is it too late to apply for HPSP scholarships?

[schen140]

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technically the deadlines for application submission have not yet passed, but realistically, is it too late to apply for the navy, air force, or army scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year? ive been talking to recruiters the past two days and they keep sidestepping the questions when i ask:

1. approximately what percentage of HSPS applicants actually get accepted (for each of the three military branches)?
2. since I would be applying just a few weeks before the deadline, would the timing of my application be held against me?

the recruiters keep telling me things along the lines of "just apply and see if you get accepted," "dont worry about the competition, just worry about how competitive you yourself are," and my favorite, "come on dude you graduated from berkeley, you have got to learn to maximize your potential...no one knows what percentage of applicants will get in, it's different every year...just apply, and you have a 50-50 chance, either you get in or you dont." perhaps these pieces of advice are right-on, but that doesnt change the fact that i still have not received the straightforward answers to the straightforward questions i asked

if anyone with experience can help me answer these questions, i would appreciate it. these really are very basic questions, so i have to say i am quite annoyed at this point that my recruiters were not more honest and willing to be up-front. yes i know that the percentage of acceptances will fluctuate each year due to changing numbers of scholarships and applicants, but that is natural to all such application systems, and not an excuse to completely sidestep my question

(sorry to my recruiters, in the 2% chance that you are reading this, haha. this is a good way for me to engage in a little mini-rant, as i am honestly quite annoyed. i know you guys are just trying to do your job though)

 

[DrTank]

Im in the same boat. I just started filling out the app this week and the recruiters want it done by the end of the month. Am I wasting my time?

 

[schen140]

adding on, even though you can argue that the smartest option is to apply to all 3 branches and see if we get in, it is still wise to know where we stand given the late timing. if the process is done by rolling admissions, then we have close to a 0 percent chance of acceptance, and in that case it is wiser to save the effort than to invest a week of essay writing, interviewing, long hours on the road commuting to the stations, and troubling our professors and dentists to write 3 new letters of recommendations for us

 

[TriangleZuikis]

If it's something that you really want to do then just apply. Even if you don't get in this year I know you can apply as a D2, at least for the airforce.

 

[krnkimsung]

adding on, even though you can argue that the smartest option is to apply to all 3 branches and see if we get in, it is still wise to know where we stand given the late timing. if the process is done by rolling admissions, then we have close to a 0 percent chance of acceptance, and in that case it is wiser to save the effort than to invest a week of essay writing, interviewing, long hours on the road commuting to the stations, and troubling our professors and dentists to write 3 new letters of recommendations for us

I have applied to Air Force HPSP 4 year and all my paperwork is done and they are waiting for my admission letter from DS for further process but honestly I am not really hoping for it considering its competitiveness.

If you just start working on the paperwork NOW, yes, you're late and the whole process involves a TONS of paperworks + Physical + 3 fresh set of LOR just for this program + Interview ..... yeah, it takes time.

Last year AF only selected 5 receipients out of 200+ applicants and I did see several people with 3.7+ , 21+ ended up not getting it even though everything was perfect for them. (even the timing of submitting the app)

Yes it's a really competitive program to get at least for AF, but I'm not sure about other branches.

 

[schen140]

thanks for those numbers, that's what i need to get a grasp of what "competitive" actually means. knowing that, i wont be applying for the air force hpsp. hopefully i'll still have a chance with the army or navy

best of luck to you krnkimsung, i hope you can be one of the lucky few to land that scholarship

 

[Smiley25]

Hopefully my experience can help you out... I began the application process in late July and boy does it take a lot of time! I had almost all of my paperwork done within a week, but then I was left waiting to have people sign off on my application, my background check to be completed and my physical to come back. (I believe it takes 2 weeks for them to get the urinalysis results). I also had to wait for my transcripts to get to them, my official DAT scores, LOR, schedule and have an interview with a Navy dentist, etc.

Like I said, I started this process the last week of July and ended up in the second batch of candidates in October. They contacted former employers, made my current employer write a LOR, called old roommates and everything! Long story short, I just found out that the recruiter that is over the application process to send them to the board has decided to HOLD my application.... Apparently I am not the only one this has happened to. My actual recruiter was very upset with this as he thinks I am very qualified, but this other guy wants to wait to see what else comes in.....

