Pre-dent committee problems

[TeddieBelle]

Does anyone have any documents that talk about how important it is to apply early to dental schools? I'm sure I could search through dental school sites, but I was hoping to find other sources as well (and also save some time). My committee is still giving us trouble with sending in our LOR early. I realize that we can go ahead and get teacher recs too. Most of us though, feel that our committee rec will be much better than our teacher recs. Thanks!

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[Gulch]

Does anyone have any documents that talk about how important it is to apply early to dental schools? I'm sure I could search through dental school sites early, but I was hoping to find other sources as well (and also save some time). My committee is still giving us trouble with sending in our LOR early. I realize that we can go ahead and get teacher recs too. Most of us though, feel that our committee rec will be much better than our teacher recs. Thanks!

If you want some documents demonstrating how important it is to apply early I could photocopy all six of my waitlist letters for you... (I applied November 12, and personally believe that I would be in, not waitlisted if I had applied earlier) Seriously though, I know you don't want to, but you should probably just search the admissions sections on the school websites. Most say something like, "we strong encourage applicants to apply early [late may or early june]" or refer to their rolling admissions. Hope your committee starts working for ya. best of luck!

 

[crazy_sherm]

It's quite important to apply early (by August) even if you have oustanding stats. The earlier you apply, the smaller the pool of students, the higher your chances of acceptance and/or scholarships. You can always submit your application before the LORs are done and just send them in later.

 

[Generallee]

Does anyone have any documents that talk about how important it is to apply early to dental schools? I'm sure I could search through dental school sites, but I was hoping to find other sources as well (and also save some time). My committee is still giving us trouble with sending in our LOR early. I realize that we can go ahead and get teacher recs too. Most of us though, feel that our committee rec will be much better than our teacher recs. Thanks!

I was wondering the same thing as well, but I'll be surprised if you would find such a document. However, I had the director of admissions for Case Western come visit my school and he stressed how important it was to apply early because of what they call "rolling admissions". According to him, early applications was anything before Sept. He mentioned that the 2005 class for Case was already filled by October and if you applied after Sept, the best you could hope for is something off the waitlist or alternate list, however you want to call it. He also mentioned that it is advantageous to apply early because you're not competing against that many applicants as compared to the applicant pool in Aug/Sept. Oh, I just realized that you might of been asking this question because you want to show the committee the importance of them writing the letter in a timely manner? If that's the case, never mind what I just said.

 

[onetoothleft]

I doubt that such a document really exists. Most admissions committees I have spoken to have said that they allow the apps to pile up until August something, and begin to make interview invites. Call the adcoms yourself. Sometimes you will get a nice one that will help you--maybe even provide some sort of proof.

I would do this as a safety:

Get 3 science LOR's and send them in. Complete AADSAS and when you get your committee letter in September, send that seperately to each school that you applied to. This way you will trick the ADCOMs into thinking your app is complete (they will mark it complete) and grant you the interview. Then when you get your committee letter in Sept, send it in and the secretary will put it in your folder in time for your interview--when the ADCOM really starts looking at your app.

Keep in mind that Committee letters are not as important in Dent school as they are in Med school. . . most of us didn't have one and did fine.

 

[v&andy_yankee]

a lot of the schools prefer individual letters than just a committee letter. the committee letter tends to be too general and too cut-and-paste, and most schools prefer to see the original teacher letters.

also, depending on your school, you probably share the committee with medical school applicants as well. and many times, the committees tend to favor the premeds over the predents and get their stuff done first b/c "the premed deadlines are earlier, dental schools work at a later schedule"--which is pure BS (i called my school end of last summer asking for LORs to be sent and that is what they told me...but a week later i got 2 letters from my dental schools asking where my LORs were). just keep calling them, and even if they won't send a committee letter out at least get the individual teacher letters out.

so i would say, screw the committee and just apply early. because most committees are more trained to deal with premeds than predents, they really don't know what they are talking about with dental school. for premeds, a lot of med schools refuse to take individual letters and demand one committee letter.

 

[netsn06]

a lot of the schools prefer individual letters than just a committee letter. the committee letter tends to be too general and too cut-and-paste, and most schools prefer to see the original teacher letters.

so i would say, screw the committee and just apply early. because most committees are more trained to deal with premeds than predents, they really don't know what they are talking about with dental school. for premeds, a lot of med schools refuse to take individual letters and demand one committee letter.

from what my committee does, they send their committee letter as a cover letter to a packet, which contains all my individual letters (or the top 3-5 that they choose). if adcoms are late to the theatre or have to go to the bathroom, they can just read over the cover letter quickly. if they have more time, the individual letters are all contained underneath the cover letter.

my question is, if i submit my aadsas app in june, but my committee letter is not written until july or august, will i still get the low aadsas number? ie, are my lor's/committee letter required to get assigned this number?

 

[TeddieBelle]

from what my committee does, they send their committee letter as a cover letter to a packet, which contains all my individual letters (or the top 3-5 that they choose). if adcoms are late to the theatre or have to go to the bathroom, they can just read over the cover letter quickly. if they have more time, the individual letters are all contained underneath the cover letter.

my question is, if i submit my aadsas app in june, but my committee letter is not written until july or august, will i still get the low aadsas number? ie, are my lor's/committee letter required to get assigned this number?

I'm not sure about an aadsas number...(?) I am pretty sure though that dental schools wont consider your application complete until your lor is in.

 

[crazy_sherm]

I'm not sure about an aadsas number...(?) I am pretty sure though that dental schools wont consider your application complete until your lor is in.

