Looking for some advice regarding what I should do after being rejected

[Qazzz]

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I am a Canadian student, I am finishing my biology degree this year and I have unfortunately not been accepted into any schools so far (Applied to 9, 3 haven't replied yet but I am assuming they've denied me). I wasn't even able to get an interview... I have pretty standard/below average extracurriculars, nothing too special, my GPA is about 3.25~ and for the DAT I took it twice with the second attempt landing me AA: 19 TS: 19 with a shocking 15 in PAT. Canadian schools are too competitive for my GPA, and so are American schools. So I am unfortunately not sure what to do. One option would be for me to reapply this year (I slightly raised my GPA), and try to focus all my time on doing extracurriculars and more shadowing while also studying to retake the DAT, however, I am not confident that I can drastically improve my DAT score again (i was initially AA: 17 TS: 16), I will also send out my application right at the start rather than it being sent out in September like I did last year due to some unfortunate circumstances. The issue with this option is due to my low GPA, I don't really have any guarantees that I will be accepted and I could find myself in a situation where I have another year of not getting to study dentistry. If I got some interviews I would be more confident but I unfortunately have no idea how far off I am as an applicant.

My other option would be to study in Turkey. I have an acceptance from a decent Turkish university where I would study for 5 years (possibly less if they accept the transfer of some of my courses) and then spend 2 years in Canada adjusting my degree and taking the board exam ( I know that a lot of the dentists I shadowed completed their studies in India and then went through this process without having issues finding work). The cons for this option is what could be a 5 year journey ( me getting accepted in an American university for September of 2021) turns into a 7 year journey. The pro is it will cost me around half of what I was expecting to pay here in the states (~22k USD/year + incredibly reduced living costs) so whatever time I lost studying I would save in paying off my loans. My fears are that the education level might be too weak for me to be able to succeed in the Canadian degree modification process, however, this fear is eased by the fact that I wouldn't mind living/working in Turkey, since before immigrating to Canada I used to live in the region and have fond memories of it, (I would also have more family nearby as opposed to living alone in wherever I end up going in the states.)

Sorry for the wall of text, I am persoanlly leaning towards the latter option but I am worried that I might be overlooking certain things and therefore I just wanted people's inputs.

 

[LeagueofLigTies]

Hi, incoming d1 at nyu! I’m not going to sugarcoat it, for your gpa your dat score is low. Usually people with your gpa are trying to score like 22-23 to balance off their gpa. That 15 in pat is also not great, because a lot of schools specifically look at the pat score separately. Keep in mind, there are a hundred other applicants with your gpa that scored way higher on the dat than you, so you need to do something to improve. Maybe do a masters to try and raise your gpa, or maybe really grind down and try and aim for a high dat score? Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help.

 

[LeagueofLigTies]

I am a Canadian student, I am finishing my biology degree this year and I have unfortunately not been accepted into any schools so far (Applied to 9, 3 haven't replied yet but I am assuming they've denied me). I wasn't even able to get an interview... I have pretty standard/below average extracurriculars, nothing too special, my GPA is about 3.25~ and for the DAT I took it twice with the second attempt landing me AA: 19 TS: 19 with a shocking 15 in PAT. Canadian schools are too competitive for my GPA, and so are American schools. So I am unfortunately not sure what to do. One option would be for me to reapply this year (I slightly raised my GPA), and try to focus all my time on doing extracurriculars and more shadowing while also studying to retake the DAT, however, I am not confident that I can drastically improve my DAT score again (i was initially AA: 17 TS: 16), I will also send out my application right at the start rather than it being sent out in September like I did last year due to some unfortunate circumstances. The issue with this option is due to my low GPA, I don't really have any guarantees that I will be accepted and I could find myself in a situation where I have another year of not getting to study dentistry. If I got some interviews I would be more confident but I unfortunately have no idea how far off I am as an applicant.

