Okay! I'm going to type this up for other pre-dents too! Hope it helps!
So right off the bat, I'd suggest you join your pre-dental club, and start shadowing a dentist (preferably a general dentist). You can shadow anyone (doesn't have to be your personal dentist), and try to do a couple hours a week/every other week, and show commitment. Make sure you really do like and understand the profession.
(Things I type in blue are when I started things/what I did) I started shadowing at the beginning of my sophomore year, and now I am in my senior year, so for a little over two years. Have about 150 hours. Most schools require about 50, but 100 is a number you should shoot for.
You can shadow multiple dentists, but again, show commitment. Don't go hopping around.
Besides pre-dental club, find another club or clubs that interest you. And I go to a large school too, I know it's hard, but really try to be involved and get that leadership position, even if it's your senior year (like it is for me!). As for another EC, you can also look into research! It allows you to learn about a wide variety of things from a different perspective, and you can do things you're passionate about. You don't have to do it as a career if you don't want to- think of it more as a hobby.
I'm part of a biological honor society, and I'm currently part of its eboard this year. Started sophomore year, and have been greatly involved in its activities (food kitchens, clinics, blood drives etc), which I used to count for my volunteering hours. Same thing with pre-dental club- started sophomore year, but it's helped me more with dental school tours, speakers, tips, etc. I just started neuroscience research, and I love it! It's also helped me at interviews, with talking to faculty members that also do research!
Work on your manual dexterity. Take classes like ceramics, or be involved in sports, or other arts and crafts.
I paint and draw, quilt, sculpt- a bunch of things. It really helped me build great hand-eye coordination, and also they served as talking points during my interviews!
DAT- the big one. So since you're a sophomore, I'm sure you've taken your gen chem classes, but talking to a friend who is also a biochem major, you guys aren't required to take too many bio classes, so before your DAT, make sure you've taken your introductory bio classes, a microbio course, an anatomy course, and a botany course. Also, really really try to take ochem before you take your DAT, but some people have taken the test without the course, and still did well.
I took tons of upper divs (virology, evolution, biochem, cell physio, plant physio, etc) and did well on the DATAnother point I want to bring up is
KEEP YOUR GPA HIGH! Don't do poorly in a class because you think it might not count/hurt you. Really avoid C's and below, and W's, if you can. Also remember that any classes you fail/retake, both grades will be factored into your GPA.
ANOTHER POINT: Start getting to know your professors really well! The ones that know you outside of the classroom are the ones that will write the best letters for you (in my opinion). Yeah it helps to have done well in that course, but dentistry is all about communication, and dental schools want to know what kind of person you are. They know how you think about yourself via your PS, but what about what others think of you as? So, get to know your professors! And the dentist you shadow too! Don't be super quiet and shy, go ahead and ask questions, be curious, and help out. Back to DAT: I'd suggest taking it the summer after sophomore/before junior (this isn't what I did though
) because you'd get it out of your way, and have enough time to prepare for a retake if necessary. You will be applying the summer after junior/before senior year, as the app opens June 1st.
You can read about it in my breakdown (in my signature), but I took my DAT this August, and applied to dental schools at the end of August. I was somewhat "late" in getting interviews, but I still was able to get interviews, and was accepted to UCLA on Dec. 1st nevertheless! (Dec 1st is the first day dental schools can accept/waitlist applicants; you can be rejected any time before though). You can use the whole summer to study, although some people do study during school and take it while in school. Do whatever works best for you. An amazing compilation of DAT Breakdowns by
@8_man is here:
DAT Breakdown Compilation Thread (future test takers, look here!). Use it!! I think this was pretty much it... I hope this helped/cleared some things up/guided you a little. Let me know if you have any questions! Best of luck!
2020 UPDATE:
Bumping this thread for people applying soon and for those still early in their career for an idea of the things they should do for their app! While everything in my post above still applies, I just want to add a few other things too
(and again, things in blue are what I did)
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Research: This is absolutely not required - do it if you are passionate about it, not because you want to check off another box on your application. While some schools may be more research oriented (think Ivys, UCs, etc.), people do get into these schools without research on their app, so it's not a dealbreaker if you don't have any. BUT, it is a plus if you do (and especially if you can actually explain what your research hopes to accomplish, not the fact that you pipette all day).
I only started research after I had applied (lol), so I didn't have anything to put down in my description box except that I'd be doing some research senior year! Not a big deal, it didn't harm or help me as schools didn't really ask about it either.
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Dental Assisting/Employment: This is also absolutely not required to have on your app. If you choose to work as a DA, you'll get some experience, but schools basically only require dental shadowing hours. Keep in mind that you cannot count dental assisting that you were paid for as shadowing - it's employment, not shadowing.
I didn't work as a DA at all, I worked as a tutor for my entire undergrad, and it was fine. I did help my dentist as I was shadowing with suction, handing instruments over, etc. which I talked about though.
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Application: The application now opens in May (May 12th, 2020 for this year), with the first date of submission being early June (June 2nd, 2020 for this year). This is so that you have a few weeks to start filling out your application, work on supplemental questions (for the schools that post them on AADSAS), have transcripts mailed over, and request LORs, so that you can submit on the first day. If you aren't able to submit right on the first day, don't worry! It's not the end of the world, submitting in June or even by July is still fine too. Just keep in mind that your application will have to be verified (AADSAS will calculate your GPAs for you), and that will take a few weeks, so the earlier you submit, the better. Also, once you submit, you will not be able to change anything you've previously submitted! You can only add new information to it. So when you submit, make sure everything is filled out, everything's answered correctly, and that your supplementals are complete. Many students will submit 1 application to get the verification process going, working on supplementals for other schools in the meantime.
- DAT: There's a newer DAT Breakdown Compilation, so be sure to look at it if you're just starting to study!
Compilation - DAT Breakdown Collection! 2017-Present
Here are other things with helpful info:
2018 AADSAS App Guide, by me & TNC
ADEA AADSAS Info page
ADEA AADSAS 2020 Instructions
There's so much to be found in those links and this website, so do use the Search function because chances are, the question you have has likely been asked before!
