration that causes many to regret applying there who simply looked at the low stats and applied.

 

[periopocket]

I feel like they pick very unique applicants...alot of them have masters degrees as well as strong extracurricular activities. They love MPH's.

 

[jeffity]

I think it's a great school, but I also feel like there's a little PR behind it all too. They take pride in being the little engine that could.

 

[Zbtb7]

Nothing is more important than GPA + DAT...EC's all come second to that. Many people get in every year with high stats and zero EC's

Is this for srs!?!?!

 

[Parklife]

artvan aren't you shooting for ivies? If so, then EC it up, because everyone is a 4.0 22 AA student.

 

[Parklife]

Thanks, but can it be argued that to differentiate oneself, the interview and personal statement components are more important?

Need the ECs to set the tone for the PS to get to the interview. Take a holistic view on your application.

Also, don't just do things just to build your application. Yeah, maybe spending 9 months of your summer doing research isn't exactly your dream summer, but do something you can at least enjoy a little bit. Volunteer trips abroad, dental summer programs, shadowing, volunteering, sports and intras, research, etc.

Be yourself. You'll find that most d-school and med school students are pretty well rounded. Even the gunners don't look like creatures of the deep and spend their days sitting home alone with their cats(keyword most )


I'm doing anthropology research scuba-diving in Italy next spring. Is it related to dentistry? Not a chance, but you can bet that it'll be more interesting to talk about in an interview compared to the usual shadow, volunteer, summer dent program student.

Change things up. It can't HURT. Remember that. It can only HELP.

 

[diasIItema]

Depends on the school. I had a 4.00 in a semi-difficult major, and a 22 DAT (great, but not REALLY great). I got into Harvard. Why? B/c I had those scores AND I had excellent extracurriculars. So do EC's matter? Not really for most schools; it's just GPA/DAT. But if you're looking at the Harvards, UCLAs, UCSFs, and Penns of the world, they want well-rounded students. Anybody can get a high DAT and 4.00 if you don't have EC's and don't do community service; you have a ton of free time. It's the people who can do that and be involved in leadership/service/athletics with legit course loads that stand out as premier candidates.

So in response to your post: without any extracurriculars or research, you're a long shot for Ivies unless you're personality is just super charming. Like I said, if I didn't do all the extracurriculars I did (sheesh, I had almost 500 community service hours my senior year alone), I could have double-majored and more. If you want Ivy, go to Columbia. All they care about is DAT score. It's pathetic (although I loved their program. Just wish they would enroll more holistic applicants).

 

[kcakezzz]

I know a few people with awesome gpas and DAT scores and they didn't get in because they were lacking the other ECs and whatnot. Most schools (not saying all) like well rounded applicants. They want someone who is intelligent and also has a good personality and can work well with others. However there's always exceptions and lots of people get in every year with just awesome stats.