If you could change ONE thing about the application process…

[jeffity]

I suspect many of you would get rid of this wait-for-December business, especially if you were a real go-getter and submitted almost SIX months ago (only about 100 hours to go). But if you could change one thing about the whole application process, what would it be? AADSAS processing? AADSAS character limits? More than 4 LORs? Uniform, consistent, timely updates in AADSAS from all schools (yeah right)? AADSAS altogether? Fees and secondaries handled through AADSAS? A similar 10-year-old thread suggested a separate application process for non-trads or waiving GPA requirements for non-trads (I'm not down with that). EC verification (that would get interesting)? Resurrect predents (that made it more fun)? How about some Skype interviews?

By the way, good luck to you all who have interviewed or who are eagerly awaiting interviews! I won’t pretend I’m as anxious as any of you, but as a spectator, I’m pretty eager to see what happens Dec 2nd.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Papasmurf1234]

No essays lol

 

[Troyvdg]

RESURRECT PREDENTS.

that site did make the entire process more exciting, and wouldn'tcha knowit...the cycle I apply is of course when it is no longer available.

 

[Mediumrare]

preferential treatment for re-applicants (or just me.... I'de take either)!

 

[lwen5]

I would do this:
-Applicants should not be allowed to mention race and schools should be prevented from asking about a person's race.
- I feel that AADSAS and ADA take too long with the scores. It took almost 30 days for my DAT scores to get uploaded, yet at the same time people who took their DAT after me got their scores in before me. It really shouldn't take more than a week. AADSAS sure charges a lot of money for their lack of speed. Then it took a week to mail out my application.
-They need to reduce the amount of time it takes to 'mail out'
-They need to increase the character limit by like 15 more characters. It is way too short.

 

[soydentista]

They should allow upload of pictures!! show your beautiful pearly white teeth lol

 

[y3nd0]

Surprised no one mentioned money.
No application fees period. And schools that invite you pay for the flight and lodging. Save me some $$$!

In a perfect world... One can dream. Haha.

 

[HaverfoodsDDS]

Jeffity mentioned it, but to me the most annoying thing is the totally arbitrary Dec 2nd date. Let students know as soon as you make a decision on them! What's the benefit of waiting till Dec 2?

 

[AKDent]

Jeffity mentioned it, but to me the most annoying thing is the totally arbitrary Dec 2nd date. Let students know as soon as you make a decision on them! What's the benefit of waiting till Dec 2?

Its agonizing to wait until the deadline.

 

[MedDevil]

Would make the EC description boxes more similar to AMCAS. 175 characters to describe research and multiple-year-long projects is near impossible.

 

[CleverThought]

I agree with the Dec 2 date. I have friends who have already gotten acceptances for medical/pharmacy/PA/etc school. Not at all fair...

 

[soydentista]

Jeffity mentioned it, but to me the most annoying thing is the totally arbitrary Dec 2nd date. Let students know as soon as you make a decision on them! What's the benefit of waiting till Dec 2?

Waiting till Dec 2nd makes it " an unforgettable event " that will stay in our heads for the rest of our lives ...

 

[sgv]

I suspect many of you would get rid of this wait-for-December business, especially if you were a real go-getter and submitted almost SIX months ago (only about 100 hours to go). But if you could change one thing about the whole application process, what would it be? AADSAS processing? AADSAS character limits? More than 4 LORs? Uniform, consistent, timely updates in AADSAS from all schools (yeah right)? AADSAS altogether? Fees and secondaries handled through AADSAS? A similar 10-year-old thread suggested a separate application process for non-trads or waiving GPA requirements for non-trads (I'm not down with that). EC verification (that would get interesting)? Resurrect predents (that made it more fun)? How about some Skype interviews?

By the way, good luck to you all who have interviewed or who are eagerly awaiting interviews! I won’t pretend I’m as anxious as any of you, but as a spectator, I’m pretty eager to see what happens Dec 2nd.

I don't know if this has to do with AADSAS but good gosh! Deposits costing >$1,000?! What the *#%@?! I blame the policy of acceptance notification delayed to Dec 1st for all school. Why can't we make it like medical schools and bump up that notification date to Nov and and make deposits a hundred bucks?

