is "it's not what you know but who you know" true?

[smile4me]

Hi everyone

I just had a curious question, has anyone heard, or gotten into dental school because they knew someone from the admissions committee or anyone who worked in the dental "admissions" office? Does knowing someone at the admissions office of your dental school give you an advantage?

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[I'mFillingFine]

I haven't heard of this.....probably around 1/3 of the people applying have dentist family members (I'm just making this up, but it's a lot), and most of those at least apply to the schools that family member went to. So everyone knows everyone anyway (and dentistry is a VERY peer-based profession....you don't go to jail, you get "peer reviewed" )

People who don't get accepted in a year may claim this is true, but I doubt that knowing people in the school would gain you an enormous advantage since people know people anyway. I've heard it is more common in law school, where jobs are dependent on who you've hobnobbed with along the way.

However, i HAVE heard that this is true in applying to specialty schools. Receiving schools trust the opinion of certain faculty members over another, so they will value LORs from certain professors more than others.

 

[fancymylotus]

NO. Believe me. I know.

 

[Drill2Fill]

NO. Believe me. I know.

So you are mad that you didnt get the advantange of nepotism?

 

[SugarNaCl]

I had a friend who both knew someone on Adcom for one school AND his dad worked in close association. He was rejected from that school despite having the committee "on his side."

 

[fancymylotus]

So you are mad that you didnt get the advantange of nepotism?

You've got PM.

 

[drpduck]

I think any field has some extent of "who you know". However, I'd say for the most part it plays a very little role in dental admissions. Almost everyone I know either had a parent that went to a school they were applying to or had a dentist friend that could make a call for them. But honestly it didn't really seem to make a difference. If two candidates were equal and the school was trying to pick between them, then knowing them might help a little. But this does not mean that if you have a 2.5 gpa but you know AdCom members that you will get in. Everyone that gets admitted to D-school is because the AdCom believes they will get through. It would make the school look pretty bad if they admitted a 2.5 gpa person because they had connections and they went around saying "how their dad got them in" or failed out. To get admitted, your academics (GPA/DAT) are going to get looked at first, if you don't make the cut, it won't matter how many people you know, because you won't get in.

 

[lemoncurry]

it may work in my favor, at least in terms of getting a second interview at a certain school. but then again, having a relative in congress didn't help me get into a school in his state.

 

[bruinpredent]

I think any field has some extent of "who you know". However, I'd say for the most part it plays a very little role in dental admissions. Almost everyone I know either had a parent that went to a school they were applying to or had a dentist friend that could make a call for them. But honestly it didn't really seem to make a difference. If two candidates were equal and the school was trying to pick between them, then knowing them might help a little. But this does not mean that if you have a 2.5 gpa but you know AdCom members that you will get in. Everyone that gets admitted to D-school is because the AdCom believes they will get through. It would make the school look pretty bad if they admitted a 2.5 gpa person because they had connections and they went around saying "how their dad got them in" or failed out. To get admitted, your academics (GPA/DAT) are going to get looked at first, if you don't make the cut, it won't matter how many people you know, because you won't get in.

^ theres your answer. spot on.

 

[eleminopee]

knowing people doesn't help you at all in life because most of the people you know don't actually like you. sorry

 

[SHC1984]

thats true in EVERY FIELD. how else are you going to explain why someone with a 17 on the DAT got accepted and someone with a 25 on the DAT DIDN'T get accepted?? its called connections...

Hi everyone

I just had a curious question, has anyone heard, or gotten into dental school because they knew someone from the admissions committee or anyone who worked in the dental "admissions" office? Does knowing someone at the admissions office of your dental school give you an advantage?

 

[armorshell]

thats true in EVERY FIELD. how else are you going to explain why someone with a 17 on the DAT got accepted and someone with a 25 on the DAT DIDN'T get accepted?? its called connections...

Whatever helps you sleep at night. While they certainly do matter, numbers aren't everything.

 

[xdianaax]

Where it may help you, it won't make you. You might get the interview because of whoever you might know but there's always going to be someone you don't, and if you don't have something that impresses everyone I don't think it will help you. There's only so much a connection can do, and for the most part I think they make strict rules about helping people and stuff...at least that's what i've heard.

 

[leedizzal]

Hi everyone

I just had a curious question, has anyone heard, or gotten into dental school because they knew someone from the admissions committee or anyone who worked in the dental "admissions" office? Does knowing someone at the admissions office of your dental school give you an advantage?

Of course it does, the whole world works this way "Its not what you know, its whom you know..."


That being said if you have good marks and work real hard you will make it... Sure doesnt hurt to know people though that can help pull strings for you. Anybody that believes this is not true is awfully naive to the way the real world works...

 

[catytweety]

I agree - to a certain extent, ofcourse knowing someone can help you... but that can only get your foot in the door. Ultimately your credentials and personality will make it or break it for you.

(Unless your mother/father is like the head of the admissions committee or something - which I still think would not completely get you in)

 

[blue_moon01]

It definitely helps to have connections if you've got the 3.5 Sci GPA and 20+ DAT.

I'm not being sarcastic. I exaggerated the numbers a little but basically if you dont have at least the minimal requirements, no connections are gonna help you. Period. (in most cases.. never say never cause we do live in a capitalist country afterall.. and money sometimes talk louder than grades and scores.)

 

[Ething]

Having connections will usually work as long as you are a qualified candidate.

 

[pacbum]

Having connections will usually work as long as you are a qualified candidate.

couldn't have said it better myself

 

[amichail]

I had "hook-ups" for addmission to UMDNJ... however, they were the first of many to reject me... LOL... Who you know my a$$!

 

[utahdent123]

Some schools have alumni family provisions. For example, Case will offer interviews to alumni children pretty much guaranteed. Whether you get accepted is another thing, but at least you get the interview.