Reapplying after turning down acceptances?

[VitreousHorror]

Hello. This is my first post and I kinda created an account just to ask people who might have more insight on my circumstance. Basically I was accepted into 2 dental schools (all were pricey private institutions) and I basically panicked at the thought of having to pay back 500k+ in loans and thought about changing careers. But I wanted to be a dentist for a pretty long time and was considering reapplying this year. I was turned down by state schools (apologies I would rather not name any) for the reason that I did not have enough volunteering (zero hours hehe). My DAT and GPA were fairly competitive (22AA/22TS) and 3.6 overall 3.8 sGPA from a competitive school in the top 50. That being said, if I devote a lot of my time to volunteering right now (starting this March through June) will I have a chance at reapplying or will they basically see me as an odd man out for declining 2 acceptances? And I'll be honest I shouldn't have applied to those schools and should have done my homework on their tuition rates but dullard that I am I only found out about the dangers of compound interest after I was accepted. Sorry for the length. Chew me out, offer advice I don't mind just wanna hear my honest chances at this point or whether I should just stay away from dentistry. Thanks all. And if it means anything I'm 24 right now.

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[tattooeddentist]

If you cant see yourself without dentistry in your future, then reapply! You have your reasons for declining your acceptances, if you voice it in your personal statement and are genuine, your numbers and your volunteer work (I would suggest volunteering to a place you enjoy and actually want to serve, for two reasons: it shows your character and you wont be bored doing it,also remember it does not have to be medical / dental related) should get you where you need / want to be. If you have the heart, and the passion for it, then absolutely reapply. If you can see yourself in a different career, save yourself the half a mill in debt. I know I'd reapply even if I was 34 yrs old! Best luck! xx

 

[VitreousHorror]

If you cant see yourself without dentistry in your future, then reapply! You have your reasons for declining your acceptances, if you voice it in your personal statement and are genuine, your numbers and your volunteer work (I would suggest volunteering to a place you enjoy and actually want to serve, for two reasons: it shows your character and you wont be bored doing it,also remember it does not have to be medical / dental related) should get you where you need / want to be. If you have the heart, and the passion for it, then absolutely reapply. If you can see yourself in a different career, save yourself the half a mill in debt. I know I'd reapply even if I was 34 yrs old! Best luck! xx

thanks for the insight. Though the career is one I admire, I don't think any career should have a 500k pricetag on it, speaking realistically and on principle. I do know there are schools out there that are cheaper and I would probably aim at those. And I may have a better chance with my state schools after showing them I can volunteer, which I have no problems against doing.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Hi, I'm the board's resident psychic.

*Holds fingers to temples and begins indecipherable chanting*


You're from California, am I right?

If you want the rest of your fortune, including the results of your next application cycle, that will be just three easy payments of $29.99

 

[Jueves]

thanks for the insight. Though the career is one I admire, I don't think any career should have a 500k pricetag on it, speaking realistically and on principle. I do know there are schools out there that are cheaper and I would probably aim at those. And I may have a better chance with my state schools after showing them I can volunteer, which I have no problems against doing.

As much as I agree with the 500k+ price tag concern, this was something that you should have calculated before applying- especially with those stats. Now I was in a similar boat where the prices didn't hit me until after the acceptances, so I can understand your predicament. Moving forward though, you need to apply to schools where you can pay the price of tuition and not apply to private/pricey insitutions, otherwise it would be really stupid to reject schools for 2 cycles.

 

[FanOfCostco]

You're from California, am I right?

 

[sobertiger]

So will you only be applying to your state school next cycle? What if you don't get in?

I know it's too late, but I think you should've just taken the acceptance. Consider the extra year of income you lost out on, not to mention the pain of going through the application cycle where nothing is guaranteed.

That said, what's done is done. Regarding the upcoming cycle, betting everything on that one state school acceptance is not a wise move. You should apply broadly again and this time, you should go to whatever school you get into. Just my two cents.

 

[BluntForceTrauma]

Good luck

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[VitreousHorror]

So will you only be applying to your state school next cycle? What if you don't get in?

I know it's too late, but I think you should've just taken the acceptance. Consider the extra year of income you lost out on, not to mention the pain of going through the application cycle where nothing is guaranteed.

That said, what's done is done. Regarding the upcoming cycle, betting everything on that one state school acceptance is not a wise move. You should apply broadly again and this time, you should go to whatever school you get into. Just my two cents.

I was planning on applying to as many schools as I could financially afford. So that makes it about 12-14 I estimate.

 

[sobertiger]

If it makes you feel any better there were a couple people on SDN that turned down acceptances last cycle and got into their top choices this cycle. One of them got into his state school (it was UKCD I think). They worked hard between the two cycles though. Good luck.

 

[Sweet_Tooth]

State schools are not obligated to take you just because you added a few volunteering hours...if your GPA and DAT are still the same, it's not worth it. Even the private schools are competitive to get into now, so imo you should choose from your current acceptances. Tbh, schools will say anything to get your $$ in application fees, you need to look at the big picture yourself. I'm sure schools look down on applicants who turn down acceptances, especially if the reason is cost, because every dental school is expensive in its own right and what's to say that you won't drop your seat at the state school due to the price tag?

