I know many people are wondering and worrying about this upcoming school year, because they did not get into dental school. I have a message: "Do not give up, because you can get accepted with a little work!" I remember vividly how disappointed I was last year. I received only one interview, which was my state school. I was waitlisted there and never heard back from them. I understand the reason I didn't get accepted. As a first time applicant, my GPA (3.23), Science GPA (barely below 3.0), and DAT were low (18 AA, 19 PAT). I thought, as many SDN contributors do, the name of my institution I attended would mean something, with regards to my lower than average statistics.
I graduated in May 2009 and didn't know what my next step was. Do I attend a post-bacc program at UofP, Temple, etc... or do I just take additional classes at a local institution? I met with my advisor to make a plan. We decided it was best for me to take additional science classes and raise my GPA, retake DAT possibly, and additional shadowing. I took his advice and moved back home where I enrolled into a local state university and took a higher-level science class during the first month of the summer. I did really well in it and earned an A in the class. (I did think it was much easier than taking it at my undergrad institution, maybe because a summer class or a state school). During 2008-2009, I showed an ability to raise my GPA by taking additional science classes and taking a full load of 18 credit hours. While the fall semester was semi-decent, I truly showed improvement my final semester of college by earning all A's.
After doing well at the state school, I spent the month of July studying specifically for the DAT and filling out my application with new letters of recommendation. I was able to showcase the upscale projectory in my application. I raised my DAT to a 20 AA and a 21 PAT with no sections lower than a 19. By taking the class at the state school and doing well my senior year, I was able to raise my GPA and Science GPA (3.19). I also signed up for additional science classes at the state school during the fall semester. I signed up for 2 higher-level biology classes and a math class. I only signed up for 3 classes, because they were the only ones allowed in my schedule that I had not taken yet.
During that semester, Fall 2009, I received 7 interview offers, followed up by 4 additional interviews in January for January and February. My interviews were late in the cycle November - February. I didnt receive my first interview offer until the first week of November. Basically to cut a story short, I interviewed at 8 schools and cancelled the rest. I was accepted to 7 of the schools and the 8th school still has me waitlisted. Also, all the schools that offered me interviews were schools that denied me last year. I just wanted people to know you can get accepted the 2nd year around, better days lie ahead. Hope this helps, just keep dont give up.
I graduated in May 2009 and didn't know what my next step was. Do I attend a post-bacc program at UofP, Temple, etc... or do I just take additional classes at a local institution? I met with my advisor to make a plan. We decided it was best for me to take additional science classes and raise my GPA, retake DAT possibly, and additional shadowing. I took his advice and moved back home where I enrolled into a local state university and took a higher-level science class during the first month of the summer. I did really well in it and earned an A in the class. (I did think it was much easier than taking it at my undergrad institution, maybe because a summer class or a state school). During 2008-2009, I showed an ability to raise my GPA by taking additional science classes and taking a full load of 18 credit hours. While the fall semester was semi-decent, I truly showed improvement my final semester of college by earning all A's.
After doing well at the state school, I spent the month of July studying specifically for the DAT and filling out my application with new letters of recommendation. I was able to showcase the upscale projectory in my application. I raised my DAT to a 20 AA and a 21 PAT with no sections lower than a 19. By taking the class at the state school and doing well my senior year, I was able to raise my GPA and Science GPA (3.19). I also signed up for additional science classes at the state school during the fall semester. I signed up for 2 higher-level biology classes and a math class. I only signed up for 3 classes, because they were the only ones allowed in my schedule that I had not taken yet.
During that semester, Fall 2009, I received 7 interview offers, followed up by 4 additional interviews in January for January and February. My interviews were late in the cycle November - February. I didnt receive my first interview offer until the first week of November. Basically to cut a story short, I interviewed at 8 schools and cancelled the rest. I was accepted to 7 of the schools and the 8th school still has me waitlisted. Also, all the schools that offered me interviews were schools that denied me last year. I just wanted people to know you can get accepted the 2nd year around, better days lie ahead. Hope this helps, just keep dont give up.
