Pre-Dental Student Timeline

[skim1988]

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Hi, i'm a sophomore in college and pursuing a career in dental school. When should i take the DATs and when should i start asking for LORs from professors?

 

[USU24]

Hi, i'm a sophomore in college and pursuing a career in dental school. When should i take the DATs and when should i start asking for LORs from professors?

You want to pursue a career in dental school? Like you want to work there, or teach there? Also the DAT is singular, it doesn't like being referred to plurally.
It depends on if you want to apply after your junior year or after your senior year. Applying after your senior year means you don't have to worry about the schools who won't even consider you without your pre reqs being done and you don't have to stress about maintaing some conditional GPA after acceptance. Also having a bachelors may or may not give you an edge. But if you apply after your junior year (I would) you save a year.
Presumably you should take the DAT like June or July of the year you're applying. Ask for LOR a month or so before you need them (May 15th).

 

[oclor]

The main thing is to apply early. The application cycle begins in May, so you should try and ask for LORs two months or so before may so that the people you ask have time to write a good letter. As for the DAT, you should take it before the application cycle begins as well so that they can send your grade right away when your application is available.

Personally I didn't do any of those things in the times I'm suggesting lol. That's because I didn't find this site until a couple of months ago. So good job coming here and asking questions this early, I wish I had...

 

[USU24]

I really don't think it's necessary to take the DAT before the application cycle. Mostly because AADSAS doesn't mail out your stuff until June anyways even if you get out in the first mailing and your DAT scores go to the school independently of AADSAS. That means you can take it later and have more time to study. Granted this doesn't really help you if you just procrastinate studying.

 

[Imperium]

Not to spam your thread or anything, but I have a question about LOR's. Can we ask for professor LOR's a year before we actually apply to dental schools? Do schools want professors to personally send the letters? I guess the choice largely lies in the hands of the professors, but I don't want to approach a professor who has already forgotten me as a student.

 

[gogiantsss]

aspiringdentist.com

That gives a pretty comprehensive timeline to applying to dental school. Good luck!

 

[USU24]

Not to spam your thread or anything, but I have a question about LOR's. Can we ask for professor LOR's a year before we actually apply to dental schools? Do schools want professors to personally send the letters? I guess the choice largely lies in the hands of the professors, but I don't want to approach a professor who has already forgotten me as a student.

Ask them in the "hey I'm planning to apply to dental school next year would it be cool if I got you to write a LOR for me around then" kinda way. Not "I need you to write me a LOR by may 15th next year". The truth is they'll only kinda remember you either way and even then they will base their letter on your transcript and whatever personal statement type thing you give them. I'm pretty sure you should have them send it directly with the LOR matching form. My school had a committee so they just sent the letters to them and then they sent one to aadsas.

 

[SuperDuper]

aspiringdentist.com

That gives a pretty comprehensive timeline to applying to dental school. Good luck!

I wish I knew about this website when I was applying!! 🙂😀😎

 

[Frederico Albin]

Thanks for sharing the link gogiantsss