My other option would be to study in Turkey. I have an acceptance from a decent Turkish university where I would study for 5 years (possibly less if they accept the transfer of some of my courses) and then spend 2 years in Canada adjusting my degree and taking the board exam ( I know that a lot of the dentists I shadowed completed their studies in India and then went through this process without having issues finding work). The cons for this option is what could be a 5 year journey ( me getting accepted in an American university for September of 2021) turns into a 7 year journey. The pro is it will cost me around half of what I was expecting to pay here in the states (~22k USD/year + incredibly reduced living costs) so whatever time I lost studying I would save in paying off my loans. My fears are that the education level might be too weak for me to be able to succeed in the Canadian degree modification process, however, this fear is eased by the fact that I wouldn't mind living/working in Turkey, since before immigrating to Canada I used to live in the region and have fond memories of it, (I would also have more family nearby as opposed to living alone in wherever I end up going in the states.)

Sorry for the wall of text, I am persoanlly leaning towards the latter option but I am worried that I might be overlooking certain things and therefore I just wanted people's inputs.

Also consider applying to private schools/expensive schools where you have a better chance of getting in

 

[PracTxDentist]

I am a Canadian student, I am finishing my biology degree this year and I have unfortunately not been accepted into any schools so far (Applied to 9, 3 haven't replied yet but I am assuming they've denied me). I wasn't even able to get an interview... I have pretty standard/below average extracurriculars, nothing too special, my GPA is about 3.25~ and for the DAT I took it twice with the second attempt landing me AA: 19 TS: 19 with a shocking 15 in PAT. Canadian schools are too competitive for my GPA, and so are American schools. So I am unfortunately not sure what to do. One option would be for me to reapply this year (I slightly raised my GPA), and try to focus all my time on doing extracurriculars and more shadowing while also studying to retake the DAT, however, I am not confident that I can drastically improve my DAT score again (i was initially AA: 17 TS: 16), I will also send out my application right at the start rather than it being sent out in September like I did last year due to some unfortunate circumstances. The issue with this option is due to my low GPA, I don't really have any guarantees that I will be accepted and I could find myself in a situation where I have another year of not getting to study dentistry. If I got some interviews I would be more confident but I unfortunately have no idea how far off I am as an applicant.

My other option would be to study in Turkey. I have an acceptance from a decent Turkish university where I would study for 5 years (possibly less if they accept the transfer of some of my courses) and then spend 2 years in Canada adjusting my degree and taking the board exam ( I know that a lot of the dentists I shadowed completed their studies in India and then went through this process without having issues finding work). The cons for this option is what could be a 5 year journey ( me getting accepted in an American university for September of 2021) turns into a 7 year journey. The pro is it will cost me around half of what I was expecting to pay here in the states (~22k USD/year + incredibly reduced living costs) so whatever time I lost studying I would save in paying off my loans. My fears are that the education level might be too weak for me to be able to succeed in the Canadian degree modification process, however, this fear is eased by the fact that I wouldn't mind living/working in Turkey, since before immigrating to Canada I used to live in the region and have fond memories of it, (I would also have more family nearby as opposed to living alone in wherever I end up going in the states.)

Sorry for the wall of text, I am persoanlly leaning towards the latter option but I am worried that I might be overlooking certain things and therefore I just wanted people's inputs.

