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- Thread starter babydawg
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Hi @babydawg welcome to the forums! I’ve moved your post to the wamc sub thread as you’re more likely to get better advice here and not get lost in the threads.
Can you please edit your post to follow our WAMC template as we can provide more meaningful advice on your school list.
Can you please edit your post to follow our WAMC template as we can provide more meaningful advice on your school list.
is this better?
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Yes
Other Extracurriculars: Hours and type; includes athletics, military, leadership, etc.
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? networking, volunteering in a D-school clinic, shadow faculty, etc.
Relevant Honors or Awards:
LOR type and strength:
School list:
Please include a list of schools you are interested in applying to! It is much easier for users to help you when you have taken the time to construct your own school list first!
Other Extracurriculars: research and school clubs
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? yes
Relevant Honors or Awards: none rlly
LOR type and strength: very good
School list:
currently looking at UNC, UCSF, DCG, UPenn, Columbia, UConn and more ofc
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? yes
Relevant Honors or Awards: none rlly
LOR type and strength: very good
School list:
currently looking at UNC, UCSF, DCG, UPenn, Columbia, UConn and more ofc
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Need more private schools. You have some of the most competitive schools in the country and your metrics fall below their averages.
Consider: LECOM, Nova, Tufts, Meharry, Maryland, Boston, Temple, Louisville as some schools that will help offset your top heavy list.
please be specific about schools and what you have done at each...
what type of biracial specifically?
Okay thanks. I just heard really good things about the schools I listed and thought they were a good fit for what I was looking for. Any other public/cheaper schools that you would suggest?
Indian and black
Just curious, why do you ask?
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Sorry this is my first time posting on the internet so I don't feel that comfortable putting everything out there, but I've attended impressions day at my state school and couple other schools.
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Yes they all have good things but they also all have regional selective biases that don’t necessarily favor students from Georgia. UConn UCSF are pretty notorious for this. Columbia loves high dat scores, of which yours falls about 3 points short of their averages. UPenn and your state school I think are good additions. The only other state schools that come to mind are Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, VCU, and maybe UF (would be a big reach though)
Again, if you’re trying to be selective and picky, you’re going to struggle getting multiple interviews as the schools on that list are arguably the most selective in the country and your stats fall below their averages of admitted students or they don’t generally enroll students from GA. If you’re more open to adding schools that more align with your geographic location and stats, you will more than likely have options to choose from. Hence why I offered the schools that I did, as they are particularly receptive to GA residents.
At the end of the day, you’re signing up for the loans but you just need to realize that there are other factors in play.
I am definitely open, I am just scared I'll end up in a place im not happy at. Will add the school you have listed here. Would you say for those school that have geography biases its about proving that you really want to go there/ have ties to the region? I would rlly love to go Uconn or ucsf.
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UConn or USCF are, in my opinion, massive reaches, and you don't fit their geographical locations very well so they potentially are less likely to take a chance given UGA is your state school and also well renowned. And the fact you have UF and UNC as closer schools. But at the same time, if you'd absolutely attend there's nothing stopping you from applying and shooting your shot.
I look at things purely as a numbers game, and statistics-wise you're not as a competitive applicant for those schools. A lot of times too with these selective state schools, yes they'd like to know that you could potentially be practicing in the state, or nearby states, post-graduation. The schools get funding to provide education to their state residents to help retain health practitioners in their state. Hence why OOS publics are much more selective than privates, as the private schools aren't necessarily capped at how many in state students they're required to have (with a few exceptions)
Having ties to the state helps make a better argument for why you want to attend. But again, sometimes things are a crap shoot with who gets in and who doesn't. Read past forums and you'll see people with perfect stats being rejected and people with lower stats getting in, and vice versa. Admissions can be weird, but I try to look at it as where are you most likely to be given a shot to interview based on previous history. There's a lot more to it than just applying because you like the school, but a lot of applicants are driven by the name of a school and less about what it offers. You could be perfectly happy at a school you thought you wouldn't like, vs being unhappy at a school you thought was perfect for you.
