Please evaluate my chances..

[IUforever]

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Hi everyone,

I just finished writing my DAT and I am now starting to begin my application.

First of all, my stats are

QR 30
RC 25
OC 21
GC 23
BIO 22
PAT 22
TS 22
AA 24

4 year GPA 3.95/4.0 (University of Toronto)

I know my stats are competitive for the dental school but one thing i can tell you is that stats are not everything for dental school admission ( I did not get any interview last year: probably because I was a late applicant, etc)

Anyways, a few dilemmas lie ahead. Because it has been a while for me to be out of school ( I graduated in 2012) and all of my classes were huge, there are no professors who can write me strong reference letters. Although I have found one professor who has expressed his willingness to get to know about me, I do not believe his reference letter would be very descriptive and personal. However, during the year off, I did a numerous volunteer activities and have built strong working relationships with the volunteer mentors and supervisors. Of course, they promised me that they would write me a good reference letter. Here is the first question: do you think mediocre faculty reference letters can be overcome by including a couple of good reference letters from volunteer supervisors? I think if the point of a reference letter is to get a picture of what personality an applicant has, it does not have to come from an academic mentor, as one's academic competitiveness is shown on his/her transcript and DAT score.

Also, I am neither US or Canadian citizen, and heard a rumor that it is harder for an international student to gain acceptance into dental school. It is now early July and I will be completing my application / mailing it out by the mid-Aug. Do you consider this to be significantly late to place me at disadvantage?

Because I was rejected once, this puts me at great paranoia.. Any feedback, comments, critiques are very welcomed..

Cheers,

 

[Ionz]

Hi everyone,

I just finished writing my DAT and I am now starting to begin my application.

First of all, my stats are

QR 30
RC 25
OC 21
GC 23
BIO 22
PAT 22
TS 22
AA 24

4 year GPA 3.95/4.0 (University of Toronto)

I know my stats are competitive for the dental school but one thing i can tell you is that stats are not everything for dental school admission ( I did not get any interview last year: probably because I was a late applicant, etc)

Anyways, a few dilemmas lie ahead. Because it has been a while for me to be out of school ( I graduated in 2012) and all of my classes were huge, there are no professors who can write me strong reference letters. Although I have found one professor who has expressed his willingness to get to know about me, I do not believe his reference letter would be very descriptive and personal. However, during the year off, I did a numerous volunteer activities and have built strong working relationships with the volunteer mentors and supervisors. Of course, they promised me that they would write me a good reference letter. Here is the first question: do you think mediocre faculty reference letters can be overcome by including a couple of good reference letters from volunteer supervisors? I think if the point of a reference letter is to get a picture of what personality an applicant has, it does not have to come from an academic mentor, as one's academic competitiveness is shown on his/her transcript and DAT score.

Also, I am neither US or Canadian citizen, and heard a rumor that it is harder for an international student to gain acceptance into dental school. It is now early July and I will be completing my application / mailing it out by the mid-Aug. Do you consider this to be significantly late to place me at disadvantage?

Because I was rejected once, this puts me at great paranoia.. Any feedback, comments, critiques are very welcomed..

Cheers,

Remember, letters of recommendation are only a supplement to your stats. And your stats are absolutely stellar. Especially that GPA. Apply broadly, and you will get multiple interviews this time around.

What was your first DAT score when you applied last year? Maybe that was a factor in your unsuccessful attempt?

EDIT: August is not late at all. Anything pre-September is considered "early".

 

[IUforever]

Remember, letters of recommendation are only a supplement to your stats. And your stats are absolutely stellar. Especially that GPA. Apply broadly, and you will get multiple interviews this time around.

What was your first DAT score when you applied last year? Maybe that was a factor in your unsuccessful attempt?

EDIT: August is not late at all. Anything pre-September is considered "early".

I wrote Canadian DAT back then and my stats were

GC 24
BIO 23
RC 23
AA 23
PAT 21

No OC and QR in Canadian DAT...

Interestingly enough, all of the applicants that I knew who submitted cDAT scores did not get in.. Probably, American schools like aDAT better.

As for applying broadly, I have a fewer options because a number of schools do not even consider applications from foreigners.. I can only apply to private schools + some states universities..

 

[Koalafied]

Hi everyone,

I just finished writing my DAT and I am now starting to begin my application.