Actually, I only had 2 of 3 LORs in when I was called up for my interviews. The schools just told me to get the last one in by my interview date.

 

[TeddieBelle]

Actually, I only had 2 of 3 LORs in when I was called up for my interviews. The schools just told me to get the last one in by my interview date.

Really?? That makes me feel a little better! I talked to some schools and they told me it wouldn't be complete until the LOR was sent. (Which has definatly been a huge concern of mine.) However, it looks like they do make exceptions! Hopefully, I'll luck out then! Did you have really good stats?

 

[mvs04]

Really?? That makes me feel a little better! I talked to some schools and they told me it wouldn't be complete until the LOR was sent. (Which has definatly been a huge concern of mine.) However, it looks like they do make exceptions! Hopefully, I'll luck out then! Did you have really good stats?

Teddiebelle! You're decent looking enough for my intoxicatingly alluring looks. Hurry up get your butt in gear and become a DDS so I can marry you and have you support my angel-pie eating and Twilight-zone marathon habits!

you certainlly can bring a LOR with you to the interview. I had to do it when one of mine slipped through the cracks (damn you AADSAS). The admin officer just slipped the letter into my file when i showed up.

 

[crazy_sherm]

Really?? That makes me feel a little better! I talked to some schools and they told me it wouldn't be complete until the LOR was sent. (Which has definatly been a huge concern of mine.) However, it looks like they do make exceptions! Hopefully, I'll luck out then! Did you have really good stats?

I had a lower than average GPA (3.2/3.0) but a decent DAT (23/19). Funny thing though was that the last rec must have been my best, because that was the only one mentioned during my interview. I think if you apply early and are a decent candidate, you might get a little more leeway.

 

[netsn06]

I'm not sure about an aadsas number...(?) I am pretty sure though that dental schools wont consider your application complete until your lor is in.

cool. well before this thread turns into a personals lounge, i will shoot out another question.
i read on last year's app instructions that some schools requested lor's/transripts/additional fees after they contact you. doesnt that mean they have already received the info from aadsas...which means that aadsas considered your app complete? is there a difference b/w aadsas app being complete and a school's application file, which i assume is more than aadsas requires, being complete (ie. aadsas primary application plus fees, transcripts, dat scores, lor's)? thanks much.
ha...does this face make me look scurred?

 

[crazy_sherm]

cool. well before this thread turns into a personals lounge, i will shoot out another question.
i read on last year's app instructions that some schools requested lor's/transripts/additional fees after they contact you. doesnt that mean they have already received the info from aadsas...which means that aadsas considered your app complete? is there a difference b/w aadsas app being complete and a school's application file, which i assume is more than aadsas requires, being complete (ie. aadsas primary application plus fees, transcripts, dat scores, lor's)? thanks much.
ha...does this face make me look scurred?

when you submit your app to aadsas, it gets put in line to be sent to the schools. but since you can submit your app before sending everything to aadsas, sometimes an incomplete file will go out to the schools. depending on the schools, you can send stuff to the school directly to speed up the process. aadsas has a really slow turnaround time. Some schools will grant you an interview based on just the incomplete app if you look promising enough, but will require a complete app by the time they interview you. So those are the cases in which they'll request additional lor's/transcripts/etc. Also, if anything has changed since you submitted your application such as retaking the dat, more classes, etc, they may also request it. Primary app fees always go to AADSAS, secondaries go directly to the school.

 

[netsn06]

when you submit your app to aadsas, it gets put in line to be sent to the schools. but since you can submit your app before sending everything to aadsas, sometimes an incomplete file will go out to the schools. depending on the schools, you can send stuff to the school directly to speed up the process. aadsas has a really slow turnaround time. Some schools will grant you an interview based on just the incomplete app if you look promising enough, but will require a complete app by the time they interview you. So those are the cases in which they'll request additional lor's/transcripts/etc. Also, if anything has changed since you submitted your application such as retaking the dat, more classes, etc, they may also request it. Primary app fees always go to AADSAS, secondaries go directly to the school.

nice. thanks sherman for the insight. hopefully my app looks "promising" enough w/ lots of "potential" so that i can interview at my #1 choice and your future alma mater this fall. we'll see how things pan out..

 

[Sprgrover]

my question is, if i submit my aadsas app in june, but my committee letter is not written until july or august, will i still get the low aadsas number? ie, are my lor's/committee letter required to get assigned this number?

You will get a low AADSAS number and AADSAS will mail out your application early, but if a school refuses to review your application until all materials, including LOR's, are in then there is no point in having a low number. The key is to have a complete application as early as possible. What's early? May, June, and early July. August onwards AADSAS receives a lot of applications and they slow down and some schools will have already started the interview process as well.

 

[netsn06]

You will get a low AADSAS number and AADSAS will mail out your application early, but if a school refuses to review your application until all materials, including LOR's, are in then there is no point in having a low number. The key is to have a complete application as early as possible. What's early? May, June, and early July. August onwards AADSAS receives a lot of applications and they slow down and some schools will have already started the interview process as well.

hence everyone on this forum advises we have our lor's/committee letter mailed directly to the schools, bypassing the middleman aadsas to avoid the extra processing time. now it makes sense. gracias.

guess this means:
apply to aadsas early as it takes several weeks to get to schools.
if committee letter is not made til june/july, send those as well as transcripts directly to schools so they are processed by the school at the same time as they process my 1o app.
aadsas # really means nothing if the app to the school is not complete.
cool.

good luck at penn dood. i went there for ugrad and loved it.