Reapplicant in need of advice

[parvazi1992]

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Hi everyone!

I have graduated June 2015 a B.A in History ( didn't know I would end up choosing dentistry) and have taken my science courses at college. 3.3 sGPA 3.6 Overall DAT 19. I have applied late August and took my DAT during October. I only had one interview and was rejected later. I'm retaking my DAT by June 1st and applying early into the cycle.
Ever since my graduation last June, I have been taking the DAT on Oct and then have taken few other pre reqs like anatomy , physiology and physics while working on the side to make living and keeping up with my community service. I haven't been doing a masters program during my gap year. Does this look back on my application ?
And what should I be stating in my new personal statement in regards to my gap year?

 

[Lane138]

hey there! I also was a history and health policy major and had a pretty average science GPA too, and in my interviews I talked about how one history of medicine course I took gave me an appreciation of the advancements medicine and dentistry has made. Try to weave everything into a coherent narrative. Talk about what you learned as a history major and how that gives you an appreciation of dentistry. A masters program is not a requirement, so don't feel like you did anything wrong. Talk about how instead of being discouraged from your first time applying, you used this past year to gain more exposure to dentistry and deepen your passion for the profession.

Be specific and tell stories that fit together in an overarching story. Good luck!

 

[sharkteethdentist]

I do not recommend to do the masters with your GPA since there is a risk to get lower GPA than your undergrad which will be under 3.5. I would retake DAT to aim for 20 or 21+ and apply early and broadly. Good luck on next cycle!

 

[1passbbsSHAVE]

I am not expert enough to give you advice confidently, but I don't know if explaining your gap year in your PS is advantageous for you. Let's just say it's not advantageous for everyone.
If you have done something extraordinary, I think it is worth it to write it in there so they can take notice and reward you for it by giving you an invite to interview.

If your gap year hasn't been that remarkable, I guess bringing it up only makes them question what you've been doing and why you were not motivated to do more. But if you can make it sound nice by twisting it a little, I don't see why not.

If it isn't mentioned in your app, but you get an invite to interview and they think it's important to ask about it, you will have a chance to explain yourself.

In short, I think it depends on how well you've spent your gap year. Take my advice with a grain of salt.


I've had a very very long gap year(S) because of my financial situation. I had to work full time, had to finish my school years later than it was originally planned. Took 1 or 2 classes at a time because work schedule really didn't give me enough time to take more than 1 or 2. I briefly mentioned that I've been taking classes here and there and I tried to maintain my academic abilities by tutoring science subjects and holding a teaching job, etc. However, I didn't dwell on the fact that my gap years were long.

 

[JLT223]

What schools/how many did you apply to?

 

[parvazi1992]

What schools/how many did you apply to?

19 schools, It was pretty late to the cycle