 

[gn4]

yea, I don't like the costs for saving a school. Hopefully, it's a problem I have on Dec 2. haha

 

[wb1]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

 

[hitmans45]

These ridiculous secondaries that ask for information already on your application. Along with the fees which pretty much doubled the cost of the app process. We spend all this time/money preparing our apps and to ask us to do it again with a 10 day deadline is absurd.

 

[hitmans45]

The LOR from a science professor doesn't make sense to me either. It just causes someone to try to force a relationship with basically a stranger trying to do their job. To try to stick out from a sea of 100 other students you raise your hand to ask questions you probably know the answer to, you go to office hours even though you could easily figure things out for yourself. And at the end of the day He/She still really has no idea who you are and honestly all they can say is that you did well in their class. It wastes both your time as well as the professors. Thank god my school had a committee program.

 

[athomas]

I would do this:
-Applicants should not be allowed to mention race and schools should be prevented from asking about a person's race.
- I feel that AADSAS and ADA take too long with the scores. It took almost 30 days for my DAT scores to get uploaded, yet at the same time people who took their DAT after me got their scores in before me. It really shouldn't take more than a week. AADSAS sure charges a lot of money for their lack of speed. Then it took a week to mail out my application.
-They need to reduce the amount of time it takes to 'mail out'
-They need to increase the character limit by like 15 more characters. It is way too short.

Why should they be prevented from asking about race? It's already an option to decline to answer, isn't it?

 

[grizzles]

I don't know if this has to do with AADSAS but good gosh! Deposits costing >$1,000?! What the *#%@?! I blame the policy of acceptance notification delayed to Dec 1st for all school. Why can't we make it like medical schools and bump up that notification date to Nov and and make deposits a hundred bucks?

Yeah I would have to agree that this is one of the worst things...you wait forever to hear something and then once you do you have to pay $1,000+ to secure an opportunity that you will likely give up anyway (when a more desirable school lets you know). I think instead of having the crazy deposit amounts they could have a policy allowing us to only hold a maximum of 2 or 3 positions at one time (until a hard date in April).

 

[durden]

I'd agree with hit man 45.

- LOR. Those people have to write tons of the things.

- also the secondaries asking the same thing that is on AADSAS, or schools wanting you to specify why you want to attend their institution, when every schools website mentions pretty much the same thing.

 

[Coffeeisamust]

Take QR off the DAT. most of the math on the DAT is from high school.

One of my interviews seemed pointless, it was short and they seemed to have had thier mind already made up. The cost of the interviews blow. I think it would be interesting if the dress code for the interviews were what you would wear in the street.

 

[athomas]

Take QR off the DAT. most of the math on the DAT is from high school.

One of my interviews seemed pointless, it was short and they seemed to have had thier mind already made up. The cost of the interviews blow. I think it would be interesting if the dress code for the interviews were what you would wear in the street.

I don't think the dress code is that bad, I got a nice wool suit on sale for $150 or so, but the cost of flights and especially hotels is nuts. I wish they scheduled interviews so you could fly in in the morning and out in the afternoon

 

[jeffity]

Take QR off the DAT. most of the math on the DAT is from high school.

I think I read somewhere that they are going to make this section more reasoning and less math; like drop geometry and trig. I should probably verify before posting vague stuff like this...

 

[BlueDevil2012]

More schools should schedule interviews on Saturday.

 

[ktran17]

I think I read somewhere that they are going to make this section more reasoning and less math; like drop geometry and trig. I should probably verify before posting vague stuff like this...

As long as they somehow test reasoning/logic then I'll be fine with that. Shoot, they should replace QR with philosophical logic questions

 

[jeffity]

Here it is. Critical thinking they're calling it.

Critical thinking content included in Quantitative Reasoning Test (QRT) by

• Elimination of numerical calculations, conversions, geometry, and trigonometry

• Addition of data analysis, data interpretation, data sufficiency, quantitative comparison, more critical thinking items in probability and statistics.
  

