I'm scared and somewhat panicking...

[dreaming2k5]

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I just found this forum today and I've been reading many threads concerning applying to dental school. The more I read, the more incompetent I feel...

I wanted to apply early, but I didn't because I thought I must have all the recommendation letters lined up and sent in all at once. I didn't send in my official transcripts to verify, because I thought punching in the coursework seems like enough work already. I didn't give my Pre-Health office the matching forms for LOR, ... so many other things I didn't do, because I can't read the $#@* direction.

I think I'm totally screwed.. but I've already paid 200 dollars to take the DAT... paid 1000 to take the kaplan class... paid 3000+ just to take the pre-requisites necessary for dental school... now, I just found out the fee to apply to 12 dental schools through AADSAS is $835. Not only that, each school will want more money to process the applications.

I don't know how much more I'd spend, just to gamble for the chance at getting into Dental School... I just read someone got waitlisted even with cumulative GPA of 3.8. What chance would I have with my low cumulative GPA of 3.18 and a non-traditional student. Would the admission committee laugh at my application when they see I have a degree in Computer Engineering instead of Microbiology? ...

Seems like everyone on this forum has done everything they need to and I'm way behind. Everyone else's grade are super competitive, and their DAT scores are super excellent. Not only that, most of yous have hundreds of hours of shadowing experience, volunteer hours, and research... I only job shadowed ONCE for like 4 hours! I volunteered 3 times only! And I only started research this summer! I wish I could put on my application that my life long dream was being a dentist, but I can't even pretend such because I already have a degree in CEN!

The whole family have their hopes riding on me... but how can I face them when I tell them because I'm too dumb to get into any schools? Maybe I should've stayed in the cubicle and program my life away... I wonder if anyone else on this forum feels the same way.

I just wanted to rant a bit -- I do have a question though...

Can I still hit the E-submit button without a check mark on the "Evaluators (LOR Matching Form)"? Will the check mark appear later if I submit it and they get the letters?

 

[airvent]

A 3.18 may be good enough if you do well on the DAT. You can continue to shadow over the summer and coming year until you get an interview. You can also wait another year to get more experience and save some money. Study more for the DAT and take some more science classes

I was a political sci major so as you can see College major isn't that big of a deal. Also the LOR matchinmg forms aren't to big of a deal. Does your school have a pre-health comittee that organizes the LORs for you? Use them instead.

 

[kew]

The answer is yes. I submitted my app without the evaluator thing done. If you don't send it to AADSAS, then they will not wait for it. They will send your applications to all the schools regardless. Then you can just send you LOR's to all the schools individually. That's the way I would recommend doing it anyway because AADSAS will probably lose them anyway and screw it up. Many people don't send LOR's to aadsas.

About the rest of the stuff. You may not be the elite candidate, but sometiimes people like you and me don't get things right the first time and we use them as learning experiences. You have a long future ahead with lots of promise in it. You're already a step ahead just by deciding to do dentistry. If it was easy to pull off, everybody would do it.

And when you read people on this forum and see how spectacular they are, just know that it is a lot easier to post your stats when your stats rule. Look at the opening site when you're deciding what threads to read and you'll see that there's a lot more people that are reading the thread than those that actually post something. It's like 10 to 1. So that means that 9 out of 10 people on SDN aren't writing hardly anything. HMMM..... I wonder what their stats are......

There's one thing that I know about this field and that is that persistence pays off. Always be optimistic and keep at it and you will get in. I studies for 6 straight months for the DAT and got only a 16. I had already applied to 12 schools and sent in my secondaries. I was just kind of banking on scoring better (we're talking 6 months of studying here). After the score I decided to throw it all in and do it better. I waited whole other year and studied another 5 months. YEAH...This time I scored an 18. I've gotta be the stupidest person in the world to study for a total of 11 months and only score an 18. However I did get a 22 on the PAT. I know that I'll get in with those scores and if I don't, I'll do something different the next time. But don't just throw away a lifetime of success and promise because a few years were harder than you expected. You'll always look back (in your cubicle) and wonder what could have been, so just keep at it and be patient.

WOW THAT WAS MY LONGEST POST.....I Guess I could say "I FEEL YOU MAN" 🙂

 

[Mr.E]

I just found this forum today and I've been reading many threads concerning applying to dental school. The more I read, the more incompetent I feel...