There are only 52 HPSP scholarships for the 2015 class. As of a couple of weeks ago they have already received 35 applications and only 15 have gone through to the board.... Since it is on a first-come, first-served basis, having my application on hold is really hurting my chances. I feel like I was lied to by my recruiter for telling me how great of a shot I had and that I was really early and had nothing to worry about... they get paid whether or not you are picked.

I took off so many days of work for meetings, the physical and the interview. Sooooo frustrating and disappointing. I feel like I wasted everyone's time recommending me for this. If I really knew how competitive it was then I probably would have applied to the Army or none at all. I don't know if this statement is true, but I was told that if you apply to all three military organizations they see that you are not committed and it looks like you only want it for the money. I was thinking about applying for the army after I learned about my situation and I was advised not to....

They have over a hundred HPSP medical scholarships in the Navy and they take MCAT scores as low as 22. Stinks that they don't think a DAT score below a 21 is competitive.

 

[jonishere5]

According to the Air Force Dental Health Profession scholarship packet Quote: "Approximately 75 percent of all Air Force medical officers currently on active duty received a scholarship through the HPSP." From the post above, the number they posted in their packet seems inaccurate.

 

[Smiley25]

According to the Air Force Dental Health Profession scholarship packet Quote: "Approximately 75 percent of all Air Force medical officers currently on active duty received a scholarship through the HPSP." From the post above, the number they posted in their packet seems inaccurate.

Are you talking about what I wrote? Because your statement doesn't apply to what I was talking about.. I do not know anything about the AF HPSP. I have only applied for the Navy. There are a total of 82 HPSP NAVY scholarships-52 for the 2015 class and 30 for the 2014 class. That came straight from an email that my recruiter was sent by the boards.

As for the statement you quoted- that means that 75% of the medical officers in the AF are serving to fulfill their time from the HPSP scholarship. The remaining 25% are there either on the HSCP scholarship or joined after they completed dental school.

 

[schen140]

hey smiley, only 35 people have applied to the navy for the 2015 class? are you sure those numbers are correct

 

[Smiley25]

hey smiley, only 35 people have applied to the navy for the 2015 class? are you sure those numbers are correct

My recruiter sent me the spreadsheet that the board sent him-this was almost three weeks ago and those were the numbers. I am sure that more applications have gone through since then.

You mentioned in your first post that the deadline is approaching...is it? I honestly do not even know when the deadline is. I thought that as long as they had spots you could still apply.

 

[schen140]

gotcha, thanks for the info. the deadline is around december 20th for the air force, and also sometime in december for the army. not sure about the navy though

gluck with your application and hope you will be taken off the "hold" list soon

 

[John Durian]

I was under the impression you could apply anytime as well; I applied for the Navy HPSP waaaay back. I did all of my paperwork, interviews, etc but then I got stuck without a physical (due to some unforeseen circumstances). Then I changed my mind and figured the military might not be for me (still a bit iffy). As a side note though, when I spoke to last years recipients, they both told me that they applied after they got in.. so I think that meant post-December.

As for the army. I contacted my local office and that dude said "you can't apply until you get an acceptance letter." Emailed that office twice. Maybe I just got a newbie... but it sounds like I'm screwed.

 

[schen140]

i just checked my email records, i got it mixed up a bit. so the army's deadline is december 22nd and the air force's deadline is sometime in december because the board will review the applications soon after that

i dont think you can apply after you get the acceptance letter. what they do is they hold your application until you get that letter, and then they submit it, i think. but if you wait until after december 1 to submit the rest of your application, you'll be behind everyone else who got in their package beforehand. so the acceptance letter should be the last thing you submit

 

[DrTank]

I was thinking about applying for the army after I learned about my situation and I was advised not to....

I am in the process of applying to the army and i am curious to know why you were advised not to apply. Im still not sure if I even want to go through with it.

 

[Smiley25]

I am in the process of applying to the army and i am curious to know why you were advised not to apply. Im still not sure if I even want to go through with it.

Sorry I didn't mean to confuse you. Nothing is wrong with the Army. I am still, I suppose, in the running for the Navy HPSP scholarship. My recruiter said if I now went ahead and applied for the Army HPSP scholarship it would look like I was not committed to either organizations.

