how many schools would you apply to?

[ucizotzot]

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hey everyone-
i know there are a couple of posts on this, but all of us are different in our experiences and stats.

so my question is, how many schools would you apply to if you had (or have) my stats:
cum GPA: 3.55
science GPA: 3.62
DAT: not yet taken, but scoring 19's and 20's on topscore without studying yet
-numerous volunteer/extracurricular activities + shadowing + good recs
-premed to predent convert! 😀

do you think I have a good shot at UCLA, USC and Harvard?
Can I assume that NYU and BU are safe bets? thanks!

 

[drat]

hey everyone-
i know there are a couple of posts on this, but all of us are different in our experiences and stats.

so my question is, how many schools would you apply to if you had (or have) my stats:
cum GPA: 3.55
science GPA: 3.62
DAT: not yet taken, but scoring 19's and 20's on topscore without studying yet
-numerous volunteer/extracurricular activities + shadowing + good recs
-premed to predent convert! 😀

do you think I have a good shot at UCLA, USC and Harvard?
Can I assume that NYU and BU are safe bets? thanks!

Well, I was a ***** and applied to 8 schools because I had no idea if I had "good stats" or not...(3.5 GPA, 24 AA -- in my defense, I didn't know anyone who had or was applying to dental school...it was very much an independent thing) and that was way too many. I had 3 "reach schools" and 4 "safety schools." If you're scoring 19-20 on Topscore w/o studying, I suspect you'll do well on the real deal. If I were to do it all over again, I would have 1-2 reach schools, your state school(s), and one safety. I think the list you have is pretty good...H-bomb and UCLA would be considered reach schools and NYU and BU would be safety, I suppose (and I say that because of their average GPA and DAT scores...not because of the quality of education). Avoid most state schools (in which you're not a resident) unless your scores are mindblowing.

In short, yeah, I think you have a good list...Why only UCLA and USC? What about the other Cali schools?

This is irrelevant, but I just want people to know that I love the Minnesota Twins.

 

[gundam]

hey everyone-
i know there are a couple of posts on this, but all of us are different in our experiences and stats.

so my question is, how many schools would you apply to if you had (or have) my stats:
cum GPA: 3.55
science GPA: 3.62
DAT: not yet taken, but scoring 19's and 20's on topscore without studying yet
-numerous volunteer/extracurricular activities + shadowing + good recs
-premed to predent convert! 😀

do you think I have a good shot at UCLA, USC and Harvard?
Can I assume that NYU and BU are safe bets? thanks!

You should have around 21 on real DAT then.
To UCLA and Harvard this is just or below average.
If you have a degree already, give it a shot at USC.
Number of school?
Maybe 10 for you, and not too many state schools.

 

[beannaithe]

personally i'm applying to 9 and filling out grad school applications just in case.

i've got 3.4 science, 3.6 cum, 75+ hours shadowing a dentist, interning in a dental research for over a year and have been getting 18 / 19 on practice DATs.

better safe then sorry...even though it'd be a little expensive, i'd rather get accepted somewhere then nowhere. just my 2 cents. 😛

 

[bosox_9]

Yeah I'm in a similar situation (3.5-3.6 GPA) getting 19's and 20's and I'm applying to 12 schools - just to be safe, plus 4 are out-of-state schools for me. In the long run, the money spent during the application process is a drop in the bucket, and I just want to make sure I (hopefully) give myself some options.

 

[JavadiCavity]

I applied to 12 schools, and that was overkill for my stats. I only ended up accepting interviews to 6 or 7. I'm glad I interviewed at that many schools. It really gave me a good idea of what programs were available. So, when I made my pick, I felt confident I was choosing a program that I thought was best for me. I probably could have gotten away with only interviewing at 3 schools, but I think interviewing at a few more gave me some good perspective. Obviously, there are some financial considerations to make and not everyone will have the option to interview at 6 or 7 schools, but with your stats and if you score well on the DAT, I don't think you could do wrong by interviewing at more than 3 schools.

 

[MSZ]

I was wondering the same thing myself. I plan on applying to seven schools, but I'm mostly doing it for scholarship reasons. Although, the only school from my list that I know offers a scholarship is UPenn. Is this a bad idea? I realize that I probably don't need to apply to so many, but I'd like to keep my options open just in case. Here's my list of schools: University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Tuffts, UConn, and Columbia.

 

[Pikeyman]

Research-Oriented: Harvard, Columbia, UConn

Clinical-Oriented: UMary, Buffalo, UNC, UMich, UPenn, Tufts (pretty much every other school)

For dental schools, names don't mean much.

You decided on your undergrad by names, didn't you?

 

[Sprgrover]

To the OP: with your gpa and likely DAT scores I would apply to six or eight dental schools at the most. Carefully research each one (e.g. # of out of state residents accepted, etc.) and make sure it's a program you are interested in for your own personal and professional reasons versus what others may think. I think you might have a decent shot at USC if you are getting close to obtaining a degree - and I honestly can't say what your chances are at the other two. On a different note, I was terribly insecure about my chances anywhere and thus I applied to 13 schools. I went on several interviews and eventually turned a few down simply because I discovered I wasn't interested in those programs at all and, more importantly, I didn't have a lot of cash to throw around (going to interviews can be really expensive). Ironically I was accepted to my reach schools and waitlisted/ignored at the couple of 'safety' schools on my list. What's the moral of the story? Be confident in your abilities, do well on the DAT, and don't apply to as many schools as I did.