I wanted to apply early, but I didn't because I thought I must have all the recommendation letters lined up and sent in all at once. I didn't send in my official transcripts to verify, because I thought punching in the coursework seems like enough work already. I didn't give my Pre-Health office the matching forms for LOR, ... so many other things I didn't do, because I can't read the $#@* direction.

I think I'm totally screwed.. but I've already paid 200 dollars to take the DAT... paid 1000 to take the kaplan class... paid 3000+ just to take the pre-requisites necessary for dental school... now, I just found out the fee to apply to 12 dental schools through AADSAS is $835. Not only that, each school will want more money to process the applications.

I don't know how much more I'd spend, just to gamble for the chance at getting into Dental School... I just read someone got waitlisted even with cumulative GPA of 3.8. What chance would I have with my low cumulative GPA of 3.18 and a non-traditional student. Would the admission committee laugh at my application when they see I have a degree in Computer Engineering instead of Microbiology? ...

Seems like everyone on this forum has done everything they need to and I'm way behind. Everyone else's grade are super competitive, and their DAT scores are super excellent. Not only that, most of yous have hundreds of hours of shadowing experience, volunteer hours, and research... I only job shadowed ONCE for like 4 hours! I volunteered 3 times only! And I only started research this summer! I wish I could put on my application that my life long dream was being a dentist, but I can't even pretend such because I already have a degree in CEN!

The whole family have their hopes riding on me... but how can I face them when I tell them because I'm too dumb to get into any schools? Maybe I should've stayed in the cubicle and program my life away... I wonder if anyone else on this forum feels the same way.

I just wanted to rant a bit -- I do have a question though...

Can I still hit the E-submit button without a check mark on the "Evaluators (LOR Matching Form)"? Will the check mark appear later if I submit it and they get the letters?

Yeh, I feel the same way. I have a great deal riding on this gamble myself. All we can do is try and hope for the best. In the meantime, try not to worry about things that are already permanent markers on your GPA and life history. Work on improving yourself, and hope that the AADSAS sees past the numbers. Write a good dental essay, and study hard for the DAT. With a good essay and some good DAT score you may have a chance still.

Good luck!

 

[Dental916]

my gpa was a 3.0. my dats were 18 aa 18 sci and 18 pat. i got in. study hard for the dats and u got a good shot. also, i took my dats on sept 14, but the rest of my app was complete. dont worrry...just get on it.

 

[coolslugs]

my gpa was a 3.0. my dats were 18 aa 18 sci and 18 pat. i got in. study hard for the dats and u got a good shot. also, i took my dats on sept 14, but the rest of my app was complete. dont worrry...just get on it.

just curious...where did you get into? I just finished my first year of college and my cum GPA right now is 2.85 and sci GPA is 2.60...damn math classes...I need to do better!

 

[dexadental]

Just in: Met a guy with a 2.8, got into University of Maryland (Baltimore College of Dental Surgery) last year...it can be done....had average DATs too, but very personable and just what they are looking for..he claims to have "wooed" them at the interview.

 

[Dental916]

just curious...where did you get into? I just finished my first year of college and my cum GPA right now is 2.85 and sci GPA is 2.60...damn math classes...I need to do better!

going to nyu.

 

[Generallee]

Hey cheer up! Keep your head up! You are in a fine position. Be happy that your GPA is above the so called "cutoff" for most schools. Your app will at least not be screened out. With that said, I'm pretty much an average applicant according to many. I wish I pulled off 20s on my DAT but I didn't and I'm not planning on retaking it. IMO, I think the people who post their wonderful scores on this site are more on the minority than majority. I mean, the national average for the DAT according to ADA is 17. If you look at most schools average admission stats, they will say any where from 17-19 with a GPA of 3.2-3.4. You, are not out of the game by any means!!! Get above the average for your DATs and maintain or improve your GPA a little and you will have a fair shot. Remember, there are more to an applicant than just numbers. IMO, your degree is only going to help you and not hurt you.

 

[dreaming2k5]

Thank you everyone, for the kind words. I just e-submitted my AADSAS application after looking over it 4 times. Clicking the last few buttons seem to have such scary finality to them. It looks weird with the LOR unchecked, but hopefully, my pre-health office can pull through for me on that.

