My Chances: help me find out where I stand please!

[ddukbosam]

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I hear different things about my position and I need more insight! Please help me out and let me know what you think!

3.81 overall GPA
3.77 science GPA

AA 20
TS 20
PAT 19
Bio/Ochem/Gchem 20
QR 18
RC 24

I have 40 hours of shadowing a Dentist. 100 hours shadowing my father who is a dentist ( I hear different opinions on this). And worked at a tutoring center Coordinating the elementary program for 2300 hours. Got my X-ray safety certification 20 hours. Did Archery Club for like 500 hours, broke records, 2012 all academic archery team.

I applied to,

UCLA, UCSF, USC, UOP, Western, NYU, Columbia, Tufts, University of Maryland, Nova, ASDOH, and Midwestern University in arizona.

I e-submitted yesterday. I have all my transcripts and letters in, they will upload it today/tomorrow.

I just need to know which schools on my list are High/Med/Low chance of getting into, and if there are any schools you suggest I apply to, let me know! Thanks for all the help, this forum has helped out so much with this process 🙂

 

[ddukbosam]

Bump!

 

[Aal]

With your current situation you will be lucky to get an Interview. If I were you I will retake the DAT and get at least 25 AA, then I would take a master and get a 4.0 GPA, and I would apply to at least 30 schools.
Your shadowing hours are not enough you need 2000 more.

 

[Hev0406]

With your current situation you will be lucky to get an Interview. If I were you I will retake the DAT and get at least 25 AA, then I would take a master and get a 4.0 GPA, and I would apply to at least 30 schools.
Your shadowing hours are not enough you need 2000 more.

Lol!

 

[onnistea]

Lol!

I don't think it's a laughing matter.

 

[Hev0406]

I don't think it's a laughing matter.

You must've missed the sarcasm then... That's what I was laughing about ... Obviously OP is perfectly fine with those stats.

 

[bakigf]

from my last year's application cycle experience.......chance at NYUCD is very random I think........I got invitation pretty early...but there were people (with much better numbers than me) who didnt get invitation...and there were people with much lower numbers who got invitation........and we all applied around same time.......honestly....how nyucd chooses candidates is reeeeeeally a mystery............well..Im saying...relative to other schools....

idk of if this info would be helpful
but my friend whose gpa was little lower than yours but few points more than you on DAT got interviews from USC, NOVA, Western.....

 

[ddukbosam]

That info was great, thanks bakigf! I didn't know that about nyu and your friends instance gives me some idea of where I might be at. Yea, my main concern was my shadowing hours, only because If they disregard my hours shadowing my father, I only have 40 with another dentist. From what I read, 40 is on the low side.

 

[jmh018]

hours shadowing your dad won't look good. just get a few more hours with another dentist. he rest of your app is fine

 

[lmr9y]

hours shadowing your dad won't look good. just get a few more hours with another dentist. he rest of your app is fine

Agreed. Shadowing hours from a family member is def a no-no. The rest of your app looks great though

 

[ddukbosam]

So shadowing my dad "won't look good" and is "def a no-no" ? I hope it doesn't hurt me. It sounds like I should have excluded that from my application.

Regardless, If I start to shadow another dentist starting let's say in a week, How would I show to the schools this experience and hours? Because from what I know, now that I submitted my application, I can no longer add/change to the "Professional Experience" section.

 

[ddukbosam]

Also, My LOR is from the other dentist whom I shadowed. I assumed that just as long as I did not get a LOR from a family member, that the shadowing hours with that family member would still be relevant, because I feel it was relevent to me and in my understanding of the dental practice.

 

[jmh018]

I didn't realize you already submitted. I'm not sure how the committees will look at it since I am not on one. Maybe it won't be a big deal to them after all. 40 hours with another dentist isn't too bad. Some people go way overboard with shadowing hours. I had 90 hours with one dentist. Good luck.

 

[lmr9y]

So shadowing my dad "won't look good" and is "def a no-no" ? I hope it doesn't hurt me. It sounds like I should have excluded that from my application.

Regardless, If I start to shadow another dentist starting let's say in a week, How would I show to the schools this experience and hours? Because from what I know, now that I submitted my application, I can no longer add/change to the "Professional Experience" section.

Some schools have a part in their supplemental where you can say if you've done any shadowing since. I know UPenn def has this. So you can probably add it there.
It is a good idea that you didn't get a letter from your dad. Almost all dental school websites say it should not be from a relative. I have dentists in my family too and that's why I chose not to shadow them and to shadow someone else.

I agree with jmh018. I guess if you got other shadowing hours from another dentist and not just from your dad, it's helpful. But honestly, with your stats, you should be granted interviews at places.

 

[dentalWorks]

hours shadowing your dad won't look good. just get a few more hours with another dentist. he rest of your app is fine

Im hoping for readers sake there is sarcasm here.... because otherwise, this is completely false. In fact, if you have a family member (mother, father, brother, sister, etc etc) who is a dentist, you should shadow them first... it makes a stronger connection into the profession and therefore, makes you sounds more convinced during the interview of why you chose the profession

Sure, asking for a LOR from a family member is fawned upon, but shadowing a family member is not!