How many schools are you applying to?

[free99]

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With the new cycle right around the corner, I've been working quite a bit on refining my school list and working through the difficult decision of "how much is too much?" in terms of tuition/living expenses. The list of schools I've compiled is vacillating between 20 and 25. Obviously there are a lot of factors that come into play when deciding which schools/how many you'll be applying to; Residency/location, cost, admission stats of last incoming class, OOS % int/accepted, clinical education, research opportunities, class size, curriculum, P/F, specialization rates, and faculty are just a few that come to mind. What criteria are you using to narrow your list? How wide are you "casting your net"?

Edit - poll is anonymous

 

[Ferneezy]

pretty damn wide seeing as i'm not a 'chosen one' and i only want to apply once.

given my status...can't say i harbor any exclusionary criteria when it comes to selecting which schools to apply to. i think i'm just going to avoid applying to the obviously dreamer institutions (like harvard).

 

[gn4]

It will depend on how I do on the DAT. Hopefully, I will only be sending between 6-10 applications.

 

[chill45]

With the new cycle right around the corner, I've been working quite a bit on refining my school list and working through the difficult decision of "how much is too much?" in terms of tuition/living expenses. The list of schools I've compiled is vacillating between 20 and 25. Obviously there are a lot of factors that come into play when deciding which schools/how many you'll be applying to; Residency/location, cost, admission stats of last incoming class, OOS % int/accepted, clinical education, research opportunities, class size, curriculum, P/F, specialization rates, and faculty are just a few that come to mind. What criteria are you using to narrow your list? How wide are you "casting your net"?

Edit - poll is anonymous

12 things are "just a few that come to mind?" lol not making fun just got a laugh from it. The main criteria for myself is GPA/DAT of previously enrolled class and OOS% accepted...the others are important but only relevant once you have multiple acceptances. I guess location was a factor too when I applied to 5 schools across the country and only sent in 1 or 2 supplementals among those.

 

[free99]

Haha I may have gone a little buck wild on the list. Price, location, and OOS %int/acc are my top 3, but I kept thinking of other factors that might matter, so I made the list exhaustive.

 

[ATG20]

I already applied, but my criteria were 1) OOS acceptance percentage (why bother applying if they don't take OOS) 2) Cost (I only applied to schools I'd be comfortable paying for an education at that accepted OOS) 3) Location. I felt as a predent I wasn't qualified to make decisions on things such as "faculty" and reputation, and these were the factors that had an immediate effect. The dentists I worked with told me school reputation doesn't matter so much as your own does (this isn't law, after all).

I applied to 10, and that was too many. If you're above average for most schools, I feel you should be safe with 6-7.

 

[free99]

Anyone who just submitted want to add to this poll?

 

[Glimmer1991]

I voted before I actually submitted my app, and my response isn't right anymore! I actually decided to apply to 4 schools.

Major factors: Price, location, strength of clinical program. Four made my cut: UNC, ECU, UoP, UConn.

I only applied to schools I would REALLY consider attending and that I thought had the greatest chance of being affordable (whether through in-state, scholarship, or switching to in-state). I don't want to graduate with boatloads of debt. There were a few schools that were really close calls and that I may add in a month or two, depending on how things are going. Those schools are Buffalo and Baylor, and I know both are great! I'd have applied to WVU if they didn't require a physics recommendation. I still may check with this on this eventually and see if they'd let me substitute a dentist LOR.

 

[gn4]

I voted before I actually submitted my app, and my response isn't right anymore! I actually decided to apply to 4 schools.

Major factors: Price, location, strength of clinical program. Four made my cut: UNC, ECU, UoP, UConn.

I only applied to schools I would REALLY consider attending and that I thought had the greatest chance of being affordable (whether through in-state, scholarship, or switching to in-state). I don't want to graduate with boatloads of debt. There were a few schools that were really close calls and that I may add in a month or two, depending on how things are going. Those schools are Buffalo and Baylor, and I know both are great! I'd have applied to WVU if they didn't require a physics recommendation. I still may check with this on this eventually and see if they'd let me substitute a dentist LOR.

how do you go about finding out if a school has a good clinical program? Thought about applying to UNC as well, but I think as an OOS, it will be tough to get in. I have UOP on my list as well, but it is pretty expensive

 

[MedDevil]

how do you go about finding out if a school has a good clinical program? Thought about applying to UNC as well, but I think as an OOS, it will be tough to get in. I have UOP on my list as well, but it is pretty expensive

Usually by word of mouth. Sometimes you can infer good clinical programs by their location and patient base as well.

 

[gn4]

Usually by word of mouth. Sometimes you can infer good clinical programs by their location and patient base as well.

ah ok. Thanks. So if in a big city, they most likely have a good clinical program?