 

[Sprgrover]

As others have pointed out, you are far from screwed. Sure you should have followed some of the directions, as doing so will only cut down on the chances of AADSAS or schools misplacing your items, but that's in the past. I suggest that you send in your official transcripts to AADSAS asap - they'll need them for sure. It sounds like you have invested a lot, both in time and money, towards the DAT. Make sure you do well on it as that will really boost your chances. In regards to your major, not everyone has a degree in the biological sciences and no, adcoms will not laugh at yours. For example I majored in Art History and there are others on SDN that have various other degrees - you're in good company here.

Applying to dental school is both expensive and stressful. Try to remember that what you are paying now is a small investment in a greater future and don't forget to put everything into perspective when you start to feel stressed. There is no point in worrying about something you have no control over. If you manage your hand properly I'm sure you'll look back in a year from now as you're off to dental school and realize that you were not as bad off as you once thought. 👍

 

[Comet208]

I agree with all the points made above. I should also assure you that you are on your way to the dental school. However, it seems to me that you are not yet ready to apply for this cycle. DO NOT RUSH THINGS. One year later wont kill you. Take your time, study well for the DAT, maybe take couple more upper level bio courses, volunteer at a dental office (and make sure dentistry is REALLY what you want.. you need to convince the ad coms about change in your career), have your LOR's written early, and apply early for the next cycle. All these take time, most of us have been preparing for almost 2 years. best of luck to you.

 

[Flipper405]

I agree with all the points made above. I should also assure you that you are on your way to the dental school. However, it seems to me that you are not yet ready to apply for this cycle. DO NOT RUSH THINGS. One year later wont kill you. Take your time, study well for the DAT, maybe take couple more upper level bio courses, volunteer at a dental office (and make sure dentistry is REALLY what you want.. you need to convince the ad coms about change in your career), have your LOR's written early, and apply early for the next cycle. All these take time, most of us have been preparing for almost 2 years. best of luck to you.

I also agree with this. You are not as bad as you think. However, I also agree that it might be worth it to take your time and be definitely ready for the next cycle by applying really early.

Good luck.

 

[aggie-master]

I'm in a similar situation in a lot of ways. I don't have my LORs or shadowing experience and I haven't taken the DAT yet (I'm going to take it in the second week of September). I'm still missing some of the prereqs. I am also a computer programmer.

I decided that even though it would probably increase my chances of being a top candidate if I waited for the 2007 cycle and applied early, I'm going to apply to my top choice for the 2006 cycle. It is only going to cost me around $200.00 and the worst thing that can happen is that they'll deny me and I'll have to retake the DAT and get more shadowing hours and possibly take more classes to show that I really want it.

One area where we probably differ is that I currently have a > 3.8 cumulative and science gpa and I am an ethnic minority which allegedly has its benefits when applying to dental school.

 

[dreaming2k5]

It is only going to cost me around $200.00 and the worst thing that can happen is that they'll deny me and I'll have to retake the DAT and get more shadowing hours and possibly take more classes to show that I really want it.

It costs 200 to take the DAT... and to submit the AADSAS application (most schools require it), it costs ... well, ALOT. I just submitted my application, and it cost me $835 for 12 schools.

One area where we probably differ is that I currently have a > 3.8 cumulative and science gpa and I am an ethnic minority which allegedly has its benefits when applying to dental school.

I'm a minority too =) But, yeah, that's a wonderful GPA and you stand much higher chance at being taken than me. Ah, so I worry, and worry. I sent in my application this cycle...

At the very least, Howard Dental School of DC should give me an interview! I hope =) The best I can hope for is University of Florida tho (but I heard they're very stringest too)...

So, I continue to worry.

 

[gabrielmeraz]

As others have pointed out, you are far from screwed. Sure you should have followed some of the directions, as doing so will only cut down on the chances of AADSAS or schools misplacing your items, but that's in the past. I suggest that you send in your official transcripts to AADSAS asap - they'll need them for sure. It sounds like you have invested a lot, both in time and money, towards the DAT. Make sure you do well on it as that will really boost your chances. In regards to your major, not everyone has a degree in the biological sciences and no, adcoms will not laugh at yours. For example I majored in Art History and there are others on SDN that have various other degrees - you're in good company here.

Applying to dental school is both expensive and stressful. Try to remember that what you are paying now is a small investment in a greater future and don't forget to put everything into perspective when you start to feel stressed. There is no point in worrying about something you have no control over. If you manage your hand properly I'm sure you'll look back in a year from now as you're off to dental school and realize that you were not as bad off as you once thought. 👍

Sprgover, You're surely inspirational. You're sure the heart and soul of SDN. Definitely amen to that!!