Timetable for implementation:
2013 - Critical thinking items will be pretested.
2013-2014 - Pretesting data collected, item performance and quality evaluated. (Pretested items scores will not be part of QRT score)
2015 critical thinking included in QRT score

 

[HandsOnPractice]

Phone interviews

 

[Glimmer1991]

Interviews that didn't require missing school. It adds stress to an already stressful senior schedule.

 

[LaughingGas]

Travel discount for the candidates....... also interview dates NOT on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday .... lost attendance points

 

[morning92]

-Interviews should only be allowed from Friday through Monday. None of this Wednesday or Thursday nonsense where it's almost impossible not to miss three whole days of school.
-AADSAS batches should be done away with. Send the application when it's finished, don't wait for an additional week and a half.
-Notification when prereqs aren't clearly filled and more awareness on the part of the dental school as to what is commonly offered in schools. My biochemistry requirement was marked as unfilled in multiple schools that I applied to, despite my being a biochemistry major and having over 20 credit hours of biochemistry coursework, because they didn't recognize my biochemistry course names. This delayed both supplemental applications and interviews at multiple schools and resulted in hours worth of phone calls.

 

[lwen5]

Why should they be prevented from asking about race? It's already an option to decline to answer, isn't it?

Because doing so could lead to discrimination, which against the U.S constitution. Also, I would hope that we live in a country where we are judged not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.

 

[BlueDevil2012]

Because doing so could lead to discrimination, which against the U.S constitution. Also, I would hope that we live in a country where we are judged not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.

Although this is of course ideal, more often than not this leads to less diversity. As is, all minorities only encompass 9.5% of Dentists in the US and that small fraction already treats a dissproportionate amount of minority patients when compared to their non minority colleagues (according to the asst dean of admissions at UK). IMO, race should be a consideration but by no means a determining factor.

 

[jeffity]

Although this is of course ideal, more often than not this leads to less diversity. As is, all minorities only encompass 9.5% of Dentists in the US and that small fraction already treats a dissproportionate amount of minority patients when compared to their non minority colleagues (according to the asst dean of admissions at UK). IMO, race should be a consideration but by no means a determining factor.

I did see a powerpoint presentation for admissions people that discussed this. And that was the vibe; being aware and consider it, but don't just accept based on that one factor alone.

 

[drsuya]

Interview via Webcam... travel expenses ran over in the thousands
Shorten the waiting period... the anticipation is just too much!

 

[Mediumrare]

To be honest, I would allow schools to present offers when they wanted.... If you were a first batcher and they like you... Boom!

 

[Glimmer1991]

To be honest, I would allow schools to present offers when they wanted.... If you were a first batcher and they like you... Boom!

The only problem with this arises when it comes to having to put down a deposit. What if one of your choices interviews and accepts you in August, but you don't get an interview at your top choice until November? You'd be forced to put down a deposit just in case, as the top choice would not even be an option by the time it was due.

 

[Mediumrare]

The only problem with this arises when it comes to having to put down a deposit. What if one of your choices interviews and accepts you in August, but you don't get an interview at your top choice until November? You'd be forced to put down a deposit just in case, as the top choice would not even be an option by the time it was due.

Thats absolutely a valid case. That early University would have to be one that you are seriously considering. As such, any further acceptances would have to be based not on emotions, but rather the overall cost of schooling. ie- you get accepted to a school early that costs 400k and put a deposit on it. You get an acceptance later on at State School University that costs 250k. It would thus have been cost effective to spend (or waste if you wish) 1k to save 150k... Net=+149k!!!!!!!

 

[grizzles]

The only problem with this arises when it comes to having to put down a deposit. What if one of your choices interviews and accepts you in August, but you don't get an interview at your top choice until November? You'd be forced to put down a deposit just in case, as the top choice would not even be an option by the time it was due.

We get rid of the enormous deposits. I don't see why they are SO much. In the end you can only attend one school, deposit required or not. As long as everyone would stick to hard and fast traffic dates, no one gets hurt and students save money and can make a more informed choice on their school.