How to improve application??

[Hordel]

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While I am not saying that it is over, I am preparing for the worst case. Thus, I am looking for any advice from anyone who really KNOWS how best to improve an application. My GPA is a 3.59 and science is 3.58-3.61. My DAT's are kind of bad AA is 18, TS 19, PAT 19. I have no research, which is one way I was thinking about improving, and only 80hrs of community service. I have around 150hrs in a dental office shadowing and I have only had one job working at Petco. I have played the drums for five to six years and have done numerous theater productions (don’t ask). Those are the only real highlights of my extracurricular activities (I was homeschooled so I never got to do a lot of after school type activities). Thus, my “awards” are limited as well, I am in the honor society for biology at my university and graduated from a community college with honors.

My current plan is to NOT apply next year because I just won't have enough time between now and then to really improve my application. So, I plan on retaking the DAT's over the summer and then spend the school year doing research (here's hoping), working in a dental office as an assistant/utility worker, and maybe try to volunteer at a place like Doernbechers. Do you guys have any advice? Should I take next year off and apply the following cycle considering if I reapply my application will look very similar?

P.S. this page is for others to post THEIR situation as well and look for answers of their own. At this point there are a number of us that need to begin thinking about these questions and how to improve for the future and this is the place to state what your stats and extracurriculars are and what questions you have.

 

[bjhath]

Do you guys have any advice?

My advice as a reapplicant who succeeded this year:

Apply to a post-Bac program. The one at SFSU has a really high acceptance rate to UCSF and UoP. If you are serious about dental school, then relocate if you have to.You can apply here: http://online.sfsu.edu/~brothman/DentPBP.htm
Deadline is April 1st.

Retake the DAT. Tie yourself to a chair and study for it like you mean it. Sign up for Kaplan. Study your old bio/ochem/gchem texts and notes. Buy DAT Achiever, take a practice test, then analyze your results to find out where your weaknesses are. Go back to your texts/note and study those weak areas. Rinse and repeat with other practice exams. You need to get 20+ across the board to be really competitive.

Continuing shadowing. Shadow several dentists and a specialist or two.

Volunteer more.

Rewrite your PS and have several people whose judgment you trust mark it up and make suggestions. Write it early and really think about what you want to write.

Apply early and to more schools. Submit on June 1.

It sounds like you may need to sell yourself a little better. I am sure you have some outstanding resume/application bullet points, but just need to tap your memory and exploit some of your unrecognized strengths.

Good luck!

 

[aguacero]

My current plan is to NOT apply next year because I just won't have enough time between now and then to really improve my application. So, I plan on retaking the DAT's over the summer and then spend the school year doing research (here's hoping), working in a dental office as an assistant/utility worker, and maybe try to volunteer at a place like Doernbechers. Do you guys have any advice? Should I take next year off and apply the following cycle considering if I reapply my application will look very similar?

I definately think you should apply next year. If you apply early and are selective about your schools I don't see why you wouldn't get in somewhere. Your stats are superior to mine in every single category and I was accepted to 3 schools, none of which were a state school. Sure you could improve your DAT a bit but I don't think a year off is necessary.
And by the way, in my opinion, research is way overrated. You don't need a year's worth of it to be a successful applicant.

 

[Hordel]

I would like to thank both of your for your time and your advice. It will give me some more oppinions and ideas to think about. THANK YOU!!

 

[nhpham2]

I agree with all of them. Reapply this next year. I'm in the same situation you are in and planning to retake the DAT this May or April and submit my application on June 1st. My GPA is 3.45 and 3.4sGPA with 19/19/19. No research exp but a lot of volunteer hours with many organization and about 150 hours of shadowing and volunteer exp at a dental office. I'm currently working full time however at a MMA production plant which cuts my volunteer hours down tremendously but I will have to make due. I learned my lesson this cycle. Applying late really killed our chances significantly when all the seats are filled up.

 

[codie]

I'm also in the same position. Submitted application VERY late in the cycle (was my first time applying, and ended up submitting it in January...didn't quite realize how the application worked, since Canadian schools are a bit different...and I wish I had found this site SOONER!). Doesn't help that I'm a Canadian student, and can't apply to most of the State schools.

I still haven't heard anything from the two schools I applied to, except that my file is complete and under review.

I'm thinking about re-taking my DAT, and continuing my job shadowing/working experience in a dental office (have about 1600 so far).

Hang in there, and apply again next year -- you have nothing to lose! 🙂

Good luck!

 

[Hordel]

Thank you once again to all who have responded. My only concern about reapplying next cycle is that my DAT will not have really changed much when I submit my app. I will not be ABLE to retake the DAT's till late summer (SEP-AUG). So, I am worried that a lot of schools will ask "how did you improve your app?" and I will have nothing to respond with. If you haven't really improved your app but are in the process of improving it, should you still apply?

Also, remember I started this for anyone to to post their info and ask questions as well so feel free to ask about your situation as well (if needed).

 

[youngmc27]

Apply again and follow some of the advice already given in this thread. I don't think that shadowing more or doing some research will make a huge difference. Just apply early put on your application that you are retaking the DAT and do it as soon as you possibly can. Your grades are good so with a better DAT you should be competitive next year.

 

[cybermech]

I think a simple summer research project is pretty sufficient, though if you want to move in towards a publication stage, you might need a year, it's up to you. Research is a good thing to have, but it's not absolutely required. I know for sure that I wouldn't have gotten interviews at the research-geared schools had I not done a couple of research projects.

As for stuff to do in your year off, most people usually work at a dental office, do research, dental lab, or take post-bac classes. In your case, your GPA is pretty good. So, I would say that you should work somewhere or do research.

As for the DAT, you REALLY need to get this up. I think DAT might've been the one thing that held you back this time. Get a 20+ AA with no section under 18... and you WILL get in to places...

 

[doc toothache]

My GPA is a 3.59 and science is 3.58-3.61. My DAT's are kind of bad AA is 18, TS 19, PAT 19. I have no research, which is one way I was thinking about improving, and only 80hrs of community service. I have around 150hrs in a dental office shadowing and I have only had one job working at Petco.
My current plan is to NOT apply next year because I just won't have enough time between now and then to really improve my application. So, I plan on retaking the DAT's over the summer and then spend the school year doing research (here's hoping), working in a dental office as an assistant/utility worker, and maybe try to volunteer at a place like Doernbechers. Do you guys have any advice? Should I take next year off and apply the following cycle considering if I reapply my application will look very similar?

You DAT score is on the low side and out of synch with your gpa. You should consider doing research because you are interested/fascinated by the subject matter and not because you believe it will pad your application. Find a position that is commensurate with your degree since working in a dental office is not going to make your application look any better than the 150 hours of shadowing you already have.

 

[Hordel]

I know that I have said this before, but thank you for all of your advice and I will be taking it to heart. Thank you one and all!

Sincerely, Andy