First of all, my stats are

QR 30
RC 25
OC 21
GC 23
BIO 22
PAT 22
TS 22
AA 24

4 year GPA 3.95/4.0 (University of Toronto)

I know my stats are competitive for the dental school but one thing i can tell you is that stats are not everything for dental school admission ( I did not get any interview last year: probably because I was a late applicant, etc)

Anyways, a few dilemmas lie ahead. Because it has been a while for me to be out of school ( I graduated in 2012) and all of my classes were huge, there are no professors who can write me strong reference letters. Although I have found one professor who has expressed his willingness to get to know about me, I do not believe his reference letter would be very descriptive and personal. However, during the year off, I did a numerous volunteer activities and have built strong working relationships with the volunteer mentors and supervisors. Of course, they promised me that they would write me a good reference letter. Here is the first question: do you think mediocre faculty reference letters can be overcome by including a couple of good reference letters from volunteer supervisors? I think if the point of a reference letter is to get a picture of what personality an applicant has, it does not have to come from an academic mentor, as one's academic competitiveness is shown on his/her transcript and DAT score.

Also, I am neither US or Canadian citizen, and heard a rumor that it is harder for an international student to gain acceptance into dental school. It is now early July and I will be completing my application / mailing it out by the mid-Aug. Do you consider this to be significantly late to place me at disadvantage?

Because I was rejected once, this puts me at great paranoia.. Any feedback, comments, critiques are very welcomed..

Cheers,

In general d-schools prefer a committee letter if possible. Otherwise 2 LOR's/LOE's from your science professors, preferably from your BCP courses, and one from a general dentist would be on the safe side for most of the schools in the states. Also, many d-schools state precisely what kind of LOR/LOE they want/prefer on their website, so I don't think any other deviations to this would suffice.

According to doc toothache's guide section 6 page 64 http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=942453 which apparently comes from the 2013 ADEA guidebook, it appears you'll have a more favorable chance of getting in if you're from Canada or S.Korea. And page 65 of the same guide should answer your last question.

 

[Ionz]

I wrote Canadian DAT back then and my stats were

GC 24
BIO 23
RC 23
AA 23
PAT 21

No OC and QR in Canadian DAT...

Interestingly enough, all of the applicants that I knew who submitted cDAT scores did not get in.. Probably, American schools like aDAT better.

As for applying broadly, I have a fewer options because a number of schools do not even consider applications from foreigners.. I can only apply to private schools + some states universities..

Even your cDAT was very competitive for most schools. It's hard to fathom why you weren't accepted to some private schools... Did you try the expensive private schools? NYU for example would have loved you with those stats...

 

[KobevsLebron]

I love IU, too. saw cute.

 

[Bifenthrin]

Why does being out of school since 2012 mean you can't get LORs from your professors?

I graduated with my BSc in 2011 and didn't really keep in touch much with my professors. However, when I applied I emailed the head of the chemistry department from my university, who I took Ochem with, as well as a professor I took two bio courses with, and asked for letters. They still remembered me and wrote me letters. *shrug*

It's worth a shot to reach out to professors you had when you were in school.

 

[Ionz]

Why does being out of school since 2012 mean you can't get LORs from your professors?

I graduated with my BSc in 2011 and didn't really keep in touch much with my professors. However, when I applied I emailed the head of the chemistry department from my university, who I took Ochem with, as well as a professor I took two bio courses with, and asked for letters. They still remembered me and wrote me letters. *shrug*

It's worth a shot to reach out to professors you had when you were in school.

I think the biggest factor here is the fact that the OP is from an incredibly LARGE institution with class sizes around 4-500 and first/second year classes in colosseum-style auditoriums with 1000+ students. U of Toronto is notorious in Canada for this, and it's impossible for profs to remember individual students.

 

[Bifenthrin]

Ah, I see. That would change things.

 

[IUforever]

I think the biggest factor here is the fact that the OP is from an incredibly LARGE institution with class sizes around 4-500 and first/second year classes in colosseum-style auditoriums with 1000+ students. U of Toronto is notorious in Canada for this, and it's impossible for profs to remember individual students.

Yes. I know it is hard to imagine but U of T is famous for the profs who focus more on their research than teaching. Being one of 1000+ students taking General Chemistry and a big line up for asking a question with the prof, I had much difficulty advertising myself to a prof.

 

[Bifenthrin]

Man, that's rough. Makes me glad I went to a small school (class sizes maxed out at 50 for lectures, 15 for labs).

Allowed me to form relationships with my professors too. The chair of the chem department still teased me about electrocuting myself in his lab as a sophomore while I was a grad student.