 

[Maka]

I'm doing an AF 3 year HPSP scholarship (grad in 2013), and when I was applying I think there were 38 3 years and approx. 4 or 5 4-year deals available. I was actually the #1 person on the waitlist, luckily someone decided to drop out (thank you!!!!). From what I was told, the AF was looking for people that will be an officer in the US military - the greatest fighting force on earth, and a dentist........not a dentist who happens to be in the military. My stats weren't stellar (not bad either), but I had letters of rec from military members of various ranks, and had ample leadership qualifications, some involving military/law enforcement personnel, which is what I attribute to me getting my scholarship.

 

[Destiny11]

I'm doing an AF 3 year HPSP scholarship (grad in 2013), and when I was applying I think there were 38 3 years and approx. 4 or 5 4-year deals available. I was actually the #1 person on the waitlist, luckily someone decided to drop out (thank you!!!!). From what I was told, the AF was looking for people that will be an officer in the US military - the greatest fighting force on earth, and a dentist........not a dentist who happens to be in the military. My stats weren't stellar (not bad either), but I had letters of rec from military members of various ranks, and had ample leadership qualifications, some involving military/law enforcement personnel, which is what I attribute to me getting my scholarship.

Unfortunately nowadays you need at least a 3.5 Undergraduate GPA (Graduate degree are not considered) and a 18 DAT to just apply for the AF HPSP.

 

[Maka]

Unfortunately nowadays you need at least a 3.5 Undergraduate GPA (Graduate degree are not considered) and a 18 DAT to just apply for the AF HPSP.

Yah it used to be 18 DAT and 3.5 GPA to be 'matrix qualified' and be guaranteed a spot. My year was I think the first year where that became the minimum. I had a 19 DAT and a 3.7 GPA. My strongest card, by far, was leadership stuff/military letters of rec. Even with all that, I was still "waitlisted"......and only one person dropped the scholarship.

 

[iluvdentistry]

I'm meeting with a recruiter this upcoming Monday so I will be sure to ask lots of questions and let you guys know what I find out. I think it's definitely late in the game to be applying for it, but I figured I'd still give it a shot.

 

[bbakbbakee]

I was under the impression you could apply anytime as well; I applied for the Navy HPSP waaaay back. I did all of my paperwork, interviews, etc but then I got stuck without a physical (due to some unforeseen circumstances). Then I changed my mind and figured the military might not be for me (still a bit iffy). As a side note though, when I spoke to last years recipients, they both told me that they applied after they got in.. so I think that meant post-December.

As for the army. I contacted my local office and that dude said "you can't apply until you get an acceptance letter." Emailed that office twice. Maybe I just got a newbie... but it sounds like I'm screwed.

I was also informed by an Army cyber-recruiter (in September) that I should contact him after I get an acceptance letter. I guess he's implying that I can apply only if I get accepted somewhere?

 

[AmpedUp]

I'm meeting with a recruiter this upcoming Monday so I will be sure to ask lots of questions and let you guys know what I find out. I think it's definitely late in the game to be applying for it, but I figured I'd still give it a shot.

Don't sign it luv!

Let me pay for your dental school education 👍
(but I'm almost broke - probably have enough to last me a year)

 

[Maka]

I was also informed by an Army cyber-recruiter (in September) that I should contact him after I get an acceptance letter. I guess he's implying that I can apply only if I get accepted somewhere?

That's right. Several years ago 19 DAT and 3.5 GPA = dental school acceptance, but not anymore. As a result, they now want a letter of acceptance before they offer you anything. I got accepted late and lost a 4 year scholarship because of that. Still apply, even if you're late, and maybe you'll be able to get a 3 year, which is what I ended up doing. A lot of students in my class ended up on 3 year deals, which is still awesome.

 

[iluvdentistry]

Don't sign it luv!

Let me pay for your dental school education 👍
(but I'm almost broke - probably have enough to last me a year)

Sure, you can be my suga daddy!! lol.

Alright, so if you all are considering applying for the HPSP, you should think about getting the process started sooner than later. Though you can't theoretically apply for it until after you have an acceptance, you can start the paper work (which there is A LOT of) and do the physical. If you get that stuff out of the way then when Dec 1 rolls around and you get the acceptance, you'll be on the faster track.