 

[MSZ]

Research-Oriented: Harvard, Columbia, UConn

Clinical-Oriented: UMary, Buffalo, UNC, UMich, UPenn, Tufts (pretty much every other school)

For dental schools, names don't mean much.

You decided on your undergrad by names, didn't you?

Wow, that's not it at all Pikeyman. Believe me, I've researched all the schools and I'm pretty sure I know which one I like the best. Some of these other schools are because of pressure from parents/ recommendation from pre-health advisors. I could tell you right now that UPenn is my favorite because it is strong both in research and clinical experiences. Also, UPenn offers dual degrees in masters in education (and others) and I am very interested in teaching at some point. I also like it because of the externships they offer to fourth year students (I very much want to go to Spain). If I could just apply to one school (and not be worried about it), I would only apply to UPenn. But, due to financial concerns and the fact that I am considering specialization, I want to keep my options open. So please don't take my post the wrong way.

And just so you know, I attend a small liberal arts school (called Union College in upstate NY) that most people are not familiar with. So names are not my game.

 

[edkNARF]

This isn't the most "SDN politically correct" thing to say: apply to as many schools as you can afford to, but only ones you think you might want to wish to attend. Take into account the full cost of interviewing when I say "schools you can afford to." It is much easier to cancel an interview, than it is to have AADSAS send your application to them half-way through the cycle. I had stats similar to yours and I applied to 15 schools, got invites at 12, interviewed at 8, and was accepted to 6. Hope this helps.

 

[ucizotzot]

thanks for all these awesome replies! i will definitely apply to my state schools (Cali) and a reach school (Havard) and a safety (NYU and BU). and as people said, all schools are great so please don't be offended that I called NYU and BU my safety =). thanks again!

 

[drat]

And just so you know, I attend a small liberal arts school (called Union College in upstate NY) that most people are not familiar with. So names are not my game.

Holla...I live about a mile from Union College. We should get together at Gershon's Deli.

 

[charmstot]

I had similar stats to yours and I applied to 6 schools.

 

[onetoothleft]

Wow, that's not it at all Pikeyman. Believe me, I've researched all the schools and I'm pretty sure I know which one I like the best. Some of these other schools are because of pressure from parents/ recommendation from pre-health advisors. I could tell you right now that UPenn is my favorite because it is strong both in research and clinical experiences. Also, UPenn offers dual degrees in masters in education (and others) and I am very interested in teaching at some point. I also like it because of the externships they offer to fourth year students (I very much want to go to Spain). If I could just apply to one school (and not be worried about it), I would only apply to UPenn. But, due to financial concerns and the fact that I am considering specialization, I want to keep my options open. So please don't take my post the wrong way.

And just so you know, I attend a small liberal arts school (called Union College in upstate NY) that most people are not familiar with. So names are not my game.

NYU offers one full ride scholarship each year to one student. The person that gets it usually has outrageous stats like you do, so I suggest applying to see if you get it. It is worth a shot. NYU isn't the best school, but if you can go for free . . .

I would at least call the financial advisor and ask her if you would be a good candidate.

 

[ItsGavinC]

This isn't the most "SDN politically correct" thing to say: apply to as many schools as you can afford to, but only ones you think you might want to wish to attend.

Excellent advice!

 

[MSZ]

Holla...I live about a mile from Union College. We should get together at Gershon's Deli.

Haha, I know exactly where that is.

 

[The Godfather]

hey everyone-
i know there are a couple of posts on this, but all of us are different in our experiences and stats.

so my question is, how many schools would you apply to if you had (or have) my stats:
cum GPA: 3.55
science GPA: 3.62
DAT: not yet taken, but scoring 19's and 20's on topscore without studying yet
-numerous volunteer/extracurricular activities + shadowing + good recs
-premed to predent convert! 😀

do you think I have a good shot at UCLA, USC and Harvard?
Can I assume that NYU and BU are safe bets? thanks!

I had similar stats (and 21AA DAT). I applied to eight (4 state schools - my in-state and three that accepted decent perecentages of out-of-staters) and four privates, and got interviews everywhere (only attended one because I found out about my first choice before the rest were scheduled - apps weren't complete until end of October!) Don't shoot yourself in the foot by being too selective, because remember that the interview is a big part at a lot of schools, so the stats don't guarantee you're in. Better to spend a little cash this year than sitting it out. Good luck!

 

[ucizotzot]

I had similar stats (and 21AA DAT). I applied to eight (4 state schools - my in-state and three that accepted decent perecentages of out-of-staters) and four privates, and got interviews everywhere (only attended one because I found out about my first choice before the rest were scheduled - apps weren't complete until end of October!) Don't shoot yourself in the foot by being too selective, because remember that the interview is a big part at a lot of schools, so the stats don't guarantee you're in. Better to spend a little cash this year than sitting it out. Good luck!

thanks again for all the advice! bump.

 

[organichemistry]

thanks again for all the advice! bump.

i would say 5-6 schools would be sufficient for you.

i'm going to end up with probably a 3.7 or 3.8 and have a ~20 AA and will probably apply to my state school, and 2 or 3 others.

 

[nothen2do]

i would say 5-6 schools would be sufficient for you.

i'm going to end up with probably a 3.7 or 3.8 and have a ~20 AA and will probably apply to my state school, and 2 or 3 others.

want to come to California huh (from your sig.)? Its a good place to be 👍