Example: I wanted to move oos for dental school. I really liked the other schools I interviewed at. I wanted to go to a newer school. But I knew that financially, the school I attend now was a better decision and I went with that knowing it felt like it wasn't the perfect choice initially. But now I am extremely happy and grateful that this is the school I picked, and I'd do it over and over again if I had to. So try to not be so locked in to specific schools and try to be open to the idea of other schools that might align well with what you're trying to get out of your education. UGA should be your top choice given it will be the cheapest.
I look at things purely as a numbers game, and statistics-wise you're not as a competitive applicant for those schools. A lot of times too with these selective state schools, yes they'd like to know that you could potentially be practicing in the state, or nearby states, post-graduation. The schools get funding to provide education to their state residents to help retain health practitioners in their state. Hence why OOS publics are much more selective than privates, as the private schools aren't necessarily capped at how many in state students they're required to have (with a few exceptions)
Having ties to the state helps make a better argument for why you want to attend. But again, sometimes things are a crap shoot with who gets in and who doesn't. Read past forums and you'll see people with perfect stats being rejected and people with lower stats getting in, and vice versa. Admissions can be weird, but I try to look at it as where are you most likely to be given a shot to interview based on previous history. There's a lot more to it than just applying because you like the school, but a lot of applicants are driven by the name of a school and less about what it offers. You could be perfectly happy at a school you thought you wouldn't like, vs being unhappy at a school you thought was perfect for you.
Example: I wanted to move oos for dental school. I really liked the other schools I interviewed at. I wanted to go to a newer school. But I knew that financially, the school I attend now was a better decision and I went with that knowing it felt like it wasn't the perfect choice initially. But now I am extremely happy and grateful that this is the school I picked, and I'd do it over and over again if I had to. So try to not be so locked in to specific schools and try to be open to the idea of other schools that might align well with what you're trying to get out of your education. UGA should be your top choice given it will be the cheapest.
ok, noted
you only attended one impressions day at GA?
how many specifically are a "couple other schools"?
because white and asian is also biracial, but not URM
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it's almost never "really want to go there" and very seldom "ties to the region"
you need to have mission fit to get interview invites and acceptances...
drDental_
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Wouldn’t being half Black American qualify the OP as URM whether Indian (from India) or Native American? Respectfully, I think the ‘URM’ designation is already established. Meharry or Howard could be options if that is the implication.
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drDental_
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I understand your fear although provided you’re the only person who can move yourself closer to your dream of dentistry, try hard not to allow fear or doubt to drive you. It may not be easy but you can cope, even if it means reminding yourself daily! Good luck to you!
point taken
i respectfully withdraw the question...
3 more. Attended my school's career fair also.
Thank you! I am really trying to be optimistic about everything. Do you have school suggestions for me?
ok thanks
have you spoken to the schools on your list to see what type of support you can receive?
No. I was told not to bring anything like that up until I get admitted. Do you have any suggestions of schools for me?
not sure if it's a good idea to go to a school without knowing what kind of support will be available...
School list:
Please include a list of schools you are interested in applying to! It is much easier for users to help you when you have taken the time to construct your own school list first!
i'll comment on your list, it's not up to me to tell you what schools to apply to...
I think I've listed the schools im interested in above. But im interested in unc, ucsf, upenn, Columbia, DCG, Uconn, Maryland, UAB, Meharry (would be down if they offered me a scholarship), tufts, Texas schools? I am looking into some schools the person above suggested. Feel free to suggest some more.
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Understand the quality of advice you get depends on the informative you give.
I also get the impression if you are that shy, why do you want to do dentistry? What hand skills/fine motor skills do you have? What was the most meaningful clinical experience you have had? What is your purpose as a dentist?
What was the harshest criticism you ever received and how did you respond to it? Tell me how you overcome a significant failure.
