Planning for Next Cycle

[isittoolate]

After applying this cycle and still waiting to hear back from anyone, I have pretty much resigned to the fact that I will need to apply again next cycle. I applied late and don't have a strong enough application to be competitive this late in the cycle.

With my stats, what will be the most beneficial thing I can do over the next 6 months?
oGPA 3.44, sGPA 3.21 and BCP 3.26
I know my GPA isn't great, but I have gotten about a 3.9 over the last two years and hoping to continue that trend my senior year. It is only reasonably possible for me to my sGPA to a 3.29, my BCP 3.37, and my oGPA to a 3.53. If I can raise my GPAs as I anticipate that I can, will these still be a limiting factor on my acceptance? Should I consider some sort of post bacc/masters?

DAT- 19 BIO, 22 GC, 29 OC, 20 PA, 23 RC, 19 QR; 22AA/21TS
I studied pretty hard for the DAT overall, but really like 10 hours a week for 4 weeks and 6-8 hours a day for 3 weeks, but with better study materials, I know I could at least score higher on BIO. I also feel that my performance on the PAT could be improved upon, as I consistently scored 22 and above on CDP. Is it worth taking the risk of another DAT? I am happy with the rest of my scores (except QR, but who cares about QR haha).

In terms of ECs:
I have shadowed for just over 90 hours and volunteering is just over 100 hours in the past two years. For volunteering, what is the time frame that is considered applicable?

Gap Year:
Basically, I want to know what is the weakest portion of my application and what can I do to improve my application the most?

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[Severed Lips]

Not sure when you applied (you said late) but I think next cycle you will get plenty of interviews.
I have a 3.3, 3.3 and 21AA22TS and have 4 interviews.
Apply on time, you will be fine.
Do not retake the DAT.

 

[Sal427]

I do not think you need to retake the DAT, your scores are great. Keep working on getting the gpa up, and try to find a meaningful EC to do. If you find something that important to you it can also be put in your personal statement.

 

[Zbtb7]

Your DAT scores are great. Don't retake. Your goal should be to get into dental school before they expire.

The weakest point of your application is your sgpa. Do your best the rest of senior year. IF this cycle doesn't work out, consider taking a post-bacc with all sci courses to bring up your sgpa. I don't think your gpa is so low that you need a masters.

Your ECs are also pretty weak. You've basically did the bare minimum of shadowing and community service. You need to make yourself a more well-rounded applicant, especially as your sgpa is below average. This is easier to achieve than raising your gpa. Just dedicate 6-10 hours a week towards doing more EC activities.

 

[isittoolate]

Yea, I wish I could undo a semester and erase my first two semesters of ochem...after retaking intro chemistry and biology first semester despite getting AP credit (as my advisor told me grad schools HATE AP credit, she was right), I thought I could get easy A's without showing up to class/studying. Second semester I found out that I was wrong and got two C+'s in 2nd semester chem and bio.

Then when I first took organic, I was taking too tough of a class load with 18 credits including physics and calc. I wasn't mature enough to perform well with that heavy of a courseload and got a C- and C. Now I have retaken first semester and gotten an A and am retaking second semester now. Do you think schools will overlook those low grades if I have excelled in upper division bio? I haven't gotten less than an A- in an upper division bio class. Also, I have two B-'s in calc I and calc II. I have heard that if your GPA doesn't meet some school's requirements, but your other stats are strong, that they will consider your GPA over the last two years?

Also, in terms of ECs, does it matter if my community service if my events are dental related?

 

[awaitsimpatient]

How late? maybe post december interviews.. Your scores are great!!

 

[isittoolate]

Too late apparently haha. I was in the 13th batch. Essentially when I visited OHSU last night I was able to chat with the head of admissions there about the status of my application. He was concerned that my application wasn't yet under review, but then when he saw when I applied, he said, wow, you were very late...not a good sign I would imagine.

Just in case anyone is wondering, he said they have currently reviewed through batch 6...

 

[Zbtb7]

Also, in terms of ECs, does it matter if my community service if my events are dental related?

Your ECs should demonstrate interest in dentistry. Usually shadowing will get this done.

Fill up the rest of your ECs with community service that you're interested in. They don't have to be dental-related.

 

[isittoolate]

In terms of hours I should shoot for? Is there a target number I should try to hit? Since my application I have probably volunteered about 50 hours, I wish there was a way to update your ECs...

Magic number for shadowing/volunteering?

 

[awaitsimpatient]

In terms of hours I should shoot for? Is there a target number I should try to hit? Since my application I have probably volunteered about 50 hours, I wish there was a way to update your ECs...

.

