My chances?

[zeldadds]

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Hi everyone!
I'm new to SDN but was wondering if anyone could help me out 🙂

I'm applying this summer to about 7 dental schools:
UoP
UCLA
UCSF
USC
LLU
Harvard
UIC

As you can see that five schools are from california but I live in Chicago. Am I reaching for the stars here (esp. with Harvard)?

Oh, and here's my stats:

GPA: 3.91/4.0
DAT: Haven't taken yet but practice scores are showing around ~23 (hoping for at least 25 tho)
LOR: 3 excellent ones (2 from professors/research supervisor whom i both know very well and 1 from general dentist who is well known in the dental industry)
Extracurricular Activities: (all long-term btw)
Band team
Tutor
Writer and Illustrator for Journal
Shadowing at hospital
Many volunteer events..
research

BUT! I just recently switched from pre-med to pre-dent this beginning of year..and have very lil' shadowing hours..

so taking all of this into account, should i cross off some schools from the list?

thx again 😀

 

[doc3232]

Get back to us when you have your DAT score. Also, tell us number of DENTAL shadowing hours when you do get your scores.

 

[zeldadds]

im taking DATs next month but practice scores show a stable score of around 23..
shadowing hours? eh..about 15 so far 🙁

 

[doc3232]

im taking DATs next month but practice scores show a stable score of around 23..
shadowing hours? eh..about 15 so far 🙁

Shadowing is overrated. You don't need 500 hours. Which practice tests have you taken? List scores for each if there is more than one type of test.

 

[zeldadds]

i've taken the princeton and kaplan tests so far..
2 princeton tests at around 22
but 3 kaplan tests at around 23 and 24

 

[doc toothache]

Unfortunately, there is only one score that counts.

 

[zeldadds]

did i tell you that they were practice exam scores? what do u mean only one score 'counts'?

 

[doc3232]

i've taken the princeton and kaplan tests so far..
2 princeton tests at around 22
but 3 kaplan tests at around 23 and 24

These princeton tests mist be new so no one can advice of those. IMO, Kaplan scores are fishy. Some score above, some score below. Take Topscore and Achiever tests if you want better representation of your score.
good luck

 

[zeldadds]

These princeton tests mist be new so no one can advice of those. IMO, Kaplan scores are fishy. Some score above, some score below. Take Topscore and Achiever tests if you want better representation of your score.
good luck

Right, thanks for the advice.
But let's say supposedly that I do end up with a 23 on the real DAT. Do I still got a shot at the schools that I had listed (my original question too 🙂).
thx

 

[Moe Lester]

im taking DATs next month(

You registered to take it twice next month? I thought there was a 90 day wait period!

 

[zeldadds]

sorry about the extra 's' typo. I will be taking it only once in June~

 

[doc toothache]

did i tell you that they were practice exam scores? what do u mean only one score 'counts'?

Yes and they don't count.

 

[ramforte]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to SDN but was wondering if anyone could help me out 🙂

I'm applying this summer to about 7 dental schools:
UoP
UCLA
UCSF
USC
LLU
Harvard
UIC

As you can see that five schools are from california but I live in Chicago. Am I reaching for the stars here (esp. with Harvard)?

Oh, and here's my stats:

GPA: 3.91/4.0
DAT: Haven't taken yet but practice scores are showing around ~23 (hoping for at least 25 tho)
LOR: 3 excellent ones (2 from professors/research supervisor whom i both know very well and 1 from general dentist who is well known in the dental industry)
Extracurricular Activities: (all long-term btw)
Band team
Tutor
Writer and Illustrator for Journal
Shadowing at hospital
Many volunteer events..
research

BUT! I just recently switched from pre-med to pre-dent this beginning of year..and have very lil' shadowing hours..

so taking all of this into account, should i cross off some schools from the list?

thx again 😀

hi , you have great GPA, and the pactice scores are fine, yet, to be honest with u not until you actually take the DAT will you know what score you will get, simply wanting a score doesn't work, I know many who scored 23's and 24's in practice yet when they took the actual DAT they scored 19-20 ( they were all aiming for 23 and above) , so take the DAT, do a lot more shadowing( around 100 hours at least), and with your GPA you''ll be fine if you get anything over 21.