Hello "Qazzz",
If your GPA is low, you will need a higher than avg DAT score and an explanation as to why your GPA is low (in your essay or application). Generally, GPA/DAT scores are not a sign of intelligence, but rather a lack of effort. What dental/medical schools do not want is a student who is not committed or struggles academically. Dental school is rigorous and you have discipline, manage your time well and be able to absorb and retain a lot of information.
(My background: My GPA was low, but I studied for the DAT like a crazy man and was blessed to do very, very well. I also was invited to serve on the admissions committee for two years in D-school and graduated Magna Cum Laude. I currently own two dental practices)
My recommendation: If you are really serious, go do a masters program in the sciences that has ties to a dental school (Boston University has one) and admits students from this program. Some of these programs have in their curriculum medical school/dental school classes with the std med/dental students and so your academic performance is a direct measurement. During this program, study for the DAT and do everything you can to smoke the exam (actually spend time studying for the exam... more than 3 months). If you do very well in the masters program and have a high DAT score, you will be competitive. Good luck!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I am a Canadian student, I am finishing my biology degree this year and I have unfortunately not been accepted into any schools so far (Applied to 9, 3 haven't replied yet but I am assuming they've denied me). I wasn't even able to get an interview... I have pretty standard/below average extracurriculars, nothing too special, my GPA is about 3.25~ and for the DAT I took it twice with the second attempt landing me AA: 19 TS: 19 with a shocking 15 in PAT. Canadian schools are too competitive for my GPA, and so are American schools. So I am unfortunately not sure what to do. One option would be for me to reapply this year (I slightly raised my GPA), and try to focus all my time on doing extracurriculars and more shadowing while also studying to retake the DAT, however, I am not confident that I can drastically improve my DAT score again (i was initially AA: 17 TS: 16), I will also send out my application right at the start rather than it being sent out in September like I did last year due to some unfortunate circumstances. The issue with this option is due to my low GPA, I don't really have any guarantees that I will be accepted and I could find myself in a situation where I have another year of not getting to study dentistry. If I got some interviews I would be more confident but I unfortunately have no idea how far off I am as an applicant.

My other option would be to study in Turkey. I have an acceptance from a decent Turkish university where I would study for 5 years (possibly less if they accept the transfer of some of my courses) and then spend 2 years in Canada adjusting my degree and taking the board exam ( I know that a lot of the dentists I shadowed completed their studies in India and then went through this process without having issues finding work). The cons for this option is what could be a 5 year journey ( me getting accepted in an American university for September of 2021) turns into a 7 year journey. The pro is it will cost me around half of what I was expecting to pay here in the states (~22k USD/year + incredibly reduced living costs) so whatever time I lost studying I would save in paying off my loans. My fears are that the education level might be too weak for me to be able to succeed in the Canadian degree modification process, however, this fear is eased by the fact that I wouldn't mind living/working in Turkey, since before immigrating to Canada I used to live in the region and have fond memories of it, (I would also have more family nearby as opposed to living alone in wherever I end up going in the states.)

Sorry for the wall of text, I am persoanlly leaning towards the latter option but I am worried that I might be overlooking certain things and therefore I just wanted people's inputs.

I suppose if that's the only route you want to take, go for it. I will say that going to dental school outside the US/Canada is going to be a real shock. Most countries will have students start dental school by taking prerequisites all over again. Also the amount of clinical experience is arguably much, much less. The US at least has some modern education curricula whereas the rest of the world is more likely to be sink-or-swim... if you fail, too bad. There's still a reason a lot of those dentists try to come to the US and have to do IDP's before they could even practice, and that's not an easy path either.

You could try to become a dental hygienist though I'm not sure of the path for Canadians.

 

[BKBIGGIE10]

Focus on crushing the DAT. Buy the correct resources (Chad's, Orgoman, DAT Bootcamp) and study hard for 3 months. Stay positive.

 

[Easzypes4]

Hi, incoming d1 at nyu! I’m not going to sugarcoat it, for your gpa your dat score is low. Usually people with your gpa are trying to score like 22-23 to balance off their gpa. That 15 in pat is also not great, because a lot of schools specifically look at the pat score separately. Keep in mind, there are a hundred other applicants with your gpa that scored way higher on the dat than you, so you need to do something to improve. Maybe do a masters to try and raise your gpa, or maybe really grind down and try and aim for a high dat score? Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help.

Hey @gbean message me! I have some questions

 

[joeexotic]

DAT is not a hard exam. At all.
it’ the type of exam where the more study and effort you put into it, the better your score.

students are not doing well on it for a number of reasons.

1. Your foundation in the sciences is trash
2. Not using the best and high yield resources
3. Not spending enough time studying take the test aka I’ll prepared

My suggestions

1. get your foundation solid

2. Use better resources high yield resources

3. study longer. Actual studying not goof off studying

If your not scoring in 90 th percentiles in the practice exams at the end of your study period, why even take it? Harsh but true. With your gpa you need a score in the 20s minimum.