 

[VitreousHorror]

State schools are not obligated to take you just because you added a few volunteering hours...if your GPA and DAT are still the same, it's not worth it. Even the private schools are competitive to get into now, so imo you should choose from your current acceptances. Tbh, schools will say anything to get your $$ in application fees, you need to look at the big picture yourself. I'm sure schools look down on applicants who turn down acceptances, especially if the reason is cost, because every dental school is expensive in its own right and what's to say that you won't drop your seat at the state school due to the price tag?

Certainly not, but I called the state schools that rejected me and they informed me that the only reason I was turned down was my lack of volunteer hours. I was almost accepted into a Canadian school as well last cycle but I applied somewhat late (in October). Might try them again as well.

 

[Mr. Thirsty]

500k is a lot of money for an education. If you can keep your debt in the 200k range it is much more manageable. Even with good stats there is no guarantee that you will be accepted again though, so it is a tough choice.

I don't think that it will look bad to other schools that you turned down 2 private school acceptances. Admissions knows the deal - private schools are back-ups for applicants with higher stats. Just make sure you mention it somehow in your personal statement. I wouldn't say that you declined due to finances, but instead that you were really focused on ______(insert school you are applying too)___.

 

[SmileswithKammy]

Hello. This is my first post and I kinda created an account just to ask people who might have more insight on my circumstance. Basically I was accepted into 2 dental schools (all were pricey private institutions) and I basically panicked at the thought of having to pay back 500k+ in loans and thought about changing careers. But I wanted to be a dentist for a pretty long time and was considering reapplying this year. I was turned down by state schools (apologies I would rather not name any) for the reason that I did not have enough volunteering (zero hours hehe). My DAT and GPA were fairly competitive (22AA/22TS) and 3.6 overall 3.8 sGPA from a competitive school in the top 50. That being said, if I devote a lot of my time to volunteering right now (starting this March through June) will I have a chance at reapplying or will they basically see me as an odd man out for declining 2 acceptances? And I'll be honest I shouldn't have applied to those schools and should have done my homework on their tuition rates but dullard that I am I only found out about the dangers of compound interest after I was accepted. Sorry for the length. Chew me out, offer advice I don't mind just wanna hear my honest chances at this point or whether I should just stay away from dentistry. Thanks all. And if it means anything I'm 24 right now.

I'm going to be quite honest with you. Now I may not know much because this is the first time I will be applying in June but I have been on SDN way too long to know the outcome of this. From my past research, I have read that your situation is an immediate RED FLAG to a school if you declined acceptance and applied again the next year or years after. Also, I have heard that Adcoms can see this and thus becoming detrimental to your chances of getting in. I mean let's be honest, if you went through all the struggles of studying for the DAT and all the rigorous hours of perfecting your application how could you panic after you received an acceptance? For someone who claims to have an interest in the field of dentistry but did not understand what the tuition entails, I'm sorry it sounds like a lame reason to decline admissions into schools. If you have wanted to be a dentist for a long time, you should have taken the tuition into consideration before applying.
My 2 cents.
@Auntymarkovnikov you're the genius, let's hear it.

 

[SmileswithKammy]

State schools are not obligated to take you just because you added a few volunteering hours...if your GPA and DAT are still the same, it's not worth it. Even the private schools are competitive to get into now, so imo you should choose from your current acceptances. Tbh, schools will say anything to get your $$ in application fees, you need to look at the big picture yourself. I'm sure schools look down on applicants who turn down acceptances, especially if the reason is cost, because every dental school is expensive in its own right and what's to say that you won't drop your seat at the state school due to the price tag?

Well said. It quite honestly is a horrible reason to decline admissions after KNOWING what you were getting yourself into.

 

[tattooeddentist]

Well said. It quite honestly is a horrible reason to decline admissions after KNOWING what you were getting yourself into.

Let's not kick someone when theyre down. Decisions were made, they're looking for a solution, not an opinion on if they made the right or wrong decision based on their own situation that you haven't lived through.

Op knows themselves better than any of us. It comes down to how bad you want it. If you want to study dentistry, reapply and kick butt. Be genuine and cross your fingers. Don't let a forum decide your future because noone knows what was best for you or is best for you. If you can get into school with a low goa and a low dat , you can get into school with a hesitant resume. Just prove that you want it and won't back out this time. Best luck mate.

 

[SmileswithKammy]

Let's not kick someone when theyre down. Decisions were made, they're looking for a solution, not an opinion on if they made the right or wrong decision based on their own situation that you haven't lived through.

Op knows themselves better than any of us. It comes down to how bad you want it. If you want to study dentistry, reapply and kick butt. Be genuine and cross your fingers. Don't let a forum decide your future because noone knows what was best for you or is best for you. If you can get into school with a low goa and a low dat , you can get into school with a hesitant resume. Just prove that you want it and won't back out this time. Best luck mate.