Finding Your Purpose as a Health Professional - SDN
The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.
www.studentdoctor.net
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drDental_
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Unfortunately, not really as I am only an applicant like you. Although if based solely on geography, I think I would start by looking at DGA (in-state), UAB, the Florida schools, the Tennessee schools (Meharry and you’ll have to ask one of the experts or moderators if UT has a school), the Carolina schools, and the Kentucky schools while being mindful that you need to identify both candidate state and private schools. After figuring out which of those potentially syncs with your stats, you’ll need to determine how out-of-state friendly the schools on your preliminary list are (as noted elsewhere in this thread). If you’re still in need of additional schools after that, I think I would then look into VCU and UMD to determine if they are realistic. You might even have to consider midwest schools although others in this thread would know how best to proceed. You just have to be open to receiving the advice presented.
I think the jest of what others have conveyed is to include reach schools but do not compile an entire list of reach schools if they don’t sync with your stats. In other words, if you want to apply to UConn and UCSF, do so but ensure that your other schools fall within the average and 5th-95th percentile ranges for both GPA (science and overall) and DAT scores. It’s really important that the majority of schools in the compiled list are fairly open to out-of-state applicants to give yourself the best chance at securing acceptance. It’s impossible to be doubt-free, so at some point, you just have to finalize the list and apply. Good luck to you!
Note: I am in no way an expert so please do your own research. I sought plenty of help from my pre-health advisors and my mom over the course of an entire year (including creating my own spreadsheet and clarifying tons of information directly with admissions offices) to attempt to make sense of things. You could also purchase the ADEA Official Guide to Dental School or the Dental School Explorer. I’ve actually seen links to free copies on reddit somewhere before so see if you can track those down.
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Well said! I agree with the schools you've listed as good candidates for OP. Yes, the University of Tennessee does have a dental school, there's also Meharry (which I think OP should apply to) and Lincoln Memorial, but I don't think they need to apply to that school. I would not recommend applying to TX schools as they'd more than likely be donations unless significant ties to TX are present. Or at least keep those schools separate from the final list due to the sheer OOS competitiveness of the schools, for example: applying to 12 schools total, with the additional 4 TX schools making the final count 16.
UMD is fairly receptive of OOS students, and has taken a handful of GA residents and I believe offers In state tuition after the first year. UAB would be a better choice than Uconn or UCSF as well.
While they could try and dig around to find the ADEA guide, I have compiled, under each individual 2029 thread, the most important data points from both the 2020 and 2022 guide! 😉
Seems like you've done your homework, and welcome to the forums!
If I were to apply to meHarry would I be able to get a merit aid from them?
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Most dental schools don’t give scholarships/merit aid. And those that do give a handful of scholarships generally either bring the cost down to in state tuition or help cover some housing costs.
Anticipate taking the full cost of attendance unless you have help from others, but don’t expect any aid as schools don’t generally give it. You’ll get government loans to borrow. This isn’t like undergrad, dental school is expensive for almost everyone.
drDental_
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[mention]babydawg [/mention] I just wanted to give you an idea of how to quickly assess whether or not a school should be marked off of your preliminary list using your GPAs (science and overall) and DAT AA and TS scored. See the attached images that I marked up.
Note: These are screenshots of the UCSF and UConn Class of 2029 posts mentioned (and created) by [mention]Ryxndek [/mention] in the thread to eliminate the need to buy the DSE or Guide to Dental School.
Although your stats align fairly closely with UConn’s stat, they are not out-of-state friendly having only accepted about 3.14% (36 accepted of 1,146 that applied) of out-of-state students. About 74% of the out-of-state students that enrolled, are from the Northeast region of the US. Although it is not explicitly stated, one can infer that of the 36 out-of-state students that were accepted, they were also most likely from the Northeast region, suggesting a strong regional preference as someone else in the thread indicated. Although, it does show that applicants from FL, TN, and VA were accepted and enrolled, they may have had very high stats, impressive extracurriculars, and/or or they may have applied very early in their application cycle. I cannot say for certain myself!
