Dental How should I go about reapplication?

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi, Dear SDN experts,

I am a second-time reapplicant for dental schools in the 2020-2021 cycle.

Here is a brief background about myself: For my first-year application process (2019-2020), I submitted my application in late September 2019, to four dental schools in California, including USC, UOP, UCLA, and Western University. Among the list, I have not heard anything back from UCLA. Besides, Western University and UOP had rejected me officially, without an interview invitation in March and April, respectively. And, USC has been putting me on the waitlist after the interview in January. As of now, I realized I have little chance to get accepted this year, so I need some advice for my next cycle, improving my competence as a pre-dental student.

Here are my important stats:
DAT – 24AA, 25PAT, 23TS
RC-19, Biology-22, GC-25, OC-25, QR-30
GPA (UCLA, Chemistry) - 3.712 overall GPA, 3.698 major GPA.
GPA (Fullerton College, Chemistry)- 3.87 overall GPA, 4.00 major GPA
Volunteering Hours: 80 hours of volunteering at UCLA School of Dentistry
Shadowing Hours: 80 hours of shadowing a general dentist and 40 hours of shadowing a periodontist.
Research Experience: None

I have been staying at home since the social-distancing restriction has started. And I am aware that my weaknesses are the insufficient amount of volunteering and shadowing hours, and lack of experience in research and dental-related extracurricular activities. However, under the circumstance of Covid-19 spreading around, and I am living with my parents, who both have underlying conditions, it is not an appropriate time for me to gain more hands-on experience in dental clinics now. Therefore, I feel stuck in such an awkward situation where I couldn't do more to make myself a more competitive candidate for this application cycle. I am planning to ask dental practices for an opportunity to volunteer as a dental assistant once the state returns to normal. But it won't catch up on time since the AADSAS submission date will reopen on June 16th.

Any advice and feedback on my situation would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Just in case: ► How to Format your WAMC Thread ◄ .

Could you highlight the changes in your reapplication versus your original attempt? You only applied in-state to your California schools?

I'm not sure but if you are still on the WL for USC, I'd still be hopeful to get an offer. Not a lot of people can stomach the cost of attendance at USC, but it if's your only option that you left yourself.... your metrics are such that they should be very interested in having you, but something else in your interviewing may make people hesitate.

If anything, prepare an ADEA AADSAS application for 2020-2021, submit it when they are able to take your money, and don't make "I sent a late application" be your excuse. Add more private schools where you want to go to your list, and check any OOS stats for public dental schools where you want to go.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for your quick and helpful response!

Yes, I only applied in-state to California school for my first round, which I won't do it again. Instead, I will try to add more schools and apply this cycle broadly under the guidance of Dental School Explorer.

I wonder if re-applicants not having any highlighted change (research, clinical, and volunteer experience) in their application than their previous cycle, will severely make them less competitive to dental schools than last year. In this case, do you have any suggestions regarding how to improve my application at this point, while the open date of the AADSAS application is approaching? What I can think of would only be revising my personal statement and taking more courses to fulfill more out-of-state schools' prerequisites.

I understand if programs will specifically look at trends and changes from the previous cycle. However, due to the COVID-19, it currently became challenging to gain more clinic experience through shadowing and volunteering in private practices. Will this scenario change how admission office views on students' clinical hours?


Any recommendations about my reapplication would be much appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

Don't submit late. You probably should have taken those other courses that would be prereqs at your desired OOS schools during this past year so they could have been recorded grades by the time you applied this time.