Hey everyone, I applied last year and was not accepted. I'm applying again this year with nearly the same GPA (.1 higher) but a much higher DAT score (22AA/22TS). I have also just been accepted into a masters program. I will start the program after I submit my dental application, so I will have no grades posted on my application. Does it even make a difference that I'm doing a masters if I have no grades to show for it yet?
Question for reapplicants
- Thread starter shrister
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That's where I'm confused. Is it more beneficial to apply without telling them I'm doing a masters so that they review my application right when I submit, or should I tell them I'm doing a masters and have them wait until December to really review my application. I've heard so much about how important it is to apply early
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They will review your application if you submit your application, wether or not you inform them of your acceptance into a masters program. You can't inform them of your acceptance into a masters program without grades anyways.
Well won't i be informing them of my masters by putting it under colleges attended and courses planned/in progress?
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Yes, obtain a list of the classes you are to take in the Fall and put them under planned.
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It can't hurt you. It can also be mentioned in your personal statement. Assuming your pre-SMP UG GPA is decent, plenty of schools won't hesitate to invite you for an interview/offer you a seat, with or without your SMP thanks to the high DAT. Of course, any admission will likely be contingent on completion of your program.
Where the SMP will help is getting interviews from schools that are on the fence about you. And those interviews will, on average, result in more positive outcomes. Even with pending grades, doing an SMP shows dedication and commitment. Some of them might offer you a pre-dec interview and wait for submission of your fall grades before making a decision. Other schools that would otherwise have denied you might wait to see your fall grades before offering a post-dec interview. As long as you don't bomb the SMP, you'll be in great shape.
Worst case, if you find yourself still wait-listed in March, you can start contacting adcoms using your SMP as a talking point. "I will be completing my Master's in May, got A's on my midterms, and am projected to finish the semester with a 4.0....."
Where the SMP will help is getting interviews from schools that are on the fence about you. And those interviews will, on average, result in more positive outcomes. Even with pending grades, doing an SMP shows dedication and commitment. Some of them might offer you a pre-dec interview and wait for submission of your fall grades before making a decision. Other schools that would otherwise have denied you might wait to see your fall grades before offering a post-dec interview. As long as you don't bomb the SMP, you'll be in great shape.
Worst case, if you find yourself still wait-listed in March, you can start contacting adcoms using your SMP as a talking point. "I will be completing my Master's in May, got A's on my midterms, and am projected to finish the semester with a 4.0....."
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How long is the masters program? I you cannot graduate by matriculation next year you may have a problem, as I have been told by numerous schools that they don't "poach" students before they graduate from their intended masters program.
The program is one year, 2 semesters, and ends in the summer before dental school matriculation.
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Hey thanks a lot for your input and advice. I know nothing is forsure but what you said is definitely reassuring. My UG GPA is 3.3/3.0 science so I know every school that is on the fence about me is worried about my GPA and my likelihood of succeeding in dental school. My shadowing hours are high, volunteering high, I was a board member of global brigades, DAT high, but my GPA being low for dental school is an understatement.
I just don't want to put that I am doing a masters now and have all the schools tell me I should reapply after completing my masters. That will be devastating. If that is to happen, I'll just apply without doing a masters at all.
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Fortunately, since you're enrolled in a 1-yr program, you don't need to worry about the poaching idea. For 2-yr programs, d-schools may very well avoid you until you complete the program, but several of those Master's programs flat out told me that they would have no issue with a student withdrawing after one year if they were admitted to a professional program in the interim.
I can't tell you about individuals that schools decided not to interview due to enrollment in Master's. I imagine it an unlikely scenario, but there's no way to prove that. What I can tell you, however, is that on my interview tour, I met countless people who were in the process of completing Master's programs. Some were SMPs, some were traditional programs. I kept in touch with 3 of them and all 3 were admitted this past cycle, contingent on completion of their programs.
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What masters program is it?
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