With respect to UCSF, your GPAs and DAT AA and TS are below their average; however, your GPAs are on the upper end of their science and overall percentiles so you should not be automatically screened out of consideration based on these values. Keep in-mind that UCSF is extremely competitive and requires additional prerequisites (i.e. psychology and English Composition II which is, in part, why I did not apply) that many other schools do not require or will accept alternatives.
I share all to inform, never to dissuade. Whether or not to apply is ultimately your decision, just wanted to make sure you have a good handle on how to start compiling a list. You can literally apply the same approach to every school that you research. Then move onto costs. I would recommend cost of attendance over solely relying on direct costs (i.e. tuition, mandatory fees) provided you need insight into housing, transportation, equipment costs etc. Next, move on to reading all there is to know about each school’s program to determine whether they have research, community outreach, or any other programs of interest.
Note: You should consider sharing your PAT, RC, QR, and all science subscores from your DAT. Perhaps, you can share them with an expert privately via message if they are willing to receive them. This might help them to get a better idea of what schools would be good fits for you and/or if your total DAT profile is suitable as-is for the current cycle.
Note: These are screenshots of the UCSF and UConn Class of 2029 posts mentioned (and created) by [mention]Ryxndek [/mention] in the thread to eliminate the need to buy the DSE or Guide to Dental School.
Although your stats align fairly closely with UConn’s stat, they are not out-of-state friendly having only accepted about 3.14% (36 accepted of 1,146 that applied) of out-of-state students. About 74% of the out-of-state students that enrolled, are from the Northeast region of the US. Although it is not explicitly stated, one can infer that of the 36 out-of-state students that were accepted, they were also most likely from the Northeast region, suggesting a strong regional preference as someone else in the thread indicated. Although, it does show that applicants from FL, TN, and VA were accepted and enrolled, they may have had very high stats, impressive extracurriculars, and/or or they may have applied very early in their application cycle. I cannot say for certain myself!
With respect to UCSF, your GPAs and DAT AA and TS are below their average; however, your GPAs are on the upper end of their science and overall percentiles so you should not be automatically screened out of consideration based on these values. Keep in-mind that UCSF is extremely competitive and requires additional prerequisites (i.e. psychology and English Composition II which is, in part, why I did not apply) that many other schools do not require or will accept alternatives.
I share all to inform, never to dissuade. Whether or not to apply is ultimately your decision, just wanted to make sure you have a good handle on how to start compiling a list. You can literally apply the same approach to every school that you research. Then move onto costs. I would recommend cost of attendance over solely relying on direct costs (i.e. tuition, mandatory fees) provided you need insight into housing, transportation, equipment costs etc. Next, move on to reading all there is to know about each school’s program to determine whether they have research, community outreach, or any other programs of interest.
Note: You should consider sharing your PAT, RC, QR, and all science subscores from your DAT. Perhaps, you can share them with an expert privately via message if they are willing to receive them. This might help them to get a better idea of what schools would be good fits for you and/or if your total DAT profile is suitable as-is for the current cycle.
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Also, visiting schools and taking to admissions staff and students can often give you more insight into their selection process. Holistic Review does not mean "no metrics," but it matters in a way that it doesn't become the dominant factor. It does require additional context to determine mission fit. If your don't get the DSE or buy the OG, you need to go to recruitment or academic enhancer opportunities (SHPEP) to get a sense of whether you feel you belong at the school.
Merit scholarships: you could get a merit scholarship as long as you fit their definition of merit. That should include program fit, of which you haven't given us a sense.
Merit scholarships: you could get a merit scholarship as long as you fit their definition of merit. That should include program fit, of which you haven't given us a sense.
this is the best newbie post i have seen on this forum
ever...