 

[isittoolate]

QUESTION:

I graduate in the Spring in the first week of May. In that month, will it be better to squeeze in as much ECs as possible or rather to start studying for retaking the DAT? I applied late this year and want to send in my application on June 1st, but am worried that because I have a weak PS that I need to have an amazing DAT

 

[ewu6three]

QUESTION:

I graduate in the Spring in the first week of May. In that month, will it be better to squeeze in as much ECs as possible or rather to start studying for retaking the DAT? I applied late this year and want to send in my application on June 1st, but am worried that because I have a weak PS that I need to have an amazing DAT

Listen to all of the recently accepted people above and do not waste your time and money retaking the DAT. If you are worried about your PS and ECs, here is what you should do... Rewrite your PS and get involved in some ECs. It takes a couple of hours to turn a weak personal statement into a strong one. It takes a little bit of balls to call up a dentist and ask if you can shadow. Work on it dude.

 

[doc2thake]

I am not going to act like an expect because quite frankly, I cannot stand when people on sdn dissect one's resume. I applied during my senior year of college (2011 grad) and received no interviews. A few things about my application: I had a great GPA ( > 3.6 science and overall), below average DAT, >100 hours volunteering, president of 2 campus organizations, the student rep. of ethics committee, >150 hours of shadowing, blah, blah, blah. I had everything minus a good dat score. I applied to five schools and didn't hear a single thing. I contacted the admissions office at my state school and advised to apply earlier (I applied in September) and get the DAT up. I looked for full-time jobs to make money and support myself and to-be-wife. I got a job as a chemist and I have worked since June 2011. I haven't taken a single class, but continued to shadow and study for the DAT. I applied this cycle with a higher DAT (20 AA and TS) and around 260 hours of shadowing. I applied to a large number of schools, many OOS because I could see myself fitting in at those programs, and received 7 interviews and ended up with 5 acceptances and 2 wait lists. A job is an excellent idea because it provides you security if you don't get accepted, allows you to develop a good work ethic, understand the business aspect of life, and allows you a chance to save money for dental school if accepted. Overall, I feel like applying early is very important. I was in the second batch and heard very early from programs. Stay in touch with professors and maintain a relationship with them if you will not be doing a grad program because you will need your undergrad prof's to write you recs. Get in touch with people writing your rec's (March or April) so they can plan ahead. Get your transcript request forms filled out in advance for your college registrar. Be detail oriented to have everything ready to go. Copy and paste all of the information from your current application and save it in a word file and continue to update things as needed and then the next time you apply you can paste it into the current cycle application. Call several programs and see what they say about improving your application. None of my interviewers were concerned with me not taking classes because they saw that I performed well in the classroom in the past, but have also stayed busy by developing a solid work ethic by handling different things at the same time (working full time andstudying and doing well on the dat). I honestly feel more prepared after working for what will be 2 years than coming straight out of college. Anything is possible. Just stay motivated and focused on your aspirations and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it! Best of luck!

 

[isittoolate]

Listen to all of the recently accepted people above and do not waste your time and money retaking the DAT. If you are worried about your PS and ECs, here is what you should do... Rewrite your PS and get involved in some ECs. It takes a couple of hours to turn a weak personal statement into a strong one. It takes a little bit of balls to call up a dentist and ask if you can shadow. Work on it dude.

Do you think that shadowing is the best way to show interest in dentistry? Rather than dental related volunteering? I currently volunteer at a free dental clinic, and am going on a dental mission to Guatemala where I will use my Spanish major to interpret the triage for all the patients. Do these activities seem like an adequate change in ECs? Should I shadow as well? I have like 94 hours currently, how many more do I need? I feel like it is no longer a productive way to spend my time, as I don't feel like there is much more I can learn from shadowing.

 

[ewu6three]

Do you think that shadowing is the best way to show interest in dentistry? Rather than dental related volunteering? I currently volunteer at a free dental clinic, and am going on a dental mission to Guatemala where I will use my Spanish major to interpret the triage for all the patients. Do these activities seem like an adequate change in ECs? Should I shadow as well? I have like 94 hours currently, how many more do I need? I feel like it is no longer a productive way to spend my time, as I don't feel like there is much more I can learn from shadowing.

Sounds like you got it together my man. I don't know which is the best way to show interest, but I would imagine if you were able to observe some procedures while volunteering, and if you made this known in your app (put the same experience in both the volunteer and observing/shadowing sections on the AADSAS), it wont matter. I marked my time as a dental assistant in both work experience and observing/shadowing sections. I don't see anything wrong with this, that way the adcoms know you weren't just doing paperwork or something like that. In my opinion you will be fine, you have plenty of ECs, you are really making all the rest of us look like jerks because we didn't go to Guatemala to volunteer. Work on that personal statement, then take a break. Buena suerte partner.