Sir I'm going to have to disagree with you. Although i do wish the best for OP and his journey to re-apply, at times we need to be realistic. Put yourself in the shoes of any admissions committee. Unless OP has done something amazing within the gap year in regards to dentistry, 2 months of volunteering will not mean anything. You need updated/new LOR's, a revised personal statement, and evidence of your interest and pursuit in the career of dentistry. From the way it sounds OP is just beginning to volunteer until cycle opens and that unfortunately will not suffice for his decision to decline those acceptances.

 

[VitreousHorror]

Sir I'm going to have to disagree with you. Although i do wish the best for OP and his journey to re-apply, at times we need to be realistic. Put yourself in the shoes of any admissions committee. Unless OP has done something amazing within the gap year in regards to dentistry, 2 months of volunteering will not mean anything. You need updated/new LOR's, a revised personal statement, and evidence of your interest and pursuit in the career of dentistry. From the way it sounds OP is just beginning to volunteer until cycle opens and that unfortunately will not suffice for his decision to decline those acceptances.

Never took anything you said personally since it definitely has cogency to it. That being said I was offered an interview to Dalhousie in my 2nd attempt at applying (after rejecting the private schools) and that was probably rebuffed later since I applied fairly late (several months after June, wasn't sure at that point if I wanted to go after dentistry again coming from the prior year). That being said adcoms know the deal and at my Dalhousie interview they even remarked on the expenses of the schools I rejected.

 

[.-.]

I would never ever ever advise someone to reject an offer from a school, but that being said I was accepted after declining my only acceptance the previous cycle. Since you're already in the boat, assuming your stats are good enough to get two acceptances I think you should be okay.

No one ever mentioned the previous cycle to me in any of my interviews this year, so while I'm sure it might hurt you when they get down to the nitty-gritty decisions, it doesn't seem like it'll be too bad.

 

[VitreousHorror]

I would never ever ever advise someone to reject an offer from a school, but that being said I was accepted after declining my only acceptance the previous cycle. Since you're already in the boat, assuming your stats are good enough to get two acceptances I think you should be okay.

No one ever mentioned the previous cycle to me in any of my interviews this year, so while I'm sure it might hurt you when they get down to the nitty-gritty decisions, it doesn't seem like it'll be too bad.

True and I think it just gets worse if I try to sugarcoat it. These people are experts at turning a bs answer on applicants so I'm just gonna play it straight and tell them my exact reasons if asked.

 

[Sweet_Tooth]

Let's not kick someone when theyre down. Decisions were made, they're looking for a solution, not an opinion on if they made the right or wrong decision based on their own situation that you haven't lived through.

Op knows themselves better than any of us. It comes down to how bad you want it. If you want to study dentistry, reapply and kick butt. Be genuine and cross your fingers. Don't let a forum decide your future because noone knows what was best for you or is best for you. If you can get into school with a low goa and a low dat , you can get into school with a hesitant resume. Just prove that you want it and won't back out this time. Best luck mate.

You are right, thank you for reminding me of that, I should apologize for coming across as harsh in my original post.

 

[HappyPomme]

i keep reading in the comments that the adcoms will look down at u if u reject acceptances and reapply next cycle. But how do they even know you rejected offers at other schools? Do schools talk to each other? Does it say on AADSAS? Just really confused as to how they would know if the applicant keeps this info to him/herself.

 

[artist2022]

i keep reading in the comments that the adcoms will look down at u if u reject acceptances and reapply next cycle. But how do they even know you rejected offers at other schools? Do schools talk to each other? Does it say on AADSAS? Just really confused as to how they would know if the applicant keeps this info to him/herself.

You have to state so on the application, there's a section

 

[VitreousHorror]

You are right, thank you for reminding me of that, I should apologize for coming across as harsh in my original post.

Psssh we're all manly manly men here. Apologies are for hygienists, ah just kidding. But I'm reading every comment and thus far all were helpful. At this point I'm gonna go ahead and reapply to Dalhousie and some state schools along with several other out of state schools and see what happens. Just gonna be honest and hope I get in somewhere. I know how to do all the financial calculations now so I'm only applying to schools I can afford.

 

[.-.]

You have to state so on the application, there's a section

Actually, I remember the section where you had to state where you had applied before, but I can't remember having to say I rejected a school. I could be mistaken though

 

[Sweet_Tooth]

I think there's a yes/no question that goes something like "Have you ever applied to a health professional program before" or something. And a lot of schools ask if you're a reapplicant as part of the supplemental, many specifically also ask why you are reapplying and what you've done to change your application since then

 

[Jueves]

I’m curious on whether rejecting an acceptance actually hurts you significantly, or whether it’s the lack of significant improvement on your resume from 1 gap year. I’ve been advising applicants to take acceptances (as most on here do) but in reality- is it just an SDN illusion that turning down acceptances hurts you? Can any adcoms comment?