 

[zeldadds]

wow..thanks guys for your input! Guess I'll have to wait 'til June 20th to determine anything at all. thnx again!

 

[peerless218]

so...why did you switch from pre med to pre dent??

 

[UCfan]

With decent DAT scores (such as 22) and shadowing you have chance to every school you apply. Moreover it is logical to think in state and out of state situation before you apply.As other SDNers mentioned Kaplan tests can be tricky. For instance, I got 30(s) in qr 23-24 in PAT from both Kaplan blue book and its CD. However, in real DAT I got only 23 from qr and 19 from PAT(I still remeber that angles were insanely close the version I got) sections. I did pretty much the same (for other sections). Do not trust Kaplan score that much. The other important thing is luck. If you got Frap or Ethics version of the test, you may have disadvantage too (luckily I did not get any of them). That's being said good luck with DAT and shadowing 🙂.

 

[Slack3r]

That means nothing. My guess would be that on the actual DAT, you'll prob get between 21-23, more likely on the lower end. The actual thing is WAY harder than Kaplan.

That seems like a decent list, I'd add SIU and UPenn though, since SIU is In-State, and UPenn will probably give you a 100K Dean's Scholarship. Add Western as well, since you're so intent on going to California.

If you get a 23+, you'll be fine for every school on that list, including Harvard. Less than 22 and you'd need to worry for UCLA and UoP.

Average accepted GPA around a 3.3 with the average DAT around a 19? I think he'd be fine for UoP. He may actually get turned down due to his stats being too high.

 

[zeldadds]

Average accepted GPA around a 3.3 with the average DAT around a 19? I think he'd be fine for UoP. He may actually get turned down due to his stats being too high.

First of all it's a she 🙂... and now im all optimistic about UoP and Harvard 😀. I didn't think i even had a chance at those schools.

like i said, i guess the DAT will either make or break the rest of my status.
wish me luck

 

[PSU SHC 414]

First of all it's a she 🙂... and now im all optimistic about UoP and Harvard 😀. I didn't think i even had a chance at those schools.

like i said, i guess the DAT will either make or break the rest of my status.
wish me luck

Exactly, so focus on that and worry about picking schools later (that's the easy part 😉). The rest of your app looks great, though, and you've got a killer GPA 👍.

Just out of curiousity, what was/is your major?

And when you say "UoP", you know that UoP = University of the Pacific, and NOT University of Pennsylvania, right? If you did mean UoP, what makes you think that a 3.91/4.00 GPA would make you a "long shot" there??

 

[sajjy]

First of all it's a she 🙂... and now im all optimistic about UoP and Harvard 😀. I didn't think i even had a chance at those schools.

like i said, i guess the DAT will either make or break the rest of my status.
wish me luck

I don't to break the ice for you but I remember two people from my Harvard interview day who had switched from pre-med to pre-dent. Neither of them made it.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Average accepted GPA around a 3.3 with the average DAT around a 19? I think he'd be fine for UoP. He may actually get turned down due to his stats being too high.

Pacific has an average DAT of 19?? Where are you doing your research.. 😛

 

[Slack3r]

Pacific has an average DAT of 19?? Where are you doing your research.. 😛

Apparently old info, their website says 20-21 for their current incoming class.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Apparently old info, their website says 20-21 for their current incoming class.

Man I wish their DAT average was 19. I seriously almost retook the DAT, just for UoP lol. And when they say 20-21, they mean 20-21 across the board..

 

[peerless218]

Man I wish their DAT average was 19. I seriously almost retook the DAT, just for UoP lol. And when they say 20-21, they mean 20-21 across the board..

nah....I only have 3 sections above 20, an 18, and 2 19s on my DAT and I still got an interview at UOP. Too bad I retook my DAT WAY too late so I was only able to interview there for an alternate spot.

 

[playa2652]

UoP wants a 20-21 AA on the DAT, some areas can be a little bit less than others, but if you want to be a competitive applicant, get at least 19-21 on all areas.