reapplication blues

[onlyahobo]

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This is my second time applying and I'm pretty confused about how this changes things. I haven't been able to get in touch with anyone at my school of interest (UW) so I thought that I might be able to get some direction from you folks while awaiting an email response from them (I think it takes around month... really 🙁)
1) LOE, someone mentioned there needs to be 2 new letters but I haven't been able to find where that policy is written down. I just want to be sure before I try to recruit new letters.
2) Personal statement- Can I go ahead and mention that I'm a reapplicant or should I just add in my new experiences?
3) If you're only applying to one school is it possible to skip AADSAS and submit directly to the school?
Thanks guys, I appreciate any and all feedback on this.

 

[Magic Hoof]

1) Three letters of recommendation are needed: One from a science instructor, one from a dentist, and one from a character reference
http://www.dental.washington.edu/education/pdfs/DDS_Admissions_FAQs.pdf
2) I don't know what you should do for this - I imagine show how you have improved over the last time you applied.
3) You do have to apply via AADSAS
http://www.dental.washington.edu/education/prospective_students/admission_procedures.php

 

[onlyahobo]

Yeah, I was reading over that on their website as well. It's just that it doesn't mention anything about reapplying. I assume I still need the three letters from professor, dentist and character reference but whether I can use the same three again isn't addressed.

 

[Ambient]

Why would you only apply to one school? That sounds like a recipe for disappointement, especially if your stats aren't great.

 

[Impulse155]

How recent must the letters be? If I get them now I am currently a sophmore so when I send them they will be a year old. Is this ok?

 

[Philippines03j]

Applying to one school does not sound like enough. Even if you have 24s on your DAT nothing is ever a sure deal. I would recommend finding some other schools that interest you. Everyones situation is different (i know) but to me it would not be worth applying 3-4 years trying to get into one school when you could possibly get in else where and be graduated by the time you get in.

 

[jj007]

1) LOE, someone mentioned there needs to be 2 new letters but I haven't been able to find where that policy is written down. I just want to be sure before I try to recruit new letters.

As a re-applicant, you will need 2 new letters of recommendation (ie. from two different individuals that the ones you have). Kathy should be able to give you a more definite answer.


2) Personal statement- Can I go ahead and mention that I'm a reapplicant or should I just add in my new experiences?

In the AADSAS essay, I would not suggest mentioning it since it goes to all schools. Even if you only want to apply to UW, I would still suggest making it more general so that you can use for other schools. When you receive a secondary from the UW, then you can mention that you're a reapplicant in their essays. Did you get an interview from the UW this cycle?


3) If you're only applying to one school is it possible to skip AADSAS and submit directly to the school?

NO, you cannot skip AADSAS. As other suggested, you should apply to more than 1 school. UW is a difficult school to get into even if you're in state. There is no guarantee even if you have high GPA and DAT.

 

[onlyahobo]

thanks for the input guys. I know it sounds strange to only apply to one school, it's just that I'm in no hurry to graduate. I mean, yes, I would love to get in as soon as possible, but I would rather "waste" a year or two improving my application and trying to get into my dream school than spend 4 years away from my family and out of state tuition. I'm a pretty stubborn person, once I've set my mind to a goal I do not give up without a fight.

 

[flying rider]

I remember seeing the two new letters of recommendation policy on the instructions for the secondary (in the email).

 

[baseballjunkie]

I was a re-applicant and got in my second app. I know A LOT of people who had to apply more than one time in order to get into UW. I took 2 years off after my first application to "better" my application.

You will need 2 new letters of recommendation for sure. They will ask you in the interview flat out, "What have you done to improve yourself since your last application?" So definitely work hard on making your application better so you can be ready for that. If you just reapply again without making significant strides, then they'll probably reject you again. If you work hard and improve your application to show you're dedicated to dentistry and to UW, then I think you'll be just fine.

One suggestion for volunteering/dental experience... volunteer on the mobile dental clinic for Medical Teams International. They make stops all over the Puget Sound so it's pretty easy to help out, and it's great experience to see the low-income side of dentistry and how a minimal amount of volunteering can make an impact. Additionally, there are UW faculty who are involved with Medical Teams so it couldn't hurt on your app...

 

[pumpUup]

This is my second time applying and I'm pretty confused about how this changes things. I haven't been able to get in touch with anyone at my school of interest (UW) so I thought that I might be able to get some direction from you folks while awaiting an email response from them (I think it takes around month... really 🙁)
1) LOE, someone mentioned there needs to be 2 new letters but I haven't been able to find where that policy is written down. I just want to be sure before I try to recruit new letters.
2) Personal statement- Can I go ahead and mention that I'm a reapplicant or should I just add in my new experiences?
3) If you're only applying to one school is it possible to skip AADSAS and submit directly to the school?
Thanks guys, I appreciate any and all feedback on this.

Don't you need 3 LOE?

 

[onlyahobo]

The Medical Teams International sounds great, I just looked them up though and I am afraid I may not be qualified. The site makes it sound like you either need to apply for an unpaid internship (which I probably won't have time for if I'm working full-time) or be a certified assistant. Did you get on board with them without meeting these stipulations?

 

[Fincayra]

How recent must the letters be? If I get them now I am currently a sophmore so when I send them they will be a year old. Is this ok?

It's better to get LOR from people at the